Searching for the lowest price Cape May auto insurance online can seem to be rather difficult for people that are relatively new to comparing and buying auto insurance online. With such a large choice of online companies available, how can anyone have time to compare every auto insurance company to find the lowest price available?
Cheap Cape May auto insurance rates with discounts
Auto insurance can be pricey, but you may be missing some discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at quote time, but less common discounts must be specifically requested in order for you to get them.
- Club Memberships – Affiliation with qualifying clubs or civic groups is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for auto insurance.
- One Accident Forgiven – Not really a discount, but a few companies such as Allstate, State Farm and Geico allow you one accident without the usual rate increase so long as you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Telematics Discount – Insureds that choose to allow their insurance company to analyze vehicle usage remotely such as State Farm’s In-Drive could see a rate decrease if they are good drivers.
- Federal Employees – Federal government employees may reduce rates when you with select insurance companies.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Forcing all vehicle occupants to fasten their seat belts can save a little off the personal injury premium cost.
- Driver Education Discount – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in high school.
- Theft Deterent – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and will qualify for a discount on a .
Policy discounts save money, but most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Even though it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will bring down the cost of your policy.
Popular auto insurance companies and their possible discounts are detailed below.
- State Farm may offer discounts for multiple autos, defensive driving training, passive restraint, Drive Safe & Save, good student, and safe vehicle.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including newly retired, hybrid vehicle, exclusive group savings, preferred payment discount, new graduate, multi-policy, and new move discount.
- American Family includes discounts for mySafetyValet, accident-free, multi-vehicle, bundled insurance, and defensive driver.
- Progressive has discounts for online quote discount, multi-vehicle, good student, online signing, homeowner, multi-policy, and continuous coverage.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for bundle discounts, business and professional, switch companies, alternative fuel, distant student, teen driver, and pay in full.
- Auto-Owners Insurance discounts include air bags, teen driver, good student, paid in full, safe vehicle, and multiple vehicles.
- SAFECO offers discounts for safe driver, homeowner, drive less, anti-lock brakes, multi-car, and teen safety rewards.
It’s a good idea to ask every insurance company which discounts they offer. Some discounts might not be offered on policies in Cape May. If you would like to see a list of companies who offer free auto insurance quotes in Cape May, click here.
How to get free auto insurance quotes online
To find the best auto insurance quotes, there are several ways to compare quotes from different Cape May insurance companies. The best way to find the cheapest insurance rates consists of shopping online. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
The easiest and least time consuming way to find the lowest comparison rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This form keeps you from doing a different quote for each price estimate. One form gets coverage cost estimates direct from many companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
A different way to get comparison quotes requires visiting the website of each company to request a price quote. For instance, let’s say you want to compare Nationwide, Esurance and Progressive. In order to compare rates, you need to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, and that explains why we recommend the first method. To view a list of companies in Cape May, click here.
The least efficient and most time consuming method to comparison shop rate quotes is driving around to all the different Cape May insurance agencies. The ability to quote online makes this process obsolete unless you have a need for the professional assistance that only a licensed agent can provide. However, consumers can compare the best prices online and still use a local agent.
The approach you take is up to you, just do your best to use nearly identical quote data for every company. If you compare different values for each quote it’s impossible to make a fair rate comparison in Cape May. Just a small difference in limits can make a big difference in price. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more company’s prices will improve the odds of getting a lower rate than you’re paying now. Some regional insurers cannot provide online rate quotes, so it’s important to compare rates from those companies as well.
Find lower-cost auto insurance with these tips
Many different elements are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious like a motor vehicle report, but others are not as apparent like where you live or how financially stable you are.
- What are your deductibles? – Physical damage protection, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, insures against damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered could be a broken side mirror, damage caused by hail, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. The higher the amount you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the better rate you will receive.
- Extra policy coverages you don’t use – Insurance policies have a lot of optional add-on coverages you can purchase on your policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, towing, and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem good when deciding what coverages you need, but if they’re wasting money consider taking them off your policy.
- Be proud to be claim-free – Companies in New Jersey provide most affordable rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can expect increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for claims that pose a financial burden.
- How much liability do you need? – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance kicks in if you are responsible for damages caused by your negligence. This coverage provides you with a defense in court to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability insurance is pretty cheap compared to other policy coverages, so do not skimp.
You are unique and your auto insurance should be too
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
For example, these questions might point out if your situation could use an agent’s help.
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
- Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
- What is the minimum liability in New Jersey?
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form.
Captive and independent car insurance agents
Certain consumers just want to have an agent’s advice and doing that can be a smart decision One of the best bonuses of getting free rate quotes online is that you can find cheaper car insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent. And buying from local agencies is important especially in Cape May.
By using this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is sent to agents in your area who will gladly provide quotes for your auto insurance coverage. There is no need to drive around as quotes are delivered to you. Get lower rates and work with a local agent. If for some reason you want to compare prices from a particular provider, you can always go to their quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
When narrowing the list to find a reliable agent, there are a couple of different types of agents that you can choose from. Agencies in Cape May are classified as either independent agents or captive agents.
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies do not work for one specific company and that gives them the ability to insure with any number of different companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they quote lower rates, the agent simply finds a different carrier and the insured can keep the same agent.
When comparing auto insurance prices, you definitely need to include rate quotes from several independent agencies to maximize your price options. A lot of them also have access to companies you’ve never heard of that many times have cheaper rates.
Listed below is a list of independent agencies in Cape May that can give you pricing information.
- Munson JE Insurance – 794 Academy Rd – Cape May, NJ 08204 – (609) 884-3215
Captive Auto Insurance Agents
These type of agents can only write with one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, or Farmers Insurance. Captives cannot place coverage with different providers so they really need to provide good service. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. A lot of people choose to use a captive agent partially due to the brand name and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Picking the best auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
Truth in auto insurance advertising
Auto insurance companies such as Geico, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. They all seem to state the claim about saving some big amount if you switch to them. But how can every company give you a lower rate? It’s all in the numbers.
Companies look for specific characteristics for the right customer that will generate a profit. One example of a preferred risk should be married and over the age of 30, owns a home, and has a high credit rating. Someone that matches those criteria receives the best premium rates and have a good chance to save money with a new company.
Consumers who do not fit this ideal profile will see higher prices which results in the customer buying from a different company. The trick companies use is to say “drivers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save the amount stated. That’s the way companies can truthfully claim big savings.
This really illustrates why it’s extremely important to compare rate quotes every year. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which insurance companies will have better prices than you’re paying now.
In the end, you save
Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, policy non-renewal, unfair underwriting practices or even lack of trust in their agent. Regardless of your reason, finding a new auto insurance company is actually quite simple.
When trying to cut insurance costs, never reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where an insured cut full coverage only to regret that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not skimp to save money.
More affordable auto insurance is definitely available from both online companies and with local Cape May insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies may not offer rates over the internet and usually these regional carriers work with local independent agents.
Additional information can be found on the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance website found here. New Jersey drivers can discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, learn about insurance regulations, and file complaints about a company.