As a New York driver, you’re required to have auto insurance. It can be tempting to just get the first policy that comes along, but it’s better to do a little research and really understand the coverage you’re purchasing. Here are three tips to getting the most out of your coverage:

Know Your Policy

Your policy has several parts to it. Make certain you understand your deductible (the amount you’re responsible for paying before insurance begins coverage). Typically the higher the deductible, the lower the cost of your policy. There is typically a maximum that your policy will pay out in certain situations, such as in the event of an accident or injury that you cause, which is referred to as your liability insurance. You can also purchase additional coverage, including collision insurance, which covers accidents, and comprehensive coverage, which covers other damage to your car. If you’re not familiar with your policy, you can contact an insurance agency such as NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency in Albany, NY for information on your coverage. 

Ask Questions

The ins and outs of auto insurance can be confusing. If you’re unclear as to what your policy covers, ask questions. Make sure that you’re clear about what your policy does and doesn’t cover, and what your financial responsibility is in case of an accident. Try not to just base your decision on the premium (the amount you pay for your coverage). Take into account the actual coverage as well. 

Shop for Quotes

Don’t settle for the first quote you come across. Different companies will have different price points, so it’s in your best interest to shop around for coverage. Once of the easiest ways to shop for coverage is through an insurance agency like NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency in Albany, NY. They work with different carriers and can help you find the best quote and coverage for your needs. 

Most automobile insurance packages are designed to cover cars as they were manufactured. If you need to customize your vehicle for towing, handicap access, or other reasons, how does it affect your insurance policy?

Vehicles for Towing or Plowing

Winter in Albany, NY can bring heavy snows that challenge your shoveling skills. Attaching a snow plow to the front of your heavy-duty truck can help reduce your workload and keep your property clear in storm conditions. Or you may need to attach a trailer hitch to transport equipment or tow other vehicles.

Changing the function of your vehicle may affect your automobile policy in important ways.

• Customizations can void warranties, leaving you on the hook for repairs or replacements.
• You may need additional policies or riders to cover specialized equipment. Contact the insurance experts at NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency to make sure you have enough coverage.

Modifications for Handicap Access

Disabled drivers and passengers may need customizations to comfortably enter, exit, and operate their vehicles. How does this change their automobile insurance policies?

Per the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, insurance companies are not allowed to charge higher rates to disabled drivers. They can, however, charge more for vehicles that have been heavily modified. This justifies the increased cost of replacing custom installations if an accident occurs.

When meeting with an insurance agent, bring a list of modifications you’ve done to your vehicles. This will help the agent determine what coverage you may need.

Personality Accents

Some people use their cars to express their personality. Decorative elements like spoilers, hub caps, and window tinting generally does not affect automobile insurance policies. However, performance-based modifications might change your agreement. If you redesign your car for racing, off-roading, or another unusual activity, you may not qualify for a regular passenger policy. Talk to your insurance agent about specialized policies for these types of vehicles.

Do you own a customized vehicle in the Albany, NY area? NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency will help you find the right coverage for your car, no matter how you use it.

Albany, NY residents turn to NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency to cover multiple vehicles. Many are interested in bundled car policies and wonder how they work to save a family money.

The Nature Of Multi-Car Policies

People who own multiple vehicles, such as a father or a large family with multiple driving members, can typically bundle up to four cars on a single policy. Bundling will almost always save money on a policy, as insurance companies will lower the rate as a way of rewarding a customer’s loyalty. The actual rate will vary depending on multiple factors.

For example, newer and safer vehicles typically have cheaper insurance policies while older and more dangerous cars will have more expensive policies. Combining vehicles of varying ages and safety ratings will cause the rate value to increase or decrease in multiple ways.

Features That Help Decrease A Policy

Vehicles with safety features, like security alarms and anti-lock brakes, are typically less expensive to insure. This is especially true if you have a safe driving record and haven’t suffered from an accident during a calendar year. Improving a car’s safety features by installing new items can also help decrease a bundle policy price.

