Best 9 Ways You Can Buy Car Insurance for Less in Monroe

Nobody likes paying for car insurance, in particular when the cost is too high.

Consumers have many car insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and although it’s nice to be able to choose, it can be more difficult to locate the cheapest rates.

Choosing the best insurance company for you in Monroe is easy if you know what you’re doing. In a nutshell, anyone who buys car insurance will most likely be able to find lower rates. Nevertheless, Connecticut drivers can benefit from knowing the methods companies use to sell online.

Comprehensive Monroe Car Insurance Comparison

To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways to get quotes from car insurance companies in your area. One of the best ways to find competitive insurance rates consists of shopping online. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

One of the simplest ways to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating separate quotation requests for each company. One simple form gets rate comparisons direct from many companies.

A more time consuming way to get quotes online is to manually visit each company’s website to complete a price quote. For example, we’ll assume you want to compare rates from GEICO, Progressive and State Farm. To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker.

For a list of links to insurance companies in Monroe, click here.

The least efficient way to get comparison rates is driving around to insurance agents’ offices. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the trained guidance of a licensed agent. You can, however, get prices online but buy from a local insurance agent. We’ll cover that shortly.

Whichever method you choose, double check that you are using identical coverage information with every price quote. If you use mixed coverages it will be impossible to find the best deal in Monroe. Slightly different coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies gives you a better chance of getting the best price.

Buyer beware of car insurance advertising tricks

Car insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all make the same claim that you can save if you switch to their company. How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. For example, a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no prior claims, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential customers who fall outside the “perfect” profile must pay more money and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why you should get as many comparisons as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Cut your car insurance rates with these nine discounts

Companies don’t list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the best known and the more hidden car insurance savings.

• Pay Now and Pay Less – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
• Braking Control Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.
• Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
• Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a course in driver safety could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
• Save with a New Car – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% compared to insuring an older model.
• Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for buying a policy before your current expiration date. It can save you around 10%.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.

To choose companies with the best car insurance discounts in Connecticut, click this link.

Neighborhood insurance agents

A small number of people would prefer to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

After filling out this short form, the coverage information is transmitted to agents in your area who will return price quotes to get your business. There is no need to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. You can find the lowest rates AND a local agent.

Selecting an provider requires more thought than just a low price. Agents should be asked these questions:

• Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
• Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
• Can glass repairs be made at your home?
• Does the agency support the community they serve?
• How are they compensated?

Captive or Independent: There is a difference

If you’re trying to find a good Monroe insurance agent, there are a couple of types of agencies from which to choose. Insurance agencies in Monroe are either independent or captive.

Agency Captives

These agents write business for a single company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. Captives cannot compare other company’s rates so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Listed below is a short list of captive agencies in Monroe willing to provide price quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 244 Monroe Tpke – Monroe, CT 06468 – (203) 452-0434

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.

When comparing rates, it’s recommended you contact several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.

Listed below is a list of independent insurance agents in Monroe who can help you get rate quotes.

Monroe Insurance Ctr – 501 Main St # 101 – Monroe, CT 06468 – (203) 268-9999
Holden Agency – 115 Main St – Monroe, CT 06468 – (203) 261-2521
Fairfield County Insurance Grp – 70 Main St – Monroe, CT 06468 – (203) 268-2125

To view a full list of insurance agents in Monroe, please view this page.

After receiving answers to your satisfaction to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that is a good match to insure your vehicles. But keep in mind consumers can terminate your policy any time you want so never feel that you’re stuck with a specific agent for the full term.

Even more information is available at the Connecticut Insurance Department website. Consumers can report car insurance fraud, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, read consumer alerts, and learn about specific coverages.

The following articles may also be useful.

• Five Minute Guide to Searching Online for a Monroe Insurance Agent

Car insurance coverages and their meanings

Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are typical coverages available from car insurance companies.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many Connecticut drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (which is 20/40/10), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked.

Comprehensive protection – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things like theft, a broken windshield, hitting a bird and hitting a deer. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Liability insurance – Liability insurance protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that translate to a limit of $100,000 per injured person, $300,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $100,000.

Liability coverage pays for things such as emergency aid, medical expenses, legal defense fees, repair costs for stationary objects and pain and suffering. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Connecticut state minimum liability requirements are 20,000/40,000/10,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.

Collision coverages – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against things such as colliding with a tree, crashing into a building and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Medical expense coverage – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for expenses for nursing services, doctor visits, X-ray expenses, funeral costs and rehabilitation expenses. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Smart consumers save more

Discount car insurance can be bought on the web and with local Monroe insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can lower your car insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with a small mutual company. These companies may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.