Easy Methods to Spend Less on West Orange Auto Insurance

Are you intimidated by the crazy number of auto insurance options in West Orange? Lot's of other consumers are too. There are so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a lot of work to compare prices.

It's important to shop coverage around every six months because insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best price on your last policy a different company probably has better rates today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you're about to learn the tricks you need to know to get good coverage at a lower rate.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise all their discounts very well, so we took the time to find both well-publicized as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If you don't get every credit possible, you are throwing money away.

  • Sign Online - A few companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy online.
  • Multiple Vehicles - Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • Bundle and Save - If you have multiple policies with one company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
  • Theft Prevention Discount - Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
  • Drive Less and Save - Fewer annual miles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
  • Driver Safety - Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, auto insurance companies aren't that generous.

Tips to Get Lower West Orange Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate rates.

  • Pay less if you're married - Having a spouse can get you a discount on your policy. It translates into being more responsible and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, or theft. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are required to spend in the event of a claim. The higher the amount you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
  • Big city or small town - Choosing to live in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when insuring your vehicles. Drivers who live in large cities tend to have much more traffic and longer commute times. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident.
  • More than one policy can earn a discount - Many insurers will give a discount to customers who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount you still need to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
  • Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. These vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
  • Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

New Jersey consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings from the likes of State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings after switching your coverage to them.

But how can every company make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A driver who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't meet this ideal profile will have to pay a higher premium and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's the way companies can truthfully advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Learn more about New Jersey auto insurance

Even more information can be found at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website. New Jersey consumers can get help finding coverage, report car insurance fraud, and view agent and company licensing information.

Also read more on this site for New Jersey auto insurance information and see this list of insurance agents in West Orange.

Best coverage at the best price

Cheap auto insurance can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in West Orange, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many cases, someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford.

In this article, we presented some good ideas how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with a small local company.