Are you regretting the purchase of an under-performing, overpriced car insurance policy? You’re preaching to the choir because there are lots of Newark residents who feel the same.
Sadly, the majority of drivers have purchased from the same company for well over three years, and almost half have never quoted rates to find lower-cost coverage. Many drivers in New Jersey could save up to 40% every year by just comparing quotes, but they just assume it takes a lot of time to compare rates and save money.
Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the promise of big savings and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you are already insured, you will be able to buy cheaper car insurance using the concepts covered in this article. Finding the cheapest car insurance coverage in Newark is quite easy if you know the best way to do it. But New Jersey consumers should learn the way insurance companies charge you for coverage and use this information to your advantage.
The quickest method we recommend to compare policy rates for Kia Niro insurance in Newark takes advantage of the fact auto insurance companies participate in online systems to compare their rates. The only thing you need to do is provide a little information such as the ages of drivers, how much education you have, how your vehicles are used, and which vehicles you own. Your information is automatically sent to insurance companies and they return quotes almost instantly.
To find lower lower-cost Kia Niro insurance rates now, click here then complete the form.
The companies shown below can provide quotes in Newark, NJ. To find the best car insurance in NJ, we recommend you get rate quotes from several of them to get the lowest price.
Why do I need car insurance?
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Kia in Newark, insurance serves several important purposes.
- Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a minimum amount of liability in order to drive the car legally. In New Jersey these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your Kia Niro has a loan, more than likely the lender will require you to have physical damage coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you default on your policy, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Kia for a much higher rate and require you to fork over for the expensive policy.
- Insurance protects both your Kia and your personal assets. Insurance will also pay for most medical and hospital costs for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also covers legal expenses if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your policy will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance greatly outweigh the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. Today the average American driver is currently overpaying as much as $800 each year so we recommend shopping around at every renewal to make sure the price is not too high.
Newark insurance discounts for a Kia Niro
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you might be missing out on some discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be requested specifically before being credited.
- Safety Course Discount – Participating in a safe driver class may get you a small discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Active Service Discounts – Having a deployed family member may lower your insurance rates slightly.
- Accident Free – Insureds with no claims or accidents get the best insurance rates in comparison with drivers with a long claim history.
- Club Memberships – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization in Newark could earn you a nice discount on insurance.
- Distant Student – Kids living away from Newark attending college and do not take a car to college can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Not all insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you better prices if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- ABS Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Use Seat Belts – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle up before driving can save a little on medical payment and PIP coverage.
As a sidenote, some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Despite the appearance that you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.
For a list of insurance companies who offer free Kia Niro insurance quotes in New Jersey, click here.
Local Newark insurance agents and car insurance
A lot of people still like to buy from a licensed agent. An additional benefit of getting online price quotes is that you can find lower rates and still buy from a local agent. And buying from local insurance agents is definitely important in Newark.
After completing this short form, your insurance coverage information is emailed to local insurance agents who will give you quotes for your business. You won’t need to find an agent since price quotes are sent to you instantly. You’ll get the best rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you have a need to get a price quote from a specific car insurance provider, you can always visit that company’s website and give them your coverage information.
The following are agents in Newark that may be able to provide rate quotes for Kia Niro insurance in Newark.
Farmers Insurance: Anthony Pugliese
217 Chestnut St – Newark, NJ 07105 – (973) 536-2060 – View Map
ESTIR Inc
326 Bloomfield Ave – Newark, NJ 07107 – (973) 481-5300 – View Map
Knight Insurance Consulting Group
454 Washington St – Newark, NJ 07102 – (973) 704-1024 – View Map
Goker and Associates Insurance Agency
121 Elizabeth Ave #101 – Newark, NJ 07108 – (908) 344-7577 – View Map
Finding the right insurance company should include more criteria than just the quoted price. Here are some questions you should ask.
- What is the financial rating for the quoted company?
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
- Is there a local claims center in Newark?
- Are they full-time agents?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Does their agency support local causes in Newark?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
If you feel you receive satisfactory answers to these questions and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located an insurance company that meets your needs to properly service your car insurance policy.
Ratings for New Jersey auto insurance companies
Ending up with the best car insurance provider can be a challenge considering how many companies there are to choose from in New Jersey. The ranking information in the next section could help you pick which companies you want to consider comparing price quotes from.
Top 10 Newark Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Service
- Mercury Insurance
- The Hartford
- American Family
- Progressive
- GEICO
- USAA
- State Farm
- Travelers
- Farmers Insurance
- Allstate
Top 10 Newark Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- GEICO – A++
- Travelers – A++
- State Farm – A++
- USAA – A++
- Allstate – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- Mercury Insurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- The Hartford – A+
- Esurance – A+
What insurance coverages do I need?
When it comes to buying coverage online or from an agent, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance needs to address that.
Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
- Should I pay a claim out-of-pocket?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
- What does medical payments cover?
- Can I use my car for my catering business?
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
- Do I need rental car coverage?
- Is upholstery damage covered by car insurance?
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.
Insurance coverages 101
Knowing the specifics of your policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are the normal coverages offered by insurance companies.
Liability insurance – Liability insurance can cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 15/30/5 that translate to $15,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $30,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $5,000. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability can pay for claims such as funeral expenses, attorney fees, court costs and medical services. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible. New Jersey requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.
The illustration below shows why the minimum limit may not be adequate coverage.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for expenses for ambulance fees, hospital visits, EMT expenses and prosthetic devices. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision coverage – Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Niro caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against things like sideswiping another vehicle, hitting a mailbox, backing into a parked car and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible on your Niro to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive insurance – This coverage pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things like vandalism, fire damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer and damage from getting keyed. The highest amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – This coverage provides protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your Kia Niro.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (New Jersey limits are 15/30/5), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Most of the time these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
What is YOUR best insurance company?
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that they should have had better coverage. Your goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best possible price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Lower-priced Kia Niro insurance in Newark can be found from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies don’t offer internet price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers prefer to sell through local independent agencies.
How to buy affordable Kia Niro insurance in Newark
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to get affordable auto insurance rates in Newark is to start doing an annual price comparison from different companies in New Jersey.
First, learn about how auto insurance works and the things you can change to drop your rates. Many policy risk factors that increase rates such as at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a negative credit score can be controlled by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
Second, quote rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide prices from multiple companies. Select a company
Third, compare the new quotes to the price on your current policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save money and switch companies, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
Fourth, notify your company or agent of your decision to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit the application along with any required down payment to the newly selected company. Make sure you keep the new certificate verifying coverage somewhere easily accessible.
The key aspect of shopping around is to use similar limits and deductibles on every quote request and to quote with as many companies as you can. This ensures the most accurate price comparison and a thorough price selection.
Even more information can be read at these sites:
- Understanding Car Crashes Video (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Newark Auto Insurance for Unemployed Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Low Income Drivers in Newark? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Hyundai Elantra in Newark? (FAQ)
- How to shop for a safer car (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Liability Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
- Side airbags reduce rollover fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)