Other Insurance Options

Most companies will allow you to get comprehensive and collision coverage for each vehicle in your bundled package. These are crucial in case of an accident, as they can cover the cost of the replacement of each vehicle. For those who are bundling their policies with their teenage drivers, collision and comprehensive insurance can be crucial for protecting your investment.

Do You Want This Type Of Insurance?

If you are interested in this type of insurance and live in Albany, NY, please contact us at NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency. We will provide you with a quality policy that will save you money.

The number of miles that you drive per year can affect your auto insurance rates. Most auto insurers consider a normal number of miles to be anywhere from 12,000 to 18,000 per year. However, not everyone drives this much. You may have multiple cars and one car doesn’t get driven as much. You may work from home. Or you may not work at all. If you drive less than 10,000 to 12,000 miles per year, you may qualify for a low mileage auto insurance policy.

A low mileage auto insurance policy is given to cars or drivers that are not driven often. However, in order to qualify for this discount, you must tell the insurance company approximately how many miles you do drive per year. They may then require you to prove this information, by having an auto shop or police officer sign off on your mileage yearly to ensure you continue to qualify.

This type of policy is a discounted policy. Those who drive less miles are at a decreased risk of being involved in an accident. As such, this minimizes the insurance company’s risk of having to pay out a claim. Because of this, they offer you the discount. However, it is important to note that not all insurance companies will offer this policy to you. Some do not offer it at all and others will only give it to you if you ask, so be sure to ask.

Have you retired? Do you stay at home with your kids? Do you telecommute to work? If so, you may want to inquire about a low mileage auto insurance policy. If you are looking for one, contact NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency in Albany, NY. Our friendly and knowledgeable employees can help you find the right policy for you.

If you must drive alone, particular in the early morning hours or at night, take precautions for your safety. Comprehensive auto insurance coverage from NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency in Albany, NY will protect you against accidents. At the same time, you should do your part of staying safe on the road. The following tips can keep you safer when driving alone.

Keep Windows Up and Doors Locked: As much as possible, drive with windows up, and doors locked when traveling early in the morning or late at night. This discourages criminals from trying to force their way into your car.

Focus on Driving: Eliminate distractions to include the use of cell phone or iPod so you can focus fully on driving. Stay vigilant when stopping at lights, especially if you’re in an area with little traffic.

Car Pool: When possible, take advantage of a car pool to travel during early morning hours or at night. There’s safety in numbers. Having a partner or two can discourage criminals from targeting your car.

Fill Gas Tank: Make sure you have sufficient gas to get to your destination and back. You don’t want to get stranded in the middle of nowhere at odd hours.

Maintain Vehicle: Keep up with vehicle maintenance and repairs to avoid unnecessary breakdowns during your night travels. This includes having your tires, fluids, and brakes checked periodically by a certified mechanic.

Keep Cell Phone Handy: Keep a fully charged cell phone with you at all times so you can call police if you’re in danger as well as stay in touch with family and friends.

Maintain Current Auto Insurance Coverage: Be sure your auto insurance is up to date and offers the protection you need.

For information on personalized auto insurance packages, contact an agent at NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency in Albany, NY.      

Your auto insurance is something that does not change regarding needs, but every so often, you might need to adjust your coverage. There are a few different ways that you can determine how to adjust your auto insurance that can help make the process easier overall. For those in the Albany, NY area, the agents with NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency can help.

In most cases, the only real need to adjust your coverage comes from the changing of cars and the depreciation that comes with the car. Also, as you pay off your car and no longer have to pay a monthly car payment, you might also be able to drop full coverage for liability only. There are some issues that come with this type of policy change, however. When you drop full coverage, your premiums will decrease, but you will also have less coverage in the event of an accident.

If you do have a car that has depreciated, you may want to adjust coverage to help reduce your overall premiums. Another factor that might make it necessary to change coverage is a change in your driving habits. Those drivers that are on the road often might need full coverage as their risk of an accident is going to be higher than someone that only drives once or twice a month. Also, just like your home, any upgrades might change the amount of coverage that you need to be fully covered when you get on the road.

For those in the Albany, NY area, the agents with NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency can help you find the policy that fits both what you can pay and what you need to be fully covered each month when you drive.  

Bags Are Packed – Let’s Go! – But Wait – Are We Insured?

