Sick and tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul to insure your vehicles every month? Your situation is no different than most other car owners in New Jersey.
Numerous insurance companies battle for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates to find the absolute cheapest price
You need to get comparison quotes periodically because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you had the lowest price six months ago a different company probably has better rates today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the quickest way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. Finding the best rates in Asbury Park is not that difficult. But New Jersey consumers can benefit by having an understanding of the way companies determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.
Buy Cheaper Car Insurance with These Tips
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. Understanding what influences your rates enables informed choices that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.
The list below includes a partial list of the pieces car insurance companies consider when setting premiums.
- The type of vehicle makes a difference – The performance of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a huge difference in the rate you pay. Economy passenger vehicles generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Pleasure use saves money – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your car insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven.
- Better credit means lower rates – Having a bad credit score is a big factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with lower ratings. If your credit history is low, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating.
- Always keep insurance in force – Allowing your coverage to lapse is a guaranteed way to trigger a rate increase. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.
- Your location is important – Choosing to live in less populated areas has it’s advantages when talking about car insurance. City drivers have to deal with congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer people means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
- More claims means more premium – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies in New Jersey award discounts to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Car features impact rates – Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all hinder car theft.
How to Compare Asbury Park Car Insurance Rates
There are several ways to compare rate quotes from different in Asbury Park, New Jerseyinsurance companies. The best method to find competitive insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
- The recommended way to get quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This form eliminates the need for multiple quote forms to each individual car insurance company. Just one form compares rates from many national carriers.
- A more difficult way to obtain and compare quotes online requires you to visit the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For instance, we’ll pretend you want to compare Nationwide, Esurance and Geico. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Asbury Park, click here.
- The least recommended way to get comparison rates is to waste gas driving to and from local insurance agencies. Shopping for car insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the professional advice only provided by licensed agents. Drivers can price shop online but still have the advice of a local agent.
It’s up to you which method you use, but make sure you use the exact same information on every quote you get. If each company quotes mixed coverages you will not be able to determine the best price in Asbury Park. Just a small difference in limits can make a big difference in price. Just remember that comparing a large number of companies gives you a better chance of getting the best price.
Don’t pay full price with these discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list every discount very clearly, so we break down both well-publicized and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.
- Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
- New Car Discount – Insuring a new car is cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner can save you money because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.
- Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.
- Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Club Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could trigger savings when shopping for car insurance.
- Resident Student – Any of your kids who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have lower rates if you buy life insurance from them.
It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates you could get a free car insurance policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
To choose providers with discount car insurance rates in New Jersey, follow this link.
What about my local Asbury Park agents?
Some consumers would prefer to buy from a local agent. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.
After filling out this quick form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to agents in your area who will return price quotes for your coverage. You never need to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy! You can find the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Picking a company should depend on more than just a low price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in New Jersey?
Two different types of car insurance agents
When researching a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of types of agencies that you can select. Agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive).
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agents can only write with one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agents do not work for one specific company but rather can write business amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, an independent agent can move your coverage and that require little work on your part.
When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you get quotes from several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.
The following are independent insurance agencies in Asbury Park that are able to give price quotes.
Elizabeth’s Agency – 611 Main St – Asbury Park, NJ 07712 – (732) 776-5206
Powell Insurance – 1242 Asbury Ave – Asbury Park, NJ 07712 – (732) 776-5910
Fair Way Insurance Inc – 626 Mattison Ave – Asbury Park, NJ 07712 – (732) 776-8400
To view a full list of licensed insurance agents in Asbury Park, please go to this site.
After getting answers to your satisfaction to these questions and a good coverage price, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that is a good match to insure your vehicles.
When might I need an agent?
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.
- Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
- Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- Is my vehicle covered for smoke damage?
- When should I not file a claim?
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
If you’re not sure about those questions then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Even more information can be found at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. New Jersey consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, discover disciplinary actions, find a variety of consumer forms, and read industry bulletins.
Final considerations
As you restructure your insurance plan, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped collision coverage only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
We just covered a lot of ways to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the best price on car insurance is with the smaller companies. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or Geico.