Who You Are Drives Your Rates
It’s all about you. To get started, you should be ready to share these facts: your age, sex, marital status, driving record, credit history, and the details about the car you drive. Auto insurance companies use your answers to offer discounts and coverage options that match your lifestyle. When you buy a policy, your company will verify your personal information using public sources for your motor vehicle report and prior claims payments. What it boils down to? Who you are has the biggest impact on the rate you pay.
Protect Yourself and Your Passengers
Know what’s required and what you need. You might think the minimum limits are plenty for you. After all, $30,000 sounds like a lot. But, rising medical costs often result in underinsured motorist claims, when a long-term hospital stay exceeds the minimum limits most drivers buy. UM/UIM coverage is not required in Pennsylvania, but think twice before saying no to this potential financial life saver. And, you can purchase UM coverage separately from UIM coverage, so save a few dollars.
Where You Live Matters
Philadelphia is second most expensive city for auto insurance. Drivers in urban areas like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia pay more for insurance because traffic is heavier, leading to more accidents, and auto theft is rampant. Philadelphians, on average, pay more than anyone else in the country (except people in Detroit). That cost? More than $3,770 a year. The reason? Pennsylvania’s no-fault law and the fact that city drivers file 3 times more injury claims than the state average, according to the Insurance Information Institute.