Tightwads Guide for Saving on Far Hills Car Insurance

Nobody I know looks forward to paying for car insurance, especially when the cost is too high.

Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive persitently shower you with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these methods. Buying car insurance in Far Hills is quite easy. Nevertheless, New Jersey car owners do need to know how the larger insurance companies sell insurance online.

Save big with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the more common as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.

Multi-car Discount - Insuring more than one vehicle on the same car insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Anti-lock Brake System - Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
Military Rewards - Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
Auto/Home Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Driving fewer miles could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Paperless Signup - A handful of insurance companies will give a small break simply for signing digitally online.

It's important to understand that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn't quite work that way.

To see a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Far Hills, click here to view.

Far Hills Car Insurance Quote Comparison

There are several ways to compare rate quotes from different Far Hills insurance companies. The best method to find the lowest rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The best way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This easy form prevents you from having to do a different quote to each individual car insurance company. A single form will return quotes .
A different way to get quotes online is to take the time to go to each individual company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For sake of this example, we'll pretend you want to compare , and . To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company's site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.

To view a list of companies in Far Hills, click here.

It's your choice how you get your quotes, but make absolute certain that you use exactly the same coverages and limits on every quote you get. If you enter different deductibles it's not possible to determine which rate is truly the best in Far Hills. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when quoting car insurance, remember that more quotes will increase your chances of finding a lower rate.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Far Hills

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that go into determining your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in big savings.

Lower deductibles cost more - Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are willing to pay before your car insurance pays a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. The more expense you're willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
Your credit rating is important - A driver's credit score is a important factor in determining your rates. So if your credit rating is lower than you'd like, you could pay less to insure your by improving your credit score. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with poor credit.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Owning a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent car theft.
One company can mean more discounts - Most insurers will award you with lower prices to policyholders who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to five, ten or even twenty percent. If you currently are using one company, you still need to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a "perfect" insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions might point out if your situation will benefit from professional help.

Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?

If you're not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings if you switch to them. How can each company make the same claim?

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a profitable customer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, owns a home, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any new insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Drivers who fall outside the requirements must pay a higher premium and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save money. That is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It's just too difficult to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Shop smart and save

Low-cost car insurance is available from both online companies and with local Far Hills insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection. Some car insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, an insured cut full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

You just learned many tips how you can compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from the least-expected company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like .

For more New Jersey car insurance information

More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. Consumers can report car insurance fraud, find out industry alerts, view a list of available companies, and read consumer alerts.