- I've had an auto accident that was NOT my fault.
Will my auto insurance rates go up?
In the majority of cases your auto insurance premiums will not increase due
to an accident that is not your fault. However some insurance carriers may place
you in a higher tier due to increased activity on your driving record. Because each
individual case is different please contact us for a
free NJ auto insurance quote tailored to your particular needs.
- I've had an accident that was my fault.
How is this going to affect my car insurance rates?
Having an auto accident for which you are at fault will usually result in a premium
increase. However did you know that you can offset this increase by choosing certain
options on your car insurance policy. For example, you can reduce the cost of the
collision portion of your policy by up to 50% by simply raising your deductible.
- Where is the nearest NJ DMV office to me?
Our NJ Insurance Resource Center has the
answer to this and many other NJ DMV related questions.
- My teenager recently obtained their driving
license. How will this affect my New Jersey car insurance premium?
Although adding a teenage driver to your car insurance policy will probably result
in a premium increase there are many options to save money to help offset this increase
e.g. good student discount and driver training discount. A friendly, professional
independent agent in your area will be happy to explain these and other cost saving
options when you submit your free no-obligation car insurance quote.
- I just got a speeding ticket. Will the penalty
points affect my auto insurance rates?
Contrary to popular belief many insurance carriers will not automatically raise
your rates or premium for a speeding ticket. Did you know that in most cases there
is no rate increase in New Jersey for your first 2 point speeding ticket. Ask your
insurance agent about the New Jersey forgiveness rule.
- Why do New Jersey auto insurance premiums seem
so high?
In actuality, the protection you receive when you purchase a New Jersey auto insurance
policy is some of the best protection available in the United States. Most auto
insurance policies that are sold in New Jersey contain very good limits of coverage
that protect yourself as well as your car. With the no fault system, your medical
bills are covered up to your policy limits regardless of who is at fault in the
accident. This guarantees that you will never be left without important medical
protection should you be injured in an auto accident. In some cases additional limits
of coverage can be purchased at a reasonable cost.
Your New Jersey auto insurance policy protects not only you and your automobile
but it also protects you from a suit that may be brought against you if another
party is injured in an accident which has been determined to be your fault. There
is also mandatory UN-insured and under-insured motorist protection coverage that
protects you in the event you are injured or your car is damaged by an UN-insured
or under-insured driver.
Due to recent state law changes there are now more auto insurance carriers who have
entered the NJ auto insurance market. This allows us to give you the best possible
protection at the lowest possible price.
All in all, New Jersey has some of the most cost effective auto insurance protection
available anywhere. If your policy is due for renewal or if you are interested in
seeing if you can save money over your existing auto insurance policy then
take a moment and click here for a fast free auto
insurance quote.
- How can I save money on my auto insurance?
Check out our 12 Ways We Can Help You Save When Buying
Auto Insurance page. It has some invaluable advice and suggestions.
- What is Insurance Scoring?
Insurance scoring is one of the many tools that some insurance companies use to
appropriately match price to insurance risk. Your insurance score is developed from
a formula that weighs and measures credit information such as number of collections,
bankruptcies, your outstanding debt, your credit history, the number of new applications
for credit and types of credit.
Your insurance score is an additional factor used to develop your premium. Other
factors, such as motor vehicle record, annual miles driven, type of car you own,
and application information are also used to develop your New Jersey auto insurance
premium rate. Insurance scoring is just one item insurance companies use to ensure
that you get the right rate based on your personal and unique circumstances. Not
all companies use insurance scoring.
- What does my credit have to do with how I drive?
An insurance score, considered with other factors has been shown to provide a clearer
picture of your potential auto insurance risk. Studies have shown that people who
are responsible with their money also tend to be more responsible behind the wheel.
Insurance scoring alone cannot determine your level of risk, but it does provide
additional information that some companies use to determine the right price for
your auto insurance policy.
- What is an auto tier?
In the State of New Jersey most auto insurance carriers use a tier system when calculating
the cost of your auto insurance premium. The tier system allows insurance carriers
to charge different rates based on your individual criteria.
A general rule of thumb is the higher the tier, the more expensive the auto insurance
premium.
