Perplexed by the wide range of car insurance choices in Hampton? You’re not the only one! You have so many options that it can turn into a real hassle to find the lowest price.
It’s a good habit to shop coverage around yearly since insurance rates change quite often. Just because you had the best price on your last policy you can probably find a lower rate today. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because it’s time to teach you one of the quickest ways to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.
Discounts are great for lower rates
Car insurance is not cheap, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit.
- Own a Home – Owning a home in Hampton may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home shows financial diligence.
- Multiple Cars – Insuring all your vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than their less cautious counterparts.
- Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
- No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially as compared to frequent claim filers.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
- Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you could get a free car insurance policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut the amount you have to pay.
To choose companies offering car insurance discounts in Hampton, follow this link.
Hampton Car Insurance Prices Online
There are several ways to compare quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The fastest way to find the cheapest insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
- The most efficient way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This form prevents you from having to do separate forms for every car insurance company. Just one form will get you price quotes direct from many companies. This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time.
- Another way to get comparison quotes consists of going to each individual company website and fill out their own quote form. For instance, we’ll assume you want rates from Liberty Mutual, Esurance and State Farm. To find out each rate you need to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Hampton, click here.
- The hardest way of comparing rate quotes is to waste gas driving to and from local Hampton insurance agencies. Shopping for car insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the trained guidance that only a license agent can provide. Drivers can get the lowest quotes online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll touch on that later.
Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing identical coverages and limits on every quote. If you are comparing different deductibles it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Hampton. Slightly different coverage limits may result in a large different in cost. Just remember that obtaining a wide range of quotes will increase your chances of finding lower pricing.
You may need specialized coverage
When choosing proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining if you will benefit from professional help.
- Am I covered when driving a rental car?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
- How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
- When would I need additional glass coverage?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form.
Car insurance coverage options
Knowing the specifics of your policy can help you determine appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.
Auto liability insurance
Liability coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against things such as medical services, medical expenses, structural damage, bail bonds and pain and suffering. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. New Hampshire requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.
UM/UIM Coverage
This protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (25/50/25 in New Hampshire), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
This coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as a broken windshield, vandalism and hitting a bird. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision protection
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for things such as sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with another moving vehicle, scraping a guard rail and hitting a mailbox. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Medical costs insurance
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for immediate expenses for EMT expenses, chiropractic care, nursing services, pain medications and rehabilitation expenses. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
One last thing
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.
Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, high prices, lack of trust in their agent and even policy non-renewal. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new company is not as hard as you think.
We’ve covered many ideas to shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company.