Paterson, NJ Insurance Agents – Which is Best for Your Needs?

When finding a good insurance agent in Paterson, New Jersey, it’s recommended you start your search online to save yourself time. We’re assuming you not only want an excellent agent, but you also want the lowest possible price.

With companies like State Farm, Allstate and Farmers Insurance having local Paterson offices, it’s hard to tell which provider will provide you with the best rates, service and coverage. To begin, consumers can use insurance quotes online to get a list of insurance agencies and thier coverage prices.

How to know if you need help

When buying the right insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions may help highlight if you will benefit from professional help.

  • Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
  • Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
  • Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
  • If my vehicle is totaled, can I afford another vehicle?
  • What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions then you might want to talk to a licensed agent.

Best way to find Paterson agents

Agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local insurance agencies is important especially in Paterson.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go to the email address you provide. How cool is that?! It’s the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

Types of car insurance agents in Paterson

When searching for local Paterson agents, you must know there are a couple types of agencies that you can select. Agents can either be independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Agents

Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies.

When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to include at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from.

Listed below are independent insurance agencies in Paterson that are able to give pricing information.

Anastos Agency – 14 Clark St # 1 – Paterson, NJ 07505 – (973) 345-0900
FMC Insurance Inc – 35 Church St – Paterson, NJ 07505 – (973) 278-9000
Tony Shakkour Agency – 859 Main St – Paterson, NJ 07503 – (973) 742-5687
Zayas Insurance Brokerage – 175 Market St # 206 – Paterson, NJ 07505 – (973) 279-8040
Premier Agency Inc – 297 Park Ave – Paterson, NJ 07513 – (973) 279-7363

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents write business for a single company such as State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They generally cannot give you multiple price quotes so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They are trained well on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents.

Choosing an auto insurance agent requires more thought than just a low price. Some important questions to ask are:

  • Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
  • Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
  • How are they compensated?
  • Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
  • Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
  • Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
  • Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?

Upon receiving reasonable responses to any questions you have and an affordable coverage quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that can properly insure your vehicles.

Do online auto insurance companies have better rates?

Local insurance agents are important to many people, but New Jersey drivers can also buy from online companies direct. Even companies like State Farm and Allstate who have local agents in Paterson also allow you to buy direct online, so that should be considered if you want to do it yourself.

If you’re apprehensive about having to choose coverages yourself, that is normal but is not a big issue. Online car insurance companies all have client service departments for getting the best coverage.

Do online companies have better rates? A lot of shoppers won’t buy anywhere else, but it’s impossible to say because of the number of factors that impact your final bill. Common sense would say that buying direct lowers rates due to not having any agent compensation. In many cases, it’s expensive to advertise and those expenses can offset most of the savings by selling direct.

More consumer information in New Jersey

Additional auto insurance information is available on the website for the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. Click here for link. Consumers can learn about insurance regulations, read state legal mandates and laws, get help finding coverage, and view a list of available companies.

New Jersey insurance company

Quote often and quote early

Consumers leave their current company for any number of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, delays in responding to claim requests, being labeled a high risk driver and policy cancellation. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

Budget-conscious auto insurance is attainable online as well as from independent agents in Paterson, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. Some companies don’t offer online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.