Bridgeton Auto Insurance Buying Tips You Aren’t Supposed to Know

Tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul to pay your car insurance bill each month? You’re in the same situation as many other drivers in New Jersey. Because you have many auto insurance companies to choose from, it can be impossible to pick the most cost effective insurer.

Consumers need to get comparison quotes quite often because prices fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the lowest rates last year you will most likely find a better rate today. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance online, so with this article, you’re going to get a bunch of ideas how to quit paying high auto insurance rates.

Verify you’re getting all your discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off with certain companies.
• Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
• Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for reduced rates.
• Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings up to 30%.
• Theft Prevention System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
• Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
• Early Signing – Select companies give a discount for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
• Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.

It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way.

To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in New Jersey, click this link.

Buying auto insurance from a local agent

Certain consumers would rather buy from a licensed agent. Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you can get better rates but also keep your business local.

By using this form (opens in new window), your information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your business. You never need to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy!

Deciding on an insurer shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Here are some questions to ask:

• Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
• Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in New Jersey?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
• Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?

Different types of Bridgeton car insurance agents

When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of different types of agents that you can select. Agents are classified as either independent or captive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s good to learn how they differ since it can impact your agent selection.

Captive Agents

Captive insurance agents work for only one company and examples are Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agents are not required to write business for one company but instead can place your coverage with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and that require little work on your part. When comparison shopping, we recommend you include at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from.

Shown below are Bridgeton independent insurance agencies who can help you get comparison quotes.

J A Mariano Agency Inc – 679 Landis Ave – Bridgeton, NJ 08302 – (856) 451-9531
P Austin Insurance Inc – 1789 S Burlington Rd – Bridgeton, NJ 08302 – (856) 451-6340
Cumberland Insurance Group – 633 Shiloh Pike – Bridgeton, NJ 08302 – (856) 451-4050
Impellizzeri Agency – 892 N Pearl St – Bridgeton, NJ 08302 – (856) 455-4913

To view a complete directory of insurance agents in Bridgeton, view this link.

Upon getting positive feedback for all questions you ask and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located an insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles.

Save $446 a year. For real?

Consumers in New Jersey can’t get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. All the ads make the same claim of big savings after switching your policy.

How do they all claim to save you money?

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a profitable customer could possibly be over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be charged higher premiums which leads to business not being written. The ads state “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s why companies can truthfully advertise the savings. That is why it is so important to get as many quotes as possible. Because you never know which company will fit your personal profile best.

More detailed New Jersey auto insurance information is located at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, read state legal mandates and laws, get help finding coverage, and find out industry alerts.

In Summary

When trying to cut insurance costs, you should never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many situations where an insured cut liability coverage limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. The aim is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

We just showed you many tips how you can get a better price on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with some of the lesser-known companies. Smaller companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive and GEICO.