How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Barrington

Tired of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as many other drivers in New Hampshire.

Because there are so many choices of insurance companies, it can be impossible to choose the lowest price company.

It's important to compare rates once or twice a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best rates a few years ago you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of wrong information about auto insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to slash your auto insurance rates.

Fast and Easy Barrington Auto Insurance Quotes

Most major insurance companies provide prices on the web. Getting online quotes is quite easy as you just type in the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, their system will obtain your credit score and driving record and provides a quote based on these and other factors. This simplifies rate comparisons, but the work required to visit different websites and type in the same information is monotonous and tiresome. But it's very important to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find better auto insurance pricing.

A less time-consuming method to find cheaper rates requires only one form that gets price quotes from multiple companies. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes rate comparisons much easier. As soon as you send your information, it gets priced with multiple companies and you can pick any or none of the returned quotes. If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. The whole process can be completed in a matter of minutes and you will find out if you're overpaying now.

To quickly find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and enter your information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you copy your coverages as close as possible to your current policy. This way, you will have an apples-to-apples comparison based on similar coverages.

You have some control over your rates

It's important that you understand the factors that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.

Shown below are some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting rates.

Men are more aggressive - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. Now that doesn't mean men are worse drivers. They both are in accidents at a similar rate, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also get more serious tickets like reckless driving and DUI.
Your car's features help determine rates - Driving a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder auto theft.
Add-on coverages can add up - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that you can buy if you aren't careful. Things like rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and term life insurance are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but if they're wasting money remove them from your policy.
How credit affects auto insurance rates - Credit score is a important factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit is low, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating.
Proper usage rating affects rates - The higher the mileage driven every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies price each vehicle's coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your auto insurance declarations sheet properly reflects the correct usage for each vehicle.
Better crash test results mean better rates - Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
Traffic citations inflate rates - Your driving citation history has a big impact on rates. Just one ticket can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Careful drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who have dangerous citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies don't always advertise all their discounts very well, so the following is a list of some of the best known as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.

Senior Discount - Older drivers may receive better auto insurance rates.
Driver's Ed - Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
Safety Course Discount - Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Pay Now and Pay Less - By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
Life Insurance Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

For a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in New Hampshire, click here.

Even more information can be read at the New Hampshire Insurance Department website. New Hampshire drivers can learn about insurance regulations, view a list of available companies, discover disciplinary actions, and find out industry alerts.

Other useful links include this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of insurance agents in Barrington.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

When shopping online for auto insurance, don't be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford.

Cheaper auto insurance is attainable on the web and also from your neighborhood Barrington agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.