7 Tricks to Slash Auto Insurance Premium in New Haven, Connecticut

Overpriced auto insurance can overdraw your savings account and put a big crunch on your finances. Shopping your coverage around is free and is an excellent way to lower your monthly bill. You have so many insurers to insure vehicles with, and even though it’s nice to have a choice, it can be more difficult to compare rates and find the lowest cost auto insurance.

Consumers need to shop coverage around once or twice a year because rates change quite often. Just because you had the lowest rates on your last policy you can probably find a better price now. Starting right now, ignore everything you know about auto insurance because I’m going to teach you the only way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Buying car insurance in New Haven is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you have a current auto insurance policy or need new coverage, you can follow these tips to shop for the lowest rates while maintaining coverages. Connecticut drivers just need to understand the proper way to compare rates over the internet.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine your auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.
Mature drivers pay less – Young drivers in Connecticut tend to be more careless behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Having to add a young driver to your policy can break the bank. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
Pay less if you’re married – Having a spouse can actually save you money on your policy. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature than a single person and it’s proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Cautious drivers pay less – Careful drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Even a single ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. If you have serious violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.

Cheap New Haven Auto Insurance Comparisons

Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don’t know the best way to get rate quotes. You can spend your afternoon driving to agents in New Haven, or you can stay home and use the internet to get prices fast.

Most car insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to complete one form, and at least one company returns a competitive quote based on that data. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms to every company.

To use this form to compare rates click to open in new window.

The one downside to pricing coverage this way is you don’t know exactly the insurers you want to price. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to compare prices, we have a page of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Connecticut. Click to view list. insurance quote New Haven

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but double check that you are using the exact same deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If each company quotes different values for each quote it will be impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in New Haven.

Is there truth in advertising?

Connecticut consumers can’t ignore all the ads for car insurance savings from the likes of Allstate and Progressive. All the companies make an identical promise that you can save if you switch your coverage to them.

How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Different companies have a preferred profile for the driver they prefer to insure. For instance, a driver they prefer might be profiled as a mature driver, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for the requirements will be charged higher prices which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. This is how companies can advertise the way they do. That is why it’s extremely important to get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Save money by taking advantage of these discounts

Car insurance companies don’t always publicize every available discount very well, so the following is a list of both the well known and also the lesser-known ways to save on auto insurance. If you don’t get every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

Own a Home – Owning a house in New Haven may trigger a auto insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
Multi-policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
Clubs and Organizations – Participating in certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on your policy.
Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
Defensive Driver – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings of 20% or more.
No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts when compared to drivers who are more careless.
Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think you could get a free auto insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.

To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in New Haven, click here to view.

When should I use an insurance agent?

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions might help in determining whether or not you will benefit from professional help.

Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
Do I need motorclub coverage?
Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Connecticut?
I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?

If you’re not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and you can get the answers you need.

Additional detailed information is located at the Connecticut Insurance Department website. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and download brochures.

Final thoughts

Cheaper auto insurance can be found from both online companies as well as from independent agents in New Haven, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers don’t offer online price quotes and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The aim is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.