| name | Insurance Shopper |
| description | Use when the buyer needs to set up or compare auto insurance before close day, especially for first-time drivers, cash buyers, or cross-state moves. Handles NJ/NY/PA/CT/MA state minimums, full-coverage recommendations, new-driver rate shocks, NJM/Geico/Progressive/State Farm quote sequence, and the "insurance ID card before dealer release" pre-close gate. Triggers include "set up insurance", "上保", "car insurance quote", "new driver insurance", "保险报价", "ID card before pickup", and Spanish phrases "contratar seguro de auto antes de recoger el carro", "cotizar seguro de carro". |
Insurance Shopper
Caveat: this skill is one author's playbook + 5-scenario stress test. Verify state minimums / carrier rates / discount stacking against current sources before binding a policy. Not insurance, tax, legal, or financial advice.
last_verified: 2026-05-19
Scope: narrow pre-close insurance shopping + bind workflow. For full close-day flow see ../close-day-checklist/SKILL.md. For per-state fee specifics see ../state-fee-lookup/SKILL.md.
Narrow helper for setting up auto insurance BEFORE the F&I appointment, with new-driver and cash-buyer edge cases handled. Use when buyer says "I need insurance for the new car" or when close day is < 7 days out and no policy exists yet.
When To Use
- Buyer asks "how do I set up insurance for the new car"
- First-time driver (license < 12 months) needs a quote
- Cash buyer asking "do I even need full coverage"
- Cross-state move (NJ resident buying in PA, etc.) and unclear which state's policy
- Close-day countdown started, no ID card secured yet
- Triggers: "set up insurance", "car insurance quote", "new driver insurance", "上保", "保险报价", "ID card before pickup", "lender requires insurance"
When NOT To Use
- Policy review for existing policyholder with no new vehicle - use a licensed agent
- Claims handling after an accident - use the carrier's claims line
- Commercial / fleet / rideshare insurance - out of scope
- Health / life / homeowners / umbrella - out of scope
- General OTD math - use
../otd-calculator/SKILL.md
The Pre-Close Gate
+--------------------------------------------------------+
| BLOCKER: Dealer will NOT release the vehicle without |
| an active insurance ID card showing the buyer + VIN. |
| Bind insurance BEFORE the F&I appointment, NOT during. |
| Walking in without coverage = dealer-controlled scramble|
| and worst-case overnight delay. |
+--------------------------------------------------------+
Target state: ID card PDF on phone, 1 paper copy in folder, before walking into F&I.
NJ State Minimums (Tri-State Anchor)
| Coverage | NJ legal min | Recommended ($33k cash buyer) |
|---|
| Bodily Injury Liability | 15/30 | 100/300 |
| Property Damage Liability | $5k | $100k |
| PIP (Personal Injury Protection) | $15k | $250k (NJ no-fault) |
| UM/UIM | matched to BI | matched to BI |
| Comprehensive | not required | $500 deductible |
| Collision | not required | $500 deductible |
NJ is a no-fault state - PIP is load-bearing on medical exposure.
Neighboring state minimums (BI / PD / PIP or equivalent)
| State | BI min | PD min | PIP / MedPay | Notes |
|---|
| NY | 25/50 | $10k | $50k PIP | No-fault; SUM (UM) required |
| PA | 15/30 | $5k | $5k MedPay | Choice no-fault; "limited tort" trap |
| CT | 25/50 | $25k | none required | Tort state; UM required |
| MA | 20/40 | $5k | $8k PIP | No-fault; compulsory PIP |
Whatever the state minimum is, on a new $33k vehicle the BI / PD floors are catastrophically low. Always recommend 100/300/100k as the practical floor.
Driver-Profile Capture (7 fields)
Before any quote, collect:
1. Garaging ZIP : NNNNN
2. DOB (year-month) : YYYY-MM
3. License-issue date : YYYY-MM-DD
4. Annual miles : N,NNN (commute + pleasure)
5. Marital : single / married / domestic partner
6. Education : high school / some college / bachelor / graduate
7. Prior insurance Y/N : YES <months continuous> / NO
New-driver flag: license_issue_date < 12 months ago. Flips quote workflow into new-driver mode (see below).
Continuous insurance: most carriers reward 12+ months continuous; new drivers start at 0 and have to build the clock.
Carrier Shortlist By State
Quote at least 3 carriers. Order matters - slowest/best-rate first.
| State | Carriers (rank order) | Why |
|---|
| NJ | NJM, Geico, Progressive, State Farm | NJM is mutual, NJ-only, best rates for clean NJ resident; Geico + Progressive online instant |
| NY | Geico, Progressive, Allstate, NYCM | NYCM strong upstate; Geico/Progressive baseline; Allstate for bundling |
| PA | Erie, Geico, Progressive | Erie is agent-only but consistently 15-25% under online carriers in PA |
| CT | Amica, Geico, Progressive, State Farm | Amica mutual w/ dividend; State Farm strong agent network |
| MA | Plymouth Rock, Geico, MAPFRE, Arbella | MA has unique carriers; national carriers often not cheapest here |
| CA | Mercury, Geico, AAA | Mercury CA-strong; AAA bundles well; CA bans credit-based rating |
| TX | USAA (military), State Farm, Geico | USAA unbeatable if eligible; TX is competitive |
| FL | Geico, Progressive, State Farm | FL is expensive across the board; shop hard |
NJM requires NJ residence at quote time - confirm garaging address is NJ before wasting 25 min on the phone.
