It’s a known fact that insurance companies don’t want you shop around. People who shop around will probably switch car insurance companies because of the high probability of finding more affordable rates. A recent survey revealed that consumers who faithfully checked for cheaper rates saved as much as $865 annually as compared to drivers who never shopped around for better prices.
If finding the cheapest price on Oldsmobile Alero insurance in Buffalo is the reason for your visit, understanding the best way to quote and compare insurance premiums can make the process more efficient.
The easiest way to save on auto insurance rates is to do an annual price comparison from insurance carriers who sell auto insurance in Buffalo. Prices can be compared by following these steps.
- It will benefit you to learn about how auto insurance works and the things you can control to drop your rates. Many policy risk factors that are responsible for high rates like accidents, traffic tickets, and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be remedied by being financially responsible and driving safely. This article gives the details to help reduce prices and get discounts that may be available to you.
- Obtain price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can provide rates from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can quote prices from multiple companies.
- Compare the new quotes to your current policy to determine if you can save on Alero insurance. If you find a lower rate, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Provide notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your existing policy and submit payment and a completed application to the new company. Once the application is submitted, store the certificate of insurance in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
An important note is to make sure you enter similar coverage information on every quote and and to get quotes from every company you can. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and the best rate selection.
When price shopping your coverage, getting more free quotes helps increase your odds of locating the best rates. Not every company provides online rate quotes, so it’s recommended that you also compare prices from those companies as well.
The companies in the list below have been selected to offer quotes in New York. To find the best car insurance in NY, we recommend you get rates from several of them to get the most competitive price.
Three reasons to insure your Oldsmobile vehicle
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure an Oldsmobile in Buffalo, insurance may be required for several reasons.
- Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability protection in order to drive the car. In New York these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you have a lien on your Alero, it’s guaranteed your bank will have a requirement that you carry insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank will be required to insure your Oldsmobile at a more expensive rate and force you to reimburse them the higher premium.
- Insurance protects both your Oldsmobile and your personal assets. Insurance will pay for many types of medical costs for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability coverage also pays expenses related to your legal defense if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of buying enough insurance definitely exceed the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. The average driver in New York overpays as much as $810 a year so smart consumers compare quotes at every renewal to save money.
Save money by getting discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always list all discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so below is a list some of the more common as well as some of the hidden credits available to you.
- Good Student Discount – Maintaining excellent grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply up to age 25.
- Distant College Student Discount – Kids living away from Buffalo attending college without a vehicle on campus could qualify for this discount.
- Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down on your Oldsmobile could earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – Not necessarily a discount, but some insurance companies will forgive one accident without the usual rate increase so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to the accident.
- Renewal Discounts – A few companies give discounts for renewing your policy before your current coverage expires. You can save around 10% with this discount.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Participating in a defensive driver course may get you a small discount and also improve your driving technique.
- No Accidents – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims can earn big discounts compared to bad drivers.
- Multi-car Discount – Buying a policy with several vehicles on a single policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could save 15% on medical payment and PIP coverage.
One last thing about discounts, some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Despite the fact that it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. But all discounts should help reduce your overall premium however.
A list of auto insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are detailed below.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for safe vehicle, passive restraint, good driver, Drive Safe & Save, multiple policy, and driver’s education.
- American Family may include discounts for multi-vehicle, good student, good driver, bundled insurance, mySafetyValet, TimeAway discount, and accident-free.
- GEICO offers discounts for military active duty, multi-policy, driver training, federal employee, good student, five-year accident-free, and multi-vehicle.
- 21st Century has savings for theft prevention, teen driver, automatic seat belts, driver training, and homeowners.
- Progressive discounts include online quote discount, continuous coverage, good student, homeowner, and multi-policy.
Before you buy a policy, ask each insurance company the best way to save money. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be offered on policies in Buffalo. If you would like to choose from a list of auto insurance companies who offer cheap Oldsmobile Alero insurance quotes in Buffalo, click here to view.
Local neighborhood insurance agents
Many drivers prefer to sit down with an agent and doing so can bring peace of mind One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you can get the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.
After filling out this quick form, the coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents in Buffalo who will give competitive quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to find an agent on your own as quotes are delivered to you directly. You’ll get the best rates without a big time investment. If you need to quote rates from a specific company, just navigate to their website and complete a quote there.
Deciding on an provider requires you to look at more than just the quoted price. The following questions are important to ask.
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Are they paid to recommend certain coverages?
- Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance in Buffalo?
Choose the right car insurance agent
If you are wanting to find a reliable insurance agent, you should know the different agency structures that you can select. Agents can be categorized as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive agents can usually just insure with one company such as AAA, Allstate, and State Farm. These agents are unable to provide other company’s prices so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on their company’s products which aids in selling service over price. Consumers often buy from exclusive agents primarily because of the prominence of the brand rather than low rates.
Below are exclusive agencies in Buffalo who can help you get comparison quotes.
- GEICO Insurance Agent
3835 McKinley Pkwy #2 – Buffalo, NY 14219 – (716) 604-0345 – View Map - State Farm: Dan Hawrylczak
1335 Hertel Ave – Buffalo, NY 14216 – (716) 873-3771 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Toni Du Bois
2460 Main St – Buffalo, NY 14214 – (716) 931-5200 – View Map
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
These type of agents do not write with just one company and that gives them the ability to insure with lots of companies and get you the best rates possible. If they find a lower price, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you stay with the same agent. When comparison shopping, we highly recommend that you get rate quotes from several independent insurance agents to have the best price comparison. Many can place coverage with smaller regional carriers which may have better rates.
Listed below are independent agencies in Buffalo who can help you get price quotes.
- Merchants Insurance Co
85 Pearl St – Buffalo, NY 14202 – (716) 849-3287 – View Map - Niagara County Insurance
1171 Delaware Ave – Buffalo, NY 14209 – (716) 881-6666 – View Map - Clauss and Company Insurance Agency
735 Delaware Ave – Buffalo, NY 14209 – (716) 886-6600 – View Map
Which car insurance company is best in Buffalo?
Choosing the highest-rated auto insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many choices there are in Buffalo. The company ratings displayed below can help you pick which car insurance providers you want to consider purchasing coverage from.
Top 10 Buffalo Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Service
- Mercury Insurance
- The Hartford
- American Family
- Progressive
- USAA
- Travelers
- State Farm
- GEICO
- Allstate
- Farmers Insurance
Top 10 Buffalo Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- USAA – A++
- GEICO – A++
- Travelers – A++
- State Farm – A++
- Allstate – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- Esurance – A+
- Erie Insurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- Mercury Insurance – A+
Frequent quotes can save
In this article, we presented some good ideas how you can compare Oldsmobile Alero insurance premium rates in Buffalo. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheaper Buffalo car insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the best premium rates are with some of the lesser-known companies.
Drivers who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, questionable increases in premium, policy non-renewal or unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is easier than you think.
As you quote Buffalo car insurance, never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest cost and still be able to protect your assets.
Additional auto insurance information can be found at the links below
- What to do at the Scene of an Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much are Car Insurance Rates for Infrequent Drivers in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- How Much are Buffalo Car Insurance Quotes for a School Permit? (FAQ)
- What is the Best Cheap Auto Insurance in Buffalo, NY? (FAQ)
- Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)
- Safety Features for Your New Car (State Farm)
- What Does No-Fault Insurance Cover? (Allstate)