Shopping for low-cost Hackensack auto insurance over the internet can be rather challenging for consumers not familiar with buying insurance online. With dozens of insurers available, how can anyone possibly compare them all to find the cheapest rates?
Where Can I Get Cheap Hackensack Auto Insurance?
There are a lot of ways to compare auto insurance prices but some are easier and takes less work. You could spend your day driving to insurance agencies in Hackensack, or you can stay home and use the internet to get prices fast.
Most car insurance companies belong to a marketplace that enables customers to submit one quote, and each company returns a competitive quote based on the submitted data. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms to each company.
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The single downside to pricing coverage this way is that you can’t choose the insurers you want to price. If you wish to select individual companies to compare, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in New Jersey. Click here to view list.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just be sure to compare identical information for every company. If each company quotes different deductibles you can’t possibly make a fair comparison in Hackensack. Quoting even small variations in limits could mean much higher rates. And when quoting auto insurance, remember that quoting more helps you find the best rates.
Don’t listen to company ads
Auto insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save if you switch your policy. But how can every company make almost identical claims?
Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a driver they prefer might be over the age of 40, has no prior claims, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer who matches those parameters is entitled to the best price and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential insureds who are not a match for the “perfect” profile must pay a more expensive rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That’s why insurance companies can make those claims.
This illustrates why it’s extremely important to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.
Understand what determines the rate you pay
Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what influences your rates enables informed choices that could result in big savings.
The list below includes some of the factors auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.
- Pay less after the wedding – Having a spouse actually saves money when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse translates into being more mature and it’s proven that being married results in fewer claims.
- High credit ratings translate to low rates – Having a bad credit score is a important factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. If your credit is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with poor credit.
- Your occupation can affect rates – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations such as lawyers, executives and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates in part from high stress levels and long work hours. Conversely, professions such as scientists, engineers and performers pay the least.
- Rate your vehicle for proper use – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year’s time the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting qualify for better rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Ask your agent if your auto insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven.
- Liability coverage is cheap – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you if you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. It provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
- The type of vehicle makes a difference – The performance of the vehicle you own makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. Low performance passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
Don’t pay full price with these discounts
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you may find discounts that you may not even be aware of. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you quote, but a few must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Safe Drivers – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more than drivers with accidents.
- Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce your premiums.
To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in New Jersey, click this link.
In Summary
Insureds who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as delays in responding to claim requests, high prices, questionable increases in premium or even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
Discount auto insurance is possible from both online companies and with local Hackensack insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
In this article, we presented a lot of information how to shop for auto insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with a lesser-known regional company.
Additional information can be read on the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. Click here for link. New Jersey consumers can find disaster information, download brochures, and report car insurance fraud.
Additional helpful sites include FindNewCarInsurance.com and this list of insurance agents in Hackensack.