When shopping for auto insurance, picking a good Pennsylvania car insurance agent is not as easy as just making a phone call. You require a great agent that can assess your needs, and also want to find the best possible price.
With consumers having so many companies and agents to choose from, it can be impossible to find the lowest price insurance company.
Working with a local agent
Licensed agents can point out coverage gaps and help submit paperwork. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is you can get lower rates but also keep your business local.
Upon completion of this quick form, your coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents in Reading who will return price quotes for your business. There is no reason to leave your computer as quotes are delivered to your email. How cool is that?!
Picking a car insurance agent should depend on more than just a low price. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Pennsylvania?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- How are they compensated?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
Independent or Captive: It’s your choice
When searching for local Reading agents, there are two types of agencies from which to choose. Agents are categorized either captive or independent. Either one can do a good job, but it’s good to learn the difference between them because it can influence the selection process.
Agency Captives
Captive agencies work for only one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.
Listed below is a list of captive agents in Reading that are able to give price quote information.
State Farm Insurance – 2677 Bernville Rd – Reading, PA 19605 – (610) 375-2600
Allstate Insurance – 2038 Penn Ave – Reading, PA 19609 – (610) 670-1919
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agencies are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When shopping rates, we recommend you include multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.
Shown below are independent insurance agents in Reading that can give you price quotes.
Frank Gill Insurance – 116 N 10th St – Reading, PA 19601 – (610) 375-9640
Heart Insurance – 54 Michigan Dr – Reading, PA 19608 – (610) 678-9720
For a complete listing of licensed insurance agents in Reading, please click here.
Upon getting satisfactory answers for all questions you ask and locked in a price quote, you’ve probably found a car insurance agent that can properly insure your vehicles.
Purchasing car insurance direct online is an option
Auto insurance agents can be invaluable at times, but Pennsylvania consumers also have the option to buy direct from companies online. A few companies who have local agents in Reading also allow consumers to buy a policy online, so that should be considered to possibly find a better rate.
If you’re worried about not having someone to ask questions when buying direct, that is quite common when buying online the first time. Online companies all have client service departments to help you decide which coverages are appropriate. They also have a frequently asked questions page so you can feel comfortable buying online.
Do customers save by switching to an online company? It’s hard to say exactly because there are many factors that determine the price you pay. Some people will tell you that shopping online for auto insurance saves the commission normally paid to an agent. But truthfully, the cost of constant advertising is expensive and this drives up their premium costs.
If the best price is important to you, the most effective way to determine whether prices are lower online or from agents is to get price quotes for both. You may actually get a different price from the same car insurance company depending on where you get the price quote from.
Smart consumers save more
Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including delays in paying claims, unfair underwriting practices, being labeled a high risk driver or even not issuing a premium refund. Whatever your reason, switching companies can be less work than you think.
When shopping online for auto insurance, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
Read more about Pennsylvania auto insurance
Additional detailed information is available at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website. Pennsylvania drivers can get help finding coverage, download brochures, and read industry bulletins.
The following information may also be useful.
