Buying affordable Linden car insurance online is problematic for consumers new to price shopping online. When there are so many insurance companies available, how can anyone effectively compare the different rates to find the cheapest rates?
It’s smart to check car insurance prices periodically due to the fact that insurance rates trend upward over time. If you had the best deal last year you can probably find a lower rate today. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance on the web, but with this article, you’re going to get some of the best ways to find cheap car insurance.
Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Linden
The are a couple different ways to compare quotes from different in Lindeninsurance companies. The quickest method to find the lowest rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be done in several different ways.
The recommended way to compare a lot of rates at once is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This method keeps you from doing separate quote forms for every car insurance company. A single form compares rates from several companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
A more time consuming way to analyze rates requires visiting each company website to complete a price quote. For instance, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from Auto-Owners, Geico and Farmers. You would have to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular.
For a list of links to insurance companies in Linden, click here.
The hardest way of getting rate comparisons is to spend time driving to and from local Linden insurance agencies. The internet makes this process obsolete unless you want the trained guidance of a local Linden agent. However, consumers can price shop your coverage online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll touch on that later.
It’s up to you which method you use, but compare the exact same deductibles and coverage limits with every price quote. If your comparisons have differing limits it will be very difficult to decipher which rate is best in Linden. Slightly different insurance coverages may cause a big price difference. And when quoting car insurance, remember that quoting more provides better odds of finding the best price.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Car insurance companies such as State Farm and Allstate continually stream ads on television and other media. They all seem to make the same claim of big savings after switching your coverage to them. How do they all make the same claim?
Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer could be over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver that hits that “sweet spot” gets the lowest rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.
Consumers who don’t meet this ideal profile must pay higher prices and ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. That is how insurance companies can advertise the savings. This illustrates why it’s extremely important to compare many company’s rates. Because you never know which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Cut your premium with these six discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both well-publicized and the more hidden car insurance savings.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
- Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount on car insurance.
- Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can help you save on car insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, you won’t be that lucky.
What about my local Linden agents?
A small number of people prefer to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.
By using this form (opens in new window), your information is instantly submitted to companies in Linden who will return price quotes for your coverage. There is no need to leave your house as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. Get lower rates AND a local agent.
Selecting a company requires more thought than just a cheap price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
The type of insurance agency you choose is important
When researching a reliable agent, there are two types of insurance agents from which to choose. Agencies in Linden are classified as either captive or independent.
Captive Agents
Captive insurance agents work for only one company like State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. They are well schooled in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some people will only choose to use a captive agent mostly because of the brand legacy and solid financial strength.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When comparing rates, it’s recommended you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from. Most have the option of insuring with lesser-known insurance companies which may provide better rates.
Listed below is a list of independent agents in Linden who can help you get rate quotes.
- Linwood Insurance Inc – 629 N Wood Ave # 5 – Linden, NJ 07036 – (908) 486-5990
- Valvano Insurance – 16 W Elizabeth Ave # 1 – Linden, NJ 07036 – (908) 862-4047
- Weiner’s Agency – 1203 W Saint Georges Ave # Ll – Linden, NJ 07036 – (908) 925-0666
For a complete listing of licensed insurance agents in Linden, visit this site.
Upon getting good answers and a good coverage price, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that is a good match to adequately provide car insurance. Keep in mind you can always cancel coverage at any point so never feel that you are obligated to any specific agency with no way out.
What car insurance coverages do you need?
Having a good grasp of a car insurance policy helps when choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.
Collision insurance
Collision coverage covers damage to your vehicle caused by collision with an object or car. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things such as hitting a parking meter, crashing into a building, rolling your car and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability coverages
This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 25/50/25 which means a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability insurance covers claims such as funeral expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, bail bonds and loss of income. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. New Jersey requires drivers to carry at least 15,000/30,000/5,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Comprehensive insurance
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as a broken windshield, fire damage, hail damage and theft. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for things like EMT expenses, X-ray expenses, nursing services, rehabilitation expenses and pain medications. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (15/30/5 in New Jersey), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.
More tips and info about car insurance is located at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. Consumers can learn about insurance regulations, view agent and company licensing information, find disaster information, and read industry bulletins.
Additional helpful sites include this page for car insurance prices in New Jersey and this page for help finding agents in Linden, NJ.
Quote more, save more
Cheap car insurance can be sourced both online as well as from independent agents in Linden, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies don’t offer online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When you buy insurance online, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
Drivers who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, extreme rates for teen drivers, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason, switching car insurance companies can be pretty painless.