Breaking Down Your Cheektowaga Insurance Quotes
Cheektowaga is not like the rest of the country or even New York. For one, the cost of living is low. The December 2009 cost of living index was 83.7; the U.S. average is 100. The median house value in 2008 was just $95,000 compared to the state’s $318,000. And these values have remained fairly stable over the last few years despite the large dips in the market as a whole. But the one area Cheektowaga can’t revel in distinction is the area of insurance, particularly auto insurance. New York and thus Cheektowaga have some of the highest rates in the country. In fact, as of April 1, 2010, New York’s overall auto rates increased by 8.4%. So when shopping for Cheektowaga insurance quotes, it pays to have a little knowledge and to comparison shop. Let’s look at car insurance.
The Auto Minimums
The state of New York has one of the most extensive auto insurance requirements in the country. Here’s the minimum:
- Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 limit- this protects you or anyone driving your car if a claim is made against you.
- Personal Injury Protection: $50,000 Limit- this will pay for driver, passengers, and/or pedestrians injured regardless of fault. Pays medical and loss of earnings.
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit- this is bodily injury protection for the driver and occupants when injured by an uninsured driver.
- Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit- covers damage done by you to property.
Cheektowaga Insurance Quotes: Rate Comparisons
In 2009, the New York State Commission published a report on buying insurance. Let’s look at some of their examples for the Cheektowaga area and see how rates vary significantly.
Scenario A: Married Male, 35
Esurance- $1,016 for the minimum required coverage.
Add Comprehensive ($200 ded.) for $112. .
Collision ($200 ded.) for $724 .
Now you’re up to $1,852. .
Compare this to.
Geico- $225, $34, $228 total $487.
Scenario B: Married Female, retired, 69
Allmerica Financial Alliance- $752 for the minimum required coverage.
Add Comprehensive ($200 ded.) for $52.
Collision($200 ded.) for $360.
You’re up to $1,164.
Compare this to.
Utica National Insurance Company of Texas- $279, $51, $249 total $579
These comparisons represent two ends of the pricing spectrum. There are many more insurers that fall somewhere in between. So why the large differences? It boils down to economics like any other business. Maybe the more expensive company has a higher risk pool of drivers in Cheektowaga. Maybe their operating costs are higher. The important thing to remember is these companies compete just like Wegmans competes with Walmart. They also have “sales” in the form of discounts. Here is a list of discounts offered by insurers in New York. Note, not all discounts are offered by all insurers.
- Daytime running lights, airbags, automatic seatbelts, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft system.
- Driver training
- E-banking, payroll deduction
- Paid-in-full – paying up front rather than monthly.
- Military
- Five year accident-free
- Good student
- Multi-car policy
- Multi-line policy (home, auto)
- Senior
Lowering your Cheektowaga Insurance Quotes
As you can see, not only is Cheektowaga insurance pricey, it’s highly variable. And while there are some variables you can’t control (your age, sex, etc.), the one you can control is the ability to comparison shop for the best policy at the best price. For this, use NetQuote. NetQuote will search the internet, finding the coverage you need at the price you want to pay.