For example, a driver in New Jersey who has driven less than 3 years will generally
be placed in a higher tier than that of someone who has been driving for more than
3 years. Other examples of factors that affect what tier you are placed in are driving
history, type of vehicle and premium payment history.
Tier levels may differ between insurance companies. Being placed in the wrong tier
could result in you paying a higher premium than necessary. We will identify and
explain what auto tier you are presently in. Please take a brief moment to submit
a quote request and allow a professional and courteous independent New Jersey
insurance agent the opportunity to ensure you are being
rated in the proper New Jersey auto insurance tier.
- Where can I get a list of penalty points for
moving violations in New Jersey?
Please click here for a list of NJ Moving Violations
and Penalty Points
- I am moving to New Jersey from out of state.
Will any violations or accidents that I got when I lived in the previous state transfer
to my NJ driving record?
The answer in most cases is yes. Most out of state moving violations and just about
all chargeable accidents will follow a driver when he moves from another state to
New Jersey. Some moving violation from other states may not be considered for points
here in New Jersey while others that were not charged by the previous state may
be charged here. The best way to know for sure is to obtain a motor vehicle abstract
of your driver's license both from your previous state and here in New Jersey.
If you were considered at fault in an auto accident in another state then that accident
will likely "follow" you here to NJ and this could affect the price you pay for
New Jersey auto insurance. When you submit for a quote on your auto insurance here
at NJSAVE.com a local, friendly insurance professional will contact you with a courteous
explanation to any questions you may have regarding your driving record and the
effect it could have on your insurance rate.
- What is my New Jersey Drivers Abstract and
how can I obtain a copy?
A New Jersey drivers abstract (otherwise known as a driver's history) is a report
of moving violations and accidents that you may have had and usually covers the
previous five years. It is an excellent idea to order an abstract as it may contain
information about your New Jersey driving record that you otherwise may not have
been aware of. In some cases, violations that you thought were dropped or removed
may still be showing up on your record and could affect the rate you are paying
for car insurance.
A driver's abstract is an excellent information tool you can use when you are purchasing
auto insurance as it will assist your insurance agent is accurately quoting your
premium. It is easy and inexpensive to order your New Jersey driver's history. You
can visit
http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/d_driver_history.html for instructions on how
to order your abstract. For help with understanding the information shown on your
New Jersey drivers abstract please feel free sumbit a free, no-obligation auto insurance
quote request and a licensed, local professional insurance agent will contact you
to answer any questions you may have about your driving history and how it may impact
your New Jersey auto insurance rate.
- Will taking a defensive driving course save
me money on my New Jersey car insurance?
Many insurance companies operating in New Jersey do offer a discount upon successful
completion of an approved defensive driving course (also referred to as a Safe Driving
Course). In many cases a discount of 5% can be gained by taking an approved defensive
driving course. New Jersey has some of the highest car insurance rates in the country
so taking a safe driving course is one step you can take immediately to help reduce
the cost of your NJ car insurance. In many cases the certificate can only be applied
at the time of renewal and the discount is available for no more than 3 years from
the date you completed the defensive driving course.
The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance maintains a list of schools offering
approved safe driving courses. Click here to view the list of approved NJ defensive driving schools
- Are insurance points and New Jersey Motor
Vehicle points the same? Will points increase the cost of my auto insurance?
In New Jersey, any driver who is convicted of a moving violation is assessed motor
vehicle points for each conviction in accordance with the
NJSA point schedule. These points will show up on your New Jersey driving
record. In many cases when a driver is convicted of a moving violation, insurance
companies can also assign points and impose surcharges on their policies. These surcharges
will most likely result in an increase in the cost of your auto insurance.
Moving violation points and insurance surcharge points are usually the same. For
example, if you are convicted of a 4 point moving violation, you will also get 4
insurance points. There are some circumstances in New Jersey where you will not
actually get any moving violation points but you are subject to New Jersey insurance
surcharge points. An example would be if you are found to be at fault in an accident
where the pay out is $1,000 or more. In this case you will not receive any New Jersey
motor vehicle points but you will receive 5 insurance surcharge points.
