Monthly Archives: January 2013

What is the Best Way to get Comparable Homeowners Insurance Quotes in Pennsylvania?

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Choosing your homeowners insurance company is a big decision, and often you’ll feel rushed if you’re in the process of buying the home. Thankfully, independent agents are available to make the process go much more smoothly and collect quotes for you so you have all the information you need to make the decision. You can also revisit your policy every year before you renew it to make sure you are still getting the best insurance possible for your money.

Decide What Policy Limits You Want

Before you gather quotes, you’ll need to decide the specifics of the policy you’re looking for so all the quotes are comparable. You generally can’t affect the amount of coverage for your house, which the company sets to include the full cost of rebuilding your home. However, you can usually tweak the coverage for your belongings within a range. You also may want to add riders to the policy for valuables like jewelry, furs, art, guns, and other items that may not fall within the regular policy. The last decision you need to make is what deductible you would like to be responsible for when you make a claim. Choosing a higher deductible can often get you lower insurance rates.

Contact an Independent Agent to Gather Homeowners Insurance Quotes

The rest of the job is easy, thanks to your independent agent servicing Dunmore, Honesdale, Milford, and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania. You can actually get quotes online, which makes the process even easier. Alternately, feel free to call us to speak with an independent agent if you have questions or want to walk through the process on the phone instead of getting insurance quotes online. You’re just minutes away from getting quotes from several companies to compare and find the best rates.

What Factors can Lower My Full Coverage Rates in Pennsylvania?

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Many people choose to buy full coverage auto insurance in Honesdale, Milford, Dunmore, and other nearby areas in Pennsylvania. If you’re leasing a car or have an auto loan, it may even be a requirement to protect the dealership or lender’s financial interest in the vehicle. However, full coverage insurance can be pricey, especially if your driving record is less than perfect. As your independent agent, one of the main jobs we have is to help you find the lowest possible rates by adjusting several main factors.

Get Lower Rates With a Higher Deductible

The main way to cut your full coverage rates is to increase your deductible. This is the maximum amount you have to pay out of pocket when filing a claim before the insurance company covers the rest of the bill. Your deductible can be as low as $250, but increasing it to $500 or $1,000 will significantly reduce the premiums you pay. This is because you’re taking on more of the financial responsibility.

Prove Safe Driving Habits for Lower Rates

Some insurance companies are offering a new type of device you can plug into your car to monitor your driving habits. Based on data collected, the insurance company may offer you lower rates. Factors that can lower your rates include driving during safer hours, driving fewer miles, and avoiding habits like hard-braking.

Take a Defensive Driving Class to Qualify for a Discount

Insurance companies sometimes offer a discount if you have voluntarily taken a defensive driving class approved by the auto insurance company. This is especially common for senior citizens, who otherwise are often considered to be higher risk because of slower reaction speeds. Ask your independent agent if any of the policies you’re looking at offer this discount.

What are Common Factors that Affect the Cost of Auto Insurance Premiums in Pennsylvania?

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Getting the lowest possible insurance premiums without skimping on coverage is the main goal of most people who are shopping for auto insurance in Pennsylvania. There are many different factors involved in determining rates, some of which are fixed and others that you can adjust to lower your cost. When you’re shopping for insurance in Honesdale, Dunmore, Milford, and surrounding areas, consider these factors as you build your policy.

Fixed Factors that Affect Auto Insurance Premiums

Your age, gender, and marital status are three factors that will affect your premiums right off the bat. The type of car you drive is another common factor that affects your rates based on statistics on how much it has cost the company to insure the same model of car in the past. Of course, your driving record with accidents and traffic tickets can leave you stuck with higher costs. Your state of residence can also affect rates because of state policies and taxes. Within your state, your zip code also has an effect because insurance companies look at crime statistics and accident reports for that zip code.

Factors You Can Change to Lower the Cost of Insurance Premiums

When working with an independent agent to put together your policy in Dunmore, Milford, or Honesdale, focus on these factors that you can tweak to get lower rates. First, your liability coverage limits directly affect costs, with higher coverage leading to higher premiums. Your deductible on comprehensive and collision coverage inversely affects your cost, with a higher deductible earning lower premiums. The discounts you add to your policy will help you lower your cost, so always ask about discounts. Lastly, the insurance company you go with also affects the cost, which is why it’s so important to use an independent agent to gather quotes for you to compare.

Does my Pennsylvania Homeowners Insurance Policy Cover Natural Disaster Damage from the Hurricane?

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A homeowner’s insurance policy in any state of the United States will cover and exclude much of the same perils, although state laws may vary slightly. If you live in the state of Pennsylvania and reside in or around the area of Honesdale, Milford or Dunmore call your independent agent for a review of your homeowner’s insurance policy in the event of a natural disaster occurring, and find out the risk area where you live.

Geographic location has a lot to do with the type of insurance you will need to remain secure in the knowledge that if a natural disaster struck you would be covered. A basic homeowner’s policy in Pennsylvania will not pay for damages resulting from natural disasters such as, but not limited to sink holes, floods, landslides, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, expansive soil and more.

When a homeowner reads on their policy they have "all perils" insurance, they instantly think if they should lose their home and possessions they are covered. Many times this in not the case. An "all perils" insurance policy does not cover everything. Homeowners find out the sad truth too late. They generally find this out after the damage has been done. Homeowners must read the exclusions statement in their policy.

If your insurance policy does not have all the coverage in black and white then you are not covered if the incident happens. Even considering some of the covered perils such as, wind and falling objects like a neighbor’s tree on your property may have caps of coverage. Separate policies must be bought for your geographic location, such as, if you live in a flood zone, you will need a flood policy. Some of these perils may fall under the city ordnance of where you reside or under Pennsylvania state law.

Contact us today to speak to an independent agent today, regarding hurricane coverage.