Little Known Tricks to Saving Money on Elizabeth Car Insurance

Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can empty your savings account and make it hard to pay other bills. Comparison shopping is a smart way to slash your bill and have more diposable income. Drivers have multiple car insurance companies to buy insurance from, and even though it’s nice to be able to choose, having more auto insurance companies makes it harder to compare rates.

Smart consumers take time to get comparison quotes periodically since rates go up and down regularly. Just because you found the lowest rates on your last policy you can probably find a lower rate today. There is a lot of bad advice regarding car insurance online but with this article, you’re going to get some guaranteed methods to save money.

Comprehensive Elizabeth Car Insurance Comparison

There are a lot of ways to compare car insurance quotes, but one way is easier and takes less work. You could waste a few hours driving to insurance companies in Elizabeth, or you could save time and use online quoting to maximize your effort.

Many of the larger companies enroll in a system where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and every company provides a quote based on that information. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for every car insurance company.

To access this free quoting program, click here (opens in new window).

The one disadvantage to doing it this way is you can’t choose which carriers you will receive quotes from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of low cost car insurance companies in New Jersey. Click to view list.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just be sure to compare the exact same quote information for each comparison quote. If each company quotes different deductibles you can’t possibly determine which rate is truly the best in Elizabeth.

Learn How to Lower your Rates

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what influences your rates enables informed choices that can help you get lower car insurance prices.

Shown below are a few of the “ingredients” car insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

How your age affects price – Teen drivers in New Jersey are known to be more careless in a vehicle so car insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
Special features that cut premiums – Purchasing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping your vehicle from being stolen.
Too many car insurance claims drive up costs – Companies in New Jersey award discounts to insureds who are claim-free. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.
High deductibles save money – Your deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and windstorm damage. The more money you have to pay, the less your car insurance will be.
Marriage brings a discount – Getting married can get you a discount on your car insurance policy. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Type of vehicle determines base rates – The performance of the car you drive makes a significant difference in your rates. Economy passenger vehicles receive the most favorable rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates – Driving without insurance is illegal and car insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance expire. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage may earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the New Jersey department of motor vehicles.
Lower miles equals lower premium – The more you drive in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars not used for work or commuting receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance policy properly reflects the correct driver usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.

Verify you’re getting all your discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but some must be requested specifically before they will apply. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.

No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies permit an accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
College Student – Any of your kids who are attending college and don’t have a car can receive lower rates.
Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for switching policies before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
55 and Retired – Mature drivers may be able to get better car insurance rates.
Multi-policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.

Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

To choose insurers with discount car insurance rates in New Jersey, click this link.

Is my situation unique?

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s needs are different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions may help you determine if you could use an agent’s help.

Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in New Jersey?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Where can I get insurance after a DUI in New Jersey?
Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.

Your local neighborhood insurance agent

A small number of people prefer to talk to a local agent and that is just fine! Agents can help determine the best coverages and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find better rates but also keep your business local. And supporting local agencies is important especially in Elizabeth.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will battle for your coverage. You never need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. How cool is that?!

Compare rates from both independent and captive car insurance agents

When looking for a local agent, there are two types of insurance agents that you can select. Elizabeth agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive). While both can insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know how they differ since it may influence the selection process.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part.

When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to include several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.

Below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Elizabeth who may be able to give you pricing information.

Hal Rose Agency – 118 Elmora Ave – Elizabeth, NJ 07202 – (908) 354-1000
P and P Agency – 1106 Magnolia Ave – Elizabeth, NJ 07201 – (908) 289-4900
Chapman Agency – 435 Elizabeth Ave – Elizabeth, NJ 07206 – (908) 354-0918
Massey Insurance – – Elizabeth, NJ 7201 – (908) 527-6300
Carlos Ferrer Insurance – 58 3rd St – Elizabeth, NJ 07206 – (908) 289-1666

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents can only place business with one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Choosing a car insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. These questions are important to ask:

How long has their agency been open in Elizabeth?
Do they make recommendations based only on price?
Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?

After getting answers to your satisfaction to any questions you have and a low price estimate, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that is a good match to insure your vehicles.

In Summary

The cheapest car insurance can be purchased from both online companies and with local Elizabeth insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

We just presented a lot of information how to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the most savings is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.

Additional reading for car insurance information

Additional information can be read on the website for the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance located here. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find disaster information, find out which companies have the most complaints, and file complaints about a company.