Easy Methods to Cut Costs on Monmouth Beach Car Insurance

People who are new to shopping for insurance online may find purchasing low-cost Monmouth Beach car insurance is harder than they anticipated.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. Locating the lowest cost coverage in Monmouth Beach can be fairly easy. But New Jersey car owners do need to know how the larger insurance companies price online insurance.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies don't necessarily list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the more common as well as the least known car insurance savings.

  • Homeowners Savings - Owning a home in Monmouth Beach may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.
  • Early Signing - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
  • Theft Prevention System - Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • Defensive Driver - Taking part in a driver safety course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
  • Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of more than 20%.
  • Student Driver Training - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver's education in school.
  • Federal Employees - Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
  • 55 and Retired - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
  • New Car Discount - Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
  • Use Seat Belts - Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.

Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only cut individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn't make money that way.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that go into determining your car insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings.

  • What are your deductibles? - Your deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, insures against damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. The more expense the insured has to pay upfront, the lower your rates will be.
  • How's your driving record? - Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than bad drivers. Just one ticket may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with serious tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
  • Multi-policy discounts can save money - Most companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who have multiple policies with them. It's known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
  • Do you need those extra coverages? - There are many additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and membership fees are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so get rid of them and save.

Insurance agents can help

When it comes to buying coverage for your vehicles, there is no best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For example, these questions may help highlight whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

  • When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
  • Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
  • Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
  • Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. All the companies say the same thing that you'll save big if you switch your policy. How do they all make the same claim?

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a profitable customer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and chooses high deductibles. A customer who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who don't qualify for the "perfect" profile must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That is how companies can state the savings. This illustrates why drivers should compare many company's rates. Because you never know which company will give you the biggest savings.

Additional New Jersey consumer information

More detailed New Jersey car insurance information can be read at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. Consumers can report car insurance fraud, file complaints about a company, and read consumer alerts.

New Jersey car insurance

Shop smart and save

Budget-conscious car insurance can be found from both online companies in addition to many Monmouth Beach insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you many ways to reduce car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from the least-expected company.

When buying insurance coverage, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, someone dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.