Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Ridgewood Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, you're not alone. Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with advertising and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you will benefit by learning to find the best rates while maintaining coverages. Buying car insurance in Ridgewood is not that difficult. New Jersey consumers only need to know the tricks to get comparison quotes on the web.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in big savings.

Don't skimp on liability - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage if you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Better crash test results mean better rates - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Your car's features help determine rates - Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system can thwart your car from being stolen.
Adjust deductibles and save - Your deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before your auto insurance pays a claim. Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, damage from fire, or theft. The higher the amount you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
Cautious drivers pay less - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Drivers who don't get tickets get better rates than their less careful counterparts. Just one moving violation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers with dangerous tickets like DUI or reckless driving are required to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse translates into being more responsible and statistics show being married results in fewer claims.
More than one policy can earn a discount - Some companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you're getting this discount it's still a good idea to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. Drivers may still find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.

Quick Ridgewood Auto Insurance Quotes

Reducing your insurance rates isn't really that difficult. Just take a few minutes comparing rate quotes online with multiple companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This method eliminates the need for separate quote forms to each individual auto insurance company. Completing one form gets you price quotes from many national carriers.
A slightly less efficient method to compare rate quotes requires a trip to each individual company website and fill out their own quote form. For instance, we'll pretend you want to compare rates from , and . To find out each rate you need to go to every website to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker.

To view a list of companies in Ridgewood, click here.
The least efficient method of getting rate comparisons is to drive around to insurance agents' offices. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the trained guidance only provided by licensed Ridgewood agents. You can, however, find lower rates online and still use a local agent. We'll cover that shortly.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just compare exactly the same quote information for every quote you compare. If you are comparing mixed coverages you can't possibly determine the best price in Ridgewood.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount possible, you are paying more than you should be.

Organization Discounts - Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Low mileage vehicles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Ridgewood may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
Discount for Good Grades - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
Paperless Signup - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.
Multiple Cars - Insuring all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Ridgewood, follow this link.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Consumers in New Jersey can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings from the likes of Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you change your coverage to them.

How can each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer might be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't qualify for the requirements must pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's the way companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This illustrates why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Even more information can be found at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, view a list of available companies, and report car insurance fraud.

In the end, you save

The cheapest auto insurance can be sourced both online as well as from independent agents in Ridgewood, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who don't offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We covered a lot of tips how to compare auto insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a small mutual company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like .