Comparison Shop Maplewood Auto Insurance Prices With These Methods

Buying affordable Maplewood auto insurance on the internet may be impossible for consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online. With so many choices of insurance companies available, how can you possibly compare every company to locate the cheapest available price?

Buying car insurance in Maplewood is easy if you know what you're doing. Basically, anyone who is required by state law to have auto insurance stands a good chance to be able to reduce their rates. But New Jersey consumers do need to know how the larger insurance companies sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always list all available discounts very clearly, so we break down both the well known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings.

Defensive Driver - Successfully completing a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Save with a New Car - Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
Good Student Discount - A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply until age 25.
Paperless Signup - A few companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
Memberships - Being a member of a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
Student in College - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car may qualify for this discount.
Accident Waiver - Certain companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven't had any claims for a set time period.
Passive Restraints - Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

To see a list of insurers offering auto insurance discounts in New Jersey, follow this link.

Free Maplewood Auto Insurance Quotes

There are several ways of comparing rates from local Maplewood auto insurance companies. The best method to find the lowest rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

The best way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This method eliminates the need for separate forms for each company you want a rate for. One form will return quotes from several companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
A slightly less efficient method to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare and fill out their own quote form. For example, we'll pretend you want comparison quotes from , and . To get each rate you have to visit each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is quicker.

To view a list of companies in Maplewood, click here.
The least efficient way to compare rates is to spend your day driving to insurance agents' offices. Shopping for auto insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you want the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent. We'll cover that shortly.

Whichever way you use, make darn sure you compare identical coverages and limits for every quote you compare. If you compare different deductibles then you won't be able to determine the best price in Maplewood. Just a small difference in insurance coverages can result in a big premium difference. And when comparison shopping, comparing a large number of companies helps locate a lower rate.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Policy add-ons can waste money - There are many add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Coverages for roadside assistance, accidental death and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea initially, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in New Jersey are statistically proven to get distracted easily when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Having to add a youthful driver onto a policy can be very expensive. More mature drivers are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
Cautious drivers pay less - Drivers who don't get tickets get better rates than bad drivers. Just one ticket can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers with serious tickets like DUI or reckless driving are required to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
Marriage pays dividends - Having a spouse can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse translates into being more mature than a single person and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Liability coverage is peace of mind - Liability insurance is the protection if you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.

How to know if you need help

When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different.

These are some specific questions may help you determine whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in New Jersey?
Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
Are rental cars covered under my policy?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Maplewood?
Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don't have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing that you'll save big if you switch your coverage to them. How does each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential customers who don't qualify for these standards must pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. This is how companies can advertise the savings. This illustrates why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

Discount auto insurance is available both online as well as from independent agents in Maplewood, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who don't offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We covered many ways to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from some of the smallest insurance companies.

More sites with auto insurance information

More detailed New Jersey auto insurance information can be found at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. Visitors are able to discover disciplinary actions, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and file complaints about a company.