When you are going on vacation, a road trip, or any time that you cross the state line of the state in which you reside the last thing you are thinking of is whether or not your car is insured. NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency agents are trained and equipped to assist you in answering that question way before the first bag is packed. If you handle it first you won’t have to think about it and can focus on the drive ahead. 

The answer to the question has some complexities that is why it is critical to speak with a professional. While some states vary on the state-to-state coverage issue, in general the rule is the same no matter if you live in Albany, NY, the surrounding areas in NY or in other states across the country: your automobile insurance policy will cover you across state lines. The comprehensiveness of this coverage will vary depending on the type of accident you and your car are involved in. Some state laws may supersede aspects of your policy depending upon the incident or accident. 

Another aspect of travel that many policyholders are not aware of is the insurance responsibility in the event that you rent a car. Many purchase extra insurance through the rental company unnecessarily. Contact us to find out what to do before you rent.

NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency is a multi-service agency servicing the Albany, NY and surrounding areas. Contact us today to learn more about what is covered and what is not. It is always better to do this before the accident, before the trip; in short contact us before you need to file a claim.   

If you’ve searched the Internet to find ways to save money on your auto insurance, you’ve likely come across advice to increase your deductible. True enough, you can decrease the cost of your auto insurance by increasing your deductible in Albany, NY, but you shouldn’t do this. In most cases, our team at NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency found that it’s simply not worth it.

Increasing Your Deductible Doesn’t Have a Significant Impact on Your Rate

The portion of your monthly rate that based on your deductible is a fraction of the cost of your auto insurance policy. In fact, with each deductible increase, you will save a few dollars each month in the grand scheme of things. However, you will have to pay hundreds more if you experience a loss. When it comes to increasing your deductible, the benefits don’t outweigh the costs.

With a Higher Deductible, You Are Responsible for Paying More

In Albany, NY, a higher deductible means you pay more if you experience a loss. Unfortunately, many drivers don’t consider this until it’s too late. No one wants to pay more following a car accident or the theft of their vehicle simply because they wanted to reduce their monthly rate.

You Can Save More Money Using Other Strategies

The rate you pay for your auto insurance is based on a lot of factors, not simply the amount you agree to pay for your deductible. As such, when you increase your deductible, you are only tweaking a small aspect of your auto insurance policy. There are other ways you can reduce your auto insurance rate without incurring an additional expense, including:

• Maintaining a safe driving record

• Avoiding speeding tickets

• Driving a vehicle with a good safety rating

• Avoiding accidents

When you employ multiple strategies to reduce the cost of your auto insurance, you increase your savings overall.

At NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency, we offer a suite of competitively priced auto insurance products. If you need auto insurance or you want to compare the coverage you have with what we offer, give us a call today.

If you are involved in an auto accident, there is a good possibility that your insurance rates will rise. While you cannot prevent all auto accidents, you can prevent or reduce the likelihood you are involved in them by knowing what to do in certain scenarios. One scenario is when your car is sliding across ice in Albany, NY. Knowing what steps to take can minimize your chances of being in an accident in this scenario. NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency would like to share two tips with you on what you should do if you find yourself in this situation.

Tap On Your Brakes, Don’t Slam Them

If your car begins to slide on an icy road, your first instinct may be to slam on your brakes. But this can cause your brakes to lock up, causing you to slide even more. Instead, lightly tap on your brakes to reduce your speed and eventually come to a stop.

Turn Into a Slide

When you begin to slide, you may turn your steering wheel in the opposite direction, hoping to correct the slide. However, you should always turn your wheels in the direction that the back of the car is sliding. This helps you gain control of your car so that you can slowly begin to correct the way you are sliding. If you steer in the opposite direction, you can overcorrect, causing your car to slide in the opposite direction quickly, causing an accident or even causing your car to roll.

Unfortunately, you cannot prevent all accidents. But having the right insurance coverage can ensure that an accident doesn’t turn your life upside. If you are not sure if you have enough coverage or are in the market for a new auto insurance policy in the greater Albany, NY area, give NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency a call. We would love to help you with all of your auto insurance needs.