Are you overwhelmed by the dozens of car insurance choices in New Canaan? Many other drivers are as well. There are so many options that it can be a real challenge to find the lowest price.
You need to price shop coverage yearly because insurance rates go up and down regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the quickest way to find great coverage at a great price.
Discounts are basically free money
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you quote, but a few need to be specifically requested before being credited. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.
- Braking Control Discount – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and will save you 10% or more.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Organization Discounts – Affiliation with certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
- E-sign – Some insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy on their website.
- Drivers Education – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
It’s important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it may seem like you could get a free car insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky. But all discounts will bring down your premiums.
For a list of companies offering car insurance discounts in Connecticut, click here to view.
Automobile Insurance Quotes in New Canaan
All major car insurance companies like State Farm and Allstate quote insurance quotes directly from their websites. Obtaining pricing doesn’t take a lot of time as you just type in the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, their rating system orders your driving and credit reports and returns a price.
Online quotes simplifies rate comparisons, but the work required to visit many different websites and enter the same data into a form is monotonous and tiresome. But it is imperative to do this if you are searching for the lowest possible prices on car insurance.
A less time-consuming method to locate the lowest prices uses one simple form to return rates from several different companies. The form is fast, requires less work, and makes quoting online much simpler. As soon as the form is sent, your coverage is rated and you can choose any one of the resulting price quotes.
If a lower price is quoted, you simply finish the application and buy the new coverage. The whole process only takes a few minutes and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.
To save time and get comparison pricing now, click here to open in a new tab and begin entering your coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with the coverage information exactly as they are listed on your policy. This ensures you will get a price comparison for similar insurance coverage.
Don’t be fooled by advertising claims
Consumers in Connecticut constantly see and hear ads that promise big savings from companies such as State Farm and Allstate. They all make the same claim that you can save after switching your policy.
How can each company claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.
Drivers who fall outside the “perfect” profile must pay higher rates and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the way they do.
This illustrates why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It’s impossible to know the company that will fit your personal profile best.
Car insurance coverages 101
Understanding the coverages of a car insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Comprehensive coverage
This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as hitting a deer, vandalism, damage from getting keyed, damage from flooding and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for bills for EMT expenses, X-ray expenses, nursing services and rehabilitation expenses. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many Connecticut drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 20/40/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Coverage for collisions
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for claims like colliding with another moving vehicle, sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch, driving through your garage door and rolling your car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Auto liability insurance
This will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage pays for claims like medical expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, emergency aid, loss of income and attorney fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but buy as large an amount as possible. Connecticut requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/40,000/10,000 but you should consider buying better liability coverage.
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.
People who switch companies do it for many reasons like delays in responding to claim requests, questionable increases in premium, being labeled a high risk driver and lack of trust in their agent. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new car insurance company is actually quite simple.
We’ve covered quite a bit of information on how to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies.
Additional car insurance information is located on the Connecticut Insurance Department website found here. Connecticut consumers can download brochures, read state legal mandates and laws, learn about specific coverages, and file complaints about a company.