When you look up an Auto Insurance Albany NY company you will get a list of companies to choose from. Familiar names such as Geico, State Farm, Farmers, Nationwide, Progressive, eSurance, SafeAuto and Liberty Mutual will be at the top of your list. Depending on if you are looking for insurance to cover a new family member, a switch from a previous company or insuring a reckless driver, every insurance company is not the same.
The main difference you will see between the insurance companies is that some are standard and some offer sub-standard policies. Each type of policy has a different clientele that they cater to. For instance, the standard policy company will insure those drivers that have a good driving record. Also they will add a new driver to an existing family policy. A sub-standard policy company will insure drivers with no previous driving record or family to co-sign for them as well as drivers that have a bad driving record.
Sub-standard policies are no different than state regulated standard policies in what they will cover. A major insurance company may very well offer both types of policies to customers. The difference is that the policy is meticulously written to control for damages and the premium price is far from standard. In addition, if the Department of Motor Vehicles requires an SR-22 insurance bond the premiums will increase.
In order to get a standard policy from a particular insurance company there are certain criteria that must be met. Within the last three years, a driver must have a perfect driving record free from tickets, accidents, or other citations. No lapse in coverage can exist during the last year as well as a way to prove this condition. In a family situation a husband can not be insured without the wife on the policy. An excluded spouse is not standard in any policy.
In contrast, a sub-standard policy can be written for drivers that are in need of an SR-22 bond. They will also insure customers that have not had any recent insurance coverage and will exclude a spouse on the policy. A new family member will also be written into a policy without having all the family members of driving age represented in the premium.
