Expert Advice on Lower Goffstown, NH Auto Insurance

Tired of paying out the nose to insure your vehicles every month? You’re in the same situation as millions of other consumers.

Many insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a company to find the absolute lowest rate

If you have car insurance now, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. Buying car insurance in Goffstown is quite easy. Although New Hampshire car owners do need to understand the way companies price online insurance because it can help you find the best coverage.

Goffstown Rates are Influenced by These Factors

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes some of the items companies use to determine rates.

A clean driving record saves money – Only having one citation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with severe tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Performance influences rates – The type of vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a big difference in your rates. The lowest base rates tend to be for economy passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
Men are more aggressive – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes have accidents at about the same rate, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving. Young males are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
Lower miles equals lower premium – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Cars that are left in the garage can get a lower rate compared to those used for work or business. Verify your auto insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.
Your occupation can affect rates – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Careers like lawyers, architects and dentists have the highest average rates attributed to high stress and lengthy work days. Other occupations such as pilots, historians and performers get better rates.
Marriage brings a discount – Having a wife or husband actually saves money on your policy. Marriage usually means you are more mature and statistics show married couples file fewer claims.
Higher deductibles cost less – Physical damage coverage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be collision with another vehicle, damage caused by hail, and burglary. Your deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The more money you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Your age impacts your rates – Young drivers in New Hampshire are statistically proven to be less responsible when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Parents adding a youthful driver onto a policy can really hurt. More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.

Don’t miss out on these money-saving discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Most are applied when you quote, but a few need to be asked about before they will apply.

Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
Pay Now and Pay Less – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
More Vehicles More Savings – Having multiple cars or trucks on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
Driver Safety – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.

Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. But all discounts will cut the amount you have to pay.

Shop online but buy locally

Some people would prefer to talk to a local agent. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates but still work with a licensed agent. And providing support for local insurance agencies is important particularly in Goffstown.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, your coverage information is immediately sent to companies in Goffstown who will compete for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to leave your computer due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy! You’ll get the best rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.

Captive agents vs. Independent agents

When researching a good Goffstown insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies to choose from. Goffstown agents are categorized either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

These agents do not work for one specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, the business is moved internally and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to contact several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.

Below is a list of independent insurance agents in Goffstown who can help you get pricing information.

Gordon F Burns Insurance Inc – 38 Main St – Goffstown, NH 03045 – (603) 497-3648
Nalette Insurance – 40 Walnut Hill Rd – Goffstown, NH 03045 – (603) 647-5550

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents work for only one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. They generally cannot shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents receive extensive training on their company’s products which can be an advantage.

Shown below are Goffstown captive insurance agents willing to provide comparison quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 191 Mast Rd – Goffstown, NH 03045 – (603) 497-5225

For a complete listing of auto insurance agents in Goffstown, go to this page.

Selecting an insurance agent requires more thought than just the price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
What insurance company do they write the most business with?
How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?

Upon getting acceptable answers for all questions you ask and locked in a price quote, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.

Is there truth in advertising?

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings if you change to them. How does each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a preferred risk might be over the age of 50, has no driving citations, and has excellent credit. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Drivers who don’t qualify for the requirements will have to pay higher prices and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s the way companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to compare as many rates as you can. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

For more reading

Much more information about auto insurance in New Hampshire can be found on the website for the New Hampshire Insurance Department through this link. New Hampshire drivers can read industry bulletins, read consumer alerts, find a variety of consumer forms, and read state legal mandates and laws.

More quotes mean more savings

Cost effective auto insurance is definitely available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Goffstown agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

When shopping online for auto insurance, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, an insured cut collision coverage and discovered at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price.

We just presented some good ideas how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company. Smaller companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.