Tightwads Tips for Saving on Fanwood Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced auto insurance? Trust us, there are a lot of people in Fanwood just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy. You have so many to buy insurance from, and although it's a good thing to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to shop coverage around every six months because insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the lowest price on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate the fastest and easiest way to buy cheaper auto insurance.

Finding affordable coverage in Fanwood is easy if you know what you're doing. If you are insured now or are shopping for new coverage, you can follow these tips to find the best rates and possibly find even better coverage. New Jersey vehicle owners just need to know the most effective way to compare rates online.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies offering auto insurance don't list every available discount very clearly, so we researched both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you're not getting every credit possible, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Theft Prevention Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Memberships - Participating in a qualifying organization may earn a discount on your policy.
  • Claim Free - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less compared to bad drivers.
  • E-sign - A few companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
  • Low Mileage - Keeping the miles down could be rewarded with a substantially lower rate.
  • Defensive Driving Course - Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase life insurance.
  • Homeowners Discount - Being a homeowner can save you money because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
  • Lower Rates for Military - Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

To see a list of providers with the best auto insurance discounts in New Jersey, click here.

Fanwood auto insurance quote

Compare Quotes for Fanwood Auto Insurance

Finding cheaper auto insurance prices is surprisingly easy. Consumers just need to spend a few minutes on the computer comparing price quotes from different insurance companies. This can be done using a couple different methods.

  • The best way to find low rates is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This type of form eliminates the need for separate quote forms for each company you want a rate for. Filling out one form gets you coverage quotes from many national carriers.
  • A less efficient way to shop for auto insurance online consists of going to the website for each individual company and request a quote. For instance, we'll pretend you want to compare rates from , and . To get each rate you have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

    For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Fanwood, click here.

However you get your quotes, ensure you are comparing identical coverages with every price quote. If you are comparing different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to find the best deal in Fanwood.

Tips to Get Lower Fanwood Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

  • More than one policy can earn a discount - The majority of insurance companies give discounts to customers who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it's in your best interest to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. Consumers may find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
  • Liability coverage is peace of mind - The liability section of your policy provides coverage in the event that a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It provides legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability is cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations like judges, social workers and financial analysts have higher average rates in part from stressful work requirements and long work days. Conversely, occupations like actors, engineers and the unemployed get better rates.
  • Being married is a good thing - Having a wife or husband actually saves money on auto insurance. Marriage translates into being more mature than a single person it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Better crash test results mean better rates - Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. Safer cars protect occupants better and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
  • Don't buy coverages you don't need - There are a lot of extra coverages you can purchase on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and additional equipment coverage are some examples. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.

Save $429 a year? Really?

New Jersey consumers can't get away from ads that promise big savings from the likes of Allstate and Progressive. All the ads have a common claim that you'll save big if you move your coverage to them.

How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For instance, a preferred risk could possibly be a mature driver, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A driver that hits that "sweet spot" gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential customers who don't qualify for these standards will be charged a more expensive rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's the way companies can advertise the savings. That is why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

And the best car insurance company is...

When you buy insurance online, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, someone sacrificed liability coverage limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Discount auto insurance is definitely available online as well as from independent agents in Fanwood, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don't offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Learn more about New Jersey auto insurance

More detailed New Jersey auto insurance information is located at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. New Jersey consumers can read consumer alerts, find out which companies have the most complaints, read industry bulletins, and get help finding coverage.