Scraping up a payment for high-priced car insurance can dwindle your accounts and maybe even restrict other spending. Doing a rate comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to lower your monthly bill.
Companies like State Farm, Allstate, Geico and Progressive all claim big savings with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to see through the deception and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
Consumers need to shop coverage around yearly due to the fact that insurance prices are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best price six months ago other companies may now be cheaper. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the easiest way to reduce your cost while improving coverage.
If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. Finding affordable coverage in Meredith is quite easy. But New Hampshire vehicle owners should learn the way insurance companies compete online and apply this information to your search.
The most recommended method to compare rates is to understand most insurance companies have advanced systems to compare rate quotes. All you need to do is give the companies some data including what your job is, whether you have decent credit, marital status, and whether you drive to work or school. That rating data gets sent immediately to multiple car insurance providers and you should receive rate quotes instantly to find the best rate.
To compare multiple company rates now, click here and find out if lower rates are available.
Drivers who switch save $477 a year? Really?
Companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico regularly use television, radio, and online ads. They all seem to make the promise about savings if you just switch to their company. How can each company charge you less for auto insurance?
Car insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that will add to their bottom line. One example of a desirable insured should be over the age of 40, carries high limits, and chooses high deductibles. A driver that fits those parameters is entitled to the best price and have a good chance to save a lot if they switch.
People who don’t measure up to this stringent profile may be forced to pay higher premiums which usually ends up with business not being written. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much. This is how insurance companies can make those claims.
Because of the profiling, you really should compare rate quotes every year. It is impossible to guess which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.
Meredith car insurance prices are influenced by these factors
Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some factors are common sense such as your driving record, but other factors are not quite as obvious like where you live or how financially stable you are. Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. If you have some idea of what influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get cheaper rates.
The following are some of the most common factors used by your company to calculate premiums.
- Filing claims can cost you – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in New Hampshire generally give discounts to people who are claim-free. Your car insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
- Optional features that lower premiums – Choosing a vehicle that has a built-in theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can help prevent auto theft.
- High performance equals high rates – The make and model of the car you drive makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. The lowest premiums are usually found on smaller low performance passenger vehicles, but your final cost has many other factors.
- Traffic violations inflate prices – Careful drivers pay lower auto insurance prices than people who have multiple driving citations. Having a single speeding ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as twenty percent. Drivers with multiple tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive a vehicle.
- Does auto insurance cost more for males? – The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. The data does not necessarily mean that males are worse at driving than females. Males and females cause accidents at about the same rate, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. Not only are claims higher, but men get higher numbers of serious violations like driving under the influence (DUI). Male drivers age 16 to 19 generally have the highest accident percentage so it costs more to insure them.
- Do you have a tough occupation? – Occupations such as lawyersair traffic controllers and emergency personnel tend to have higher premiums than the average policyholder because of high stress and incredibly demanding work hours. Other jobs like professors, athletes and retirees have the lowest average rates.
- Poor credit rating equals high rates – Your credit score will be a significant factor in determining what you pay. People that have good credit tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than those with poor credit. Therefore, if your credit score is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your vehicle by taking the time to improve your credit score.
Car insurance discounts are available to cut your rates
Some insurers do not advertise their entire list of discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find a few of the more common and the more hidden discounts that you may qualify for.
- Policy Bundle Discount – When you have multiple policies and insure them both with the same insurance company you may save over 10 percent off each policy depending on the company.
- Theft Prevention System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims are rewarded with significantly better rates on as compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles may allow you to get lower car insurancerates due to less chance of an accident.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Options like air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings of 25 to 30%.
- Homeowners Savings – Simply owning a home can get you a discount due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having an actively deployed family member could mean lower premium rates.
Remember that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So even though you would think you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck. But any discount will definitely reduce the amount you pay for coverage.
Large car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are detailed below.
- State Farm may include discounts for passive restraint, multiple policy, multiple autos, accident-free, anti-theft, and student away at school.
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include mature driver, homeowner, bundle discounts, pay in full, and electronic funds transfer.
- Progressive has savings for multi-vehicle, online quote discount, good student, homeowner, online signing, and continuous coverage.
- Geico offers discounts including good student, anti-lock brakes, driver training, federal employee, five-year accident-free, and military active duty.
- Auto-Owners Insurance offers premium reductions for mature driver, multi-policy, anti-theft, paperless, safe driver, group or association, and student away at school.
- The Hartford offers discounts for anti-theft, defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, good student, and air bag.
- Farm Bureau discounts include safe driver, 55 and retired, youthful driver, driver training, multi-vehicle, renewal discount, and good student.
- USAA may offer discounts for new vehicle, good student, defensive driver, multi-policy, loyalty savings, and family discount.
If you need lower rates, check with all the companies which discounts can lower your rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be offered in Meredith.
Everyone needs different car insurance coverages
When choosing proper insurance coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Every situation is different so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions can help discover whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.
- Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
- Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
- Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
- What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in New Hampshire?
- Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
- Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Final thoughts
Low-cost car insurance is definitely available online as well as from independent agents in Meredith, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some car insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller companies work with local independent agents.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to reduce car insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting . Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies often have lower auto insurance rates on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
Consumer car insurance information in New Hampshire
Additional information is available on the New Hampshire Insurance Department website through this link. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, read consumer alerts, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and learn about insurance regulations.
Additional helpful sites include this resource for New Hampshire car insurance prices and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.