Another example would be if you are convicted of a DWI here in the state of New
Jersey. You will not receive any motor vehicle points for your NJ DWI conviction
but you will receive 9 insurance surcharge points. Because not all circumstances
are the same, it is recommended that you check with your local New Jersey Motor
Vehicle office to determine whether you do have any motor vehicle points (see question #13 above). Even with points on your driving license
there are still steps you can take to help reduce the price of your auto insurance.
For a continued courteous explanation on insurance points and a competitive free
price quote on your auto insurance, please click
here and a local, professional NJ insurance agent will be glad to get back
to you and help you with any further questions you may have.
- How do I change my auto insurance company?
Competition amongst auto insurance companies is increasing in New Jersey. This is
great news for consumers for when insurance companies compete with each other, they
usually offer competitive premiums and discounts to attract you as a new customer.
The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance welcomes solid and financially
stable insurance carriers into our state as this gives New Jersey drivers more choices
when seeking an auto insurance quote.
It is easy to change auto insurance companies here in New Jersey. Once you have
chosen the new auto insurance company you would like to switch to, simply start
the new coverage with the new carrier then contact your former carrier and notify
them that you have changed companies.
In most cases it is recommended that if you are going to change your auto insurance
carrier that you do so upon your renewal as this allows you to maintain your renewal
date each and every year. Some auto insurance carriers will impose a small, short
rate penalty if you cancel coverage with them prior to your renewal date (mid-term)
so be sure to check this out first.
Shopping around for auto insurance can be an educational experience as you will
be able to review and learn about important coverages that are available to you.
Prices with auto insurance companies can vary in large amounts so it is important
that you shop around for the best coverage, service and pricing. Many people are
concerned with buying cheap auto insurance in NJ but it also important to get the
best advice for your auto insurance needs. You can obtain a friendly, personalized,
no obligation price quote from a professional insurance agency in your area by filling
out this simple NJ car insurance quote request form.
- I am moving in New Jersey to a different zip
code. Will the cost of my auto insurance change?
In most cases, the town or city you live in does have an effect on your auto insurance
rates. Location plays an important part in determining auto insurance premiums.
The law allows insurance companies to divide New Jersey into rating territories
and each insurance company defines its territory in a different way. A busy town
with higher traffic volume may have higher insurance rates then a town with very
little traffic. A city with a higher percentage of auto theft may again have higher
insurance rates then a city with a low percentage of auto thefts. If you are planning
a move to a different town or city, it would be advisable to contact your local
insurance professional so that they can help you determine whether your auto insurance
premium may increase or decrease based on your move.
You can easily notify the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) of a change of address
through their website. They will also mail you new address stickers for the back
your current NJ license and registration. NJ DMV Change of Address Form - Click Here
- Am I covered if I am hit by an un-insured
or under-insured motorist?
Just about all insurance companies offer coverage to protect you in the event you
are hit by a motorist who has no insurance ( Uninsured ) or by a motorist
who has very low coverage ( Underinsured ). If you were hit by a motorist
who has failed to maintain auto insurance coverage, it would not be fair to you
to be responsible for your own expenses, especially if the accident were not your
fault. Unfortunately, there are many people who drive without auto insurance, even
in states, like New Jersey, where auto insurance is mandatory.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
You can purchase Uninsured Motorist Coverage on your auto insurance policy
at a very reasonable price. In most states, Uninsured Motorist Coverage is mandatory
thus you will automatically have this coverage on your policy ... BUT .... most
mandatory Uninsured Motorist Coverage is set at a very basic level. This should
be increased to match the liability limits of your policy. It usually cost very
little money to increase the limits of your Uninsured Motorist coverage.
Underinsured Motorist Coverage
You may also be hit by a driver that does have coverage but at a very basic or low
level. The damages that the motorist can cause to you can easily exceed the limits
of his policy thus you can use the Underinsured Motorist Coverage portion
of your policy. If the motorist that hits you is Underinsured (not enough insurance
), you can protect yourself by making up the difference through your Underinsured
Motorist Coverage .... BUT AGAIN .... most mandatory Underinsured Motorist Coverage
is set at a basic limit so it is important that you increase this portion of
your policy to a limit that will protect you better.
For more information on this topic and whether putting a claim against your the uninsured motorist portion of your policy will increase your rate please ready our latest article on Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist Coverage – important things to know on your auto insurance policy.
