Rahway Car Insurance Buying Tips You Aren’t Supposed to Know

If shopping for car insurance online is new to you, it’s easy to get confused due to the large number of online car insurance companies and websites offering insurance in Rahway.

How to Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Rahway

To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing price quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The easiest way to find the lowest rates is simply to get online rate quotes. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in several different ways.

1. The most efficient way to get quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This easy form eliminates the need for multiple quote forms for each company you want a rate for. One form submission compares rates . Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
2. A more time consuming way to get comparison quotes requires a visit to each company’s website and complete a new quote form. For instance, we’ll assume you want to compare rates from GEICO, Allstate and GMAC. You would have to take the time to go to each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in Rahway, click here.
3. The least recommended method to get comparison rates is to spend time driving to and from local insurance agencies. Shopping for car insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. It is possible to get the lowest quotes online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll talk about that later.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just double check that you are using the exact same coverages for every company. If you enter differing limits it will be impossible to make an equal comparison in Rahway. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when comparison shopping, getting more free quotes helps you find lower pricing.

Discounts are great for lower rates

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but some must be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit.

• Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
• No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies permit an accident without raising rates so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
• Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
• Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
• Homeowners Savings – Owning a home in Rahway may trigger a car insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
• Theft Prevention System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
• Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a discount up to 10%.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way. But any discount will cut the cost of coverage.

To choose insurers offering car insurance discounts in Rahway, click this link.

Smart Buyers can Save Money

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what determines base rates enables informed choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

• More people means more accidents – Choosing to live in less populated areas can save you money when talking about car insurance. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident. Drivers in populated New Jersey areas have traffic congestion and longer commute times. More time commuting translates into higher accident risk.
• The more you drive the more you pay – Driving more miles in a year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most companies charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Cars used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Double check that your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage.
• Teen drivers pay high rates – Youthful drivers in New Jersey are statistically proven to be less responsible when driving so car insurance rates are higher. Having to add a youthful driver onto a policy can really hurt. More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel.
• Never go without insurance – Not having insurance is illegal and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage lapse. Not only will you pay more, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.Then you may be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the New Jersey motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.

Your insurance agent down the street

A small number of people would rather buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you can get the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. And providing support for local insurance agencies is important particularly in Rahway.

After filling out this short form, the quote information gets sent to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your business. There is no reason to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! You’ll get the best rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.

The type of insurance agency you choose is important

When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two different agency structures to choose from. Rahway agents are classified as either captive or independent.

Independent Agents

Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to get quotes from multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection. Many write coverage with smaller regional carriers which can save you money.

Shown below are Rahway independent insurance agents that may be able to provide comparison quotes.

• Ray Eggers Agency – 208 W Milton Ave – Rahway, NJ 07065 – (732) 388-8080
• John M Oliphant Agency – 1522 Main St – Rahway, NJ 07065 – (732) 388-2651

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents are contracted to one company like AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so always compare other rates. Captive agencies are well schooled on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage. Some people will only choose to use a captive agent mainly due to high brand loyalty and solid financial strength.

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

• How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
• Do they assist clients in filing claims?
• Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
• Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
• Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?

Once you have received positive feedback for all questions you ask in addition to an acceptable price estimate, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that will properly service your car insurance policy.

Much more information about car insurance in New Jersey is located on the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website located here. New Jersey consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find disaster information, find out which companies have the most complaints, and file complaints about a company.

Additional helpful sites include this page for car insurance prices in New Jersey and this link where you can make Rahway car insurance comparisons.

And the best car insurance company is…

When you buy insurance online, it’s not a good idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.

People change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, high prices, denial of a claim or extreme rates for teen drivers. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new company can be less work than you think.

In this article, we covered many ways to save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the biggest savings come from the least-expected company.