Did budget coverage turn out to be an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? You’re preaching to the choir because many consumers are feeling buyer’s remorse and feel like there’s no way out. Many insurance companies compete for your business, and it can be difficult to compare rates to get the best rates possible.
It’s a good habit to get comparison quotes on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. If you had the lowest premium rates at your last renewal a different company probably has better prices today. You’ll find a ton of advice on car insurance on the internet, but we’re going to give you some tested techniques to stop overpaying for insurance.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you should be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. Finding affordable coverage in North Wildwood is not rocket science. Although New Jersey vehicle owners do need to learn the way insurance companies price insurance differently.
Low cost car insurance prices in North Wildwood, New Jersey
The are a couple different ways to obtain and compare prices from different North Wildwood insurance companies. The easiest way to find competitive insurance rates consists of shopping online. It’s really quite simple and can be done using a couple different methods.
The simplest way to find low rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This type of form eliminates the need for boring form submissions for every company. One quote request gets insurance cost estimates from all major companies.
A more difficult way to find better pricing is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare and repeat the quote process again and again. For instance, let’s assume you want to compare Allstate, Safeco and GMAC. You would need to spend time going to each site individually and type in your information over and over, which can take a lot of time.
To view a list of companies in North Wildwood, click here.
The most time-consuming method of getting rate comparisons to different agent offices. Quoting online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the trained advice that can only be provided by a licensed insurance agent. If you prefer, some companies allow you to comparison shop your insurance online and get advice from an agent in your area.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you compare the same coverage data for every company. If your comparisons have mixed coverages it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in North Wildwood. Just a small difference in limits may cause a big price difference. And when price shopping your coverage, more quotes helps improve the odds of finding better pricing. Not every company does prices over the internet, so it’s recommended that you also compare quotes from them, too.
Save money by taking advantage of discounts
Car insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but you can get discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Certain reductions will be credited at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for prior to getting the savings. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you are just wasting money.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Drivers who insure several vehicles with one company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Theft Deterent Discount – Cars and trucks optioned with advanced anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and will save you 10% or more.
- First Accident Forgiveness – Not really a discount, but companies like Geico and Allstate will allow you to have one accident without getting socked with a rate hike if you have no claims before the accident.
- Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
- Distant College Student Discount – Older children living away from home attending college and do not take a car to college may be insured at a cheaper rate.
You should keep in mind that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, that’s just not realistic. But any discount will lower your policy cost.
A partial list of companies that may offer quotes with most of these discounts are:
When getting a coverage quote, ask every prospective company which discounts they offer. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply in North Wildwood. To view car insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in New Jersey, click this link.
Comparing quotes from local North Wildwood auto insurance agents
A lot of people just want to sit down with an agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases A nice benefit of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the best rates and still choose a local agent.
By using this short form, your insurance data is transmitted to participating agents in North Wildwood who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. You can find better rates AND an agent nearby. If you have a need to quote rates from a specific insurance company, you would need to jump over to their website to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing the best insurance company requires more thought than just a cheap quote. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- Does the agent help file claims?
- Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Will the agent or a CSR service your policy?
- What is their Better Business Bureau rating?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
In order to help you select from a list of insurance agencies near you, link to this page of North Wildwood, NJ car insurance agents.
Once you have good answers and quotes, you may have just found a company that can adequately provide car insurance.
It’s not one size fits all
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions can help discover if you may require specific advice.
- Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
- Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
- Is New Jersey a no-fault state?
- Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
- When should I not file a claim?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Cut Your Costs with these tips
Many factors are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some factors are common sense like a motor vehicle report, but some are more obscure like where you live or your commute time. An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the factors that play a part in calculating your premiums. If you have some idea of what determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get better car insurance rates.
- Driving citations can be expensive – Having a clean driving record has a big impact on rates. Drivers with clean records pay lower auto insurance prices compared to bad drivers. Even one citation can boost insurance rates by as much as twenty percent. Drivers who have gotten multiple violations such as DUI or reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
- Additional coverages that may be costing you – Insurance policies have a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your car insurance policy. Insurance for personal injury protection, high-cost glass coverage, and extra equipment coverage are probably not needed. You may think they are a good idea when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so consider taking them off your policy.
- Can a thief steal your car? – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can save you some money. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart car theft.
- Premiums are lower the older you get – Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, cause fewer claims and accidents and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.Inexperience drivers tend to be careless and easily distracted when at the wheel of a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
- More traffic equals higher costs – Having an address in a rural area can save you money when trying to find low car insurance rates. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident. City drivers have to deal with more auto accidents and higher rates of accident claims. Higher commute times statistically corresponds to a higher accident and claim rate.
- Long commutes cost more – Driving more miles in a year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most companies price each vehicle’s coverage partially by how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Verify your vehicle rating reflects the correct usage, because it can save money.
- Lower comp and collision deductibles cost more – The deductibles tell how much you are required to pay before your car insurance pays a claim. Physical damage protection, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are rearending another vehicle, damage from fire, or theft of your vehicle. The larger the amount you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the less your car insurance will be.
Switch companies and save? Really?
Big name companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive regularly use television and radio advertisements. They all advertise claims that people will save if you get a free and switch your coverage. That’s great but how can every company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the wording.
Most companies have a certain “appetite” for a prospective insured that will most likely be profitable. One example of a desirable insured could be between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and drives a safe vehicle. Any new insured who matches that profile will probably get the lowest rates and will also save quite a bit of money when switching.
People who fall outside the ideal profile will get more expensive rates and this results in business not being written. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “all people who quote” save that much money. That is how companies can make claims like that. This emphasizes why you need to compare as many as you can. Because you cannot predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Cheaper car insurance rates are out there
Lower-priced car insurance can be purchased on the web and from local agencies, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers may not have online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agencies.
We just covered a lot of information how to shop for car insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding . Consumers may even find the lowest premium rates are with the least-expected company. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower prices compared to the large companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best possible price, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
More detailed New Jersey car insurance information can be read at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. New Jersey drivers can find out industry alerts, view agent and company licensing information, find a variety of consumer forms, and get help finding coverage.