Expensive auto insurance can drain your savings account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparing price quotes is a great way to lower your monthly bill.
Drivers have multiple insurance companies to buy insurance from, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to locate the cheapest rates.
Why your price might be higher
Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.
- Higher deductibles cost less – The deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Physical damage insurance, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. The more you’re willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
- Small claims can cost you – Car insurance companies in New Hampshire generally give lower rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you file claims often, you can expect higher rates. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.
- Discounts for multiple policies – Many auto insurance companies give discounts to customers who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even with this discount, you may still want to shop around to ensure the best deal. You may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
- A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Driving with no insurance is illegal and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage have a gap. Not only will rates go up, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.
- The type of vehicle makes a difference – The type of vehicle you drive makes a significant difference in determining your rates. The lowest base rates are generally reserved for economy passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Pleasure use saves money – The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Ask your agent if your auto insurance declarations sheet is showing the correct usage for each vehicle.
- Occupation reflects on rates – Careers like real estate brokers, architects and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates in part from high stress levels and long work days. Conversely, occupations like pilots, engineers and retirees have the lowest average rates.
- Do you need those extra coverages? – There are many extra bells and whistles that can waste your money on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Nashua Auto Insurance Prices Online
There are several ways to compare rate quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. The best method to find competitive insurance rates is to get quotes online. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.
- The best way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating multiple quote forms for each company. One quote request gets you coverage quotes from all major companies.
- A less efficient way to shop for auto insurance online is going to each company’s website and request a quote. For examples sake, let’s say you want comparison quotes from Progressive, Allstate and Geico. To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site to input your insurance information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Nashua, click here.
It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you’re using exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles for every quote you compare. If each company quotes different values for each quote you will not be able to determine the best price in Nashua. Just a small difference in coverages may result in large price differences. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that having more price comparisons will enable you to find the best offered rates.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-99.jpg" alt="Nashua NH insurance quotes“/>
Be sure to get all your discounts
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there could be available discounts to help offset the cost. Most are applied when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be asked about before being credited.
- Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off with a few auto insurance companies.
- Organization Discounts – Being a member of a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
- Life Insurance Discount – Some companies give lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Use Seat Belts – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts could save 15% off your medical payments premium.
- Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
- Paperwork-free – A few companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing over the internet.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
- Accident Waiver – Certain companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky. But any discount will bring down your overall premium however.
To see a list of insurers offering auto insurance discounts in New Hampshire, click here.
More information can be found on the website for the New Hampshire Insurance Department located here. New Hampshire consumers can download brochures, discover disciplinary actions, view agent and company licensing information, and view a list of available companies.
Additional helpful sites include this page for auto insurance prices in New Hampshire and this page where you can also get Nashua auto insurance quotes.
Compare but don’t skimp
Cheaper auto insurance is available online as well as from independent agents in Nashua, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
When you buy insurance online, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.