Cash Buyer vs Financed vs Leased Matrix
| Buyer type | Comp+Collision | Deductible cap | GAP needed | Other |
|---|
| Cash | Optional (recommended on new car) | Your choice | NO | Free to drop comp+coll on old beater later |
| Financed | REQUIRED by lender | Often $1,000 max | Often required first 1-3 yrs | Lender named as loss-payee |
| Leased | REQUIRED + higher limits | Often $500 max | Sometimes folded into lease | Lessor named as loss-payee + additional insured |
Cash buyer with $33k new vehicle: comp+collision is "optional" but skipping it on a new car is a self-insurance decision against $33k. Recommended unless buyer can write that check tomorrow.
Lender / lessor requirements vary - read the loan docs. Common: "100/300 BI, $100k PD, $500 deductible max, comp+collision required."
New-Driver Section (license < 12 months)
This is the most expensive / most landmine-laden case.
Rate impact
- First-year rate is typically 2-3x adult average for the same coverage
- Examples (NJ, 100/300/100k + $500 comp+coll on a $33k Subaru):
- 30-year-old clean driver: $1,200-1,600 / 6 months
- 22-year-old new driver standalone: $2,800-4,500 / 6 months
- Same 22yo added to parents' policy: $900-1,800 / 6 months
Parents'-policy option (the big lever)
If parents have a clean record and a policy in the same household, three ways to attach:
| Status | What it means | Rate impact |
|---|
| "Added driver" | New driver listed on parents' policy, drives any household car | Cuts new-driver rate 30-60% vs standalone |
| "Named driver" | New driver named but pegged to specific vehicle | Mid-tier discount |
| "Principal driver" | The vehicle's PRIMARY driver - rate calculated to this driver | Highest cost on this vehicle but household discount applies |
Most carriers require same garaging address. If the new driver titles their own vehicle in their own name but lives at the parents' address, "added driver" is the usual path - they own the car, parents' policy covers it, household discount stacks.
Defensive driving course discount
- 5-10% off liability premium for 3 years
- NJ MVC-approved courses: AARP Driver Safety, AAA, I Drive Safely, National Safety Council
- Online completion ~$25-40, 6-8 hours, no in-person required for most
- Stack with good-student if under 25
Continuous-insurance start
- Even 1 month of any prior coverage (a rental policy, a non-owner policy, a parents'-policy line item) starts the continuous-insurance clock
- For a true first-time buyer with zero prior coverage: lock in the 6-month policy NOW, even if pickup is 2 weeks out, to start the clock for renewal
- Carriers vary, but most reward "12+ months continuous" with a 5-15% discount at renewal
Recommended starting coverage for new driver
- Liability: 100/300 BI + $100k PD (do NOT take state minimums on a $33k vehicle)
- PIP: $250k in NJ; state-required elsewhere
- UM/UIM: matched to BI
- Comp + Collision: $500 deductible (the $250 deductible upcharge is usually not worth it for a new driver - claims frequency is higher and any single claim already shifts you to surcharge territory)
- New Vehicle Replacement rider: ASK (see G5 below)
Quote Sequence Playbook
Step-by-step. Total time: 60-90 min for a thorough multi-carrier shop.
- Pull driver-profile data sheet (the 7 fields above). Have driver's license + VIN + lienholder info (if financed) ready.
- NJM first (~25 min, requires phone for new drivers in many cases - NJM sometimes won't fully quote online for under-12-months license). Get the rate, hold it.
- Geico online (~10 min, fully online for new drivers). Save the quote ID.
- Progressive online (~10 min). Save the quote ID.
- Optionally State Farm (~30 min, agent contact, slower) or Erie (PA only, agent-only).
- Compare 6-month total premiums apples-to-apples. Lock the coverage spec FIRST (e.g. 100/300/100k + $500 comp+coll + $250k PIP + NVR rider), then compare same-spec totals across carriers. Never compare on monthly premium - compare 6-month totals to avoid pay-period gotchas.
- Pick winner. Bind with effective date = close-day morning. Don't bind effective 2 weeks early unless you're already driving the current vehicle and want continuity.
- Get ID card PDF emailed within minutes of bind. Save to phone. Print 1 paper copy for the F&I folder. Verify VIN, buyer name, effective date all correct.
Common Discounts (5-15% each, stack)
| Discount | Typical rate | Notes |
|---|
| Paid-in-full | 5-10% | Pay 6 months up front instead of monthly |
| 6-month vs 12-month | n/a | 6-month gives re-shop flexibility; 12-month sometimes locks rate but reduces leverage |
| Continuous insurance | 5-15% | 12+ months prior with no lapse |
| Defensive driving course | 5-10% | 3-year discount window |
| Good student | 5-15% | Under 25 + B+ GPA / Dean's list |
| Bundle | 5-15% | Renters + auto, or homeowners + auto |
| Anti-theft device | 1-5% | Most new cars qualify (factory immobilizer) |
| Vehicle safety features | n/a | EyeSight, AEB, etc. - usually baked into base rate, NOT a separate discount |
| Auto-pay / paperless | 1-3% | Small but free |
Stack everything that applies. Discounts are multiplicative-ish but capped per carrier.
5 Gotchas
G1: Online new-driver coverage caps. New-driver online quote tools sometimes silently CAP coverage selections at lower limits (e.g., dropdown won't show 250/500 even though it exists). Always verify the bound declarations page shows the limits you requested. Common at Geico online for under-21 drivers.
G2: NJ "Basic Policy" trap. NJ has a legal "Basic Policy" tier at $300-500/yr - DO NOT pick this. Medical-bills and BI exposure on Basic is catastrophic on a new $33k vehicle. It exists for low-income drivers with no assets to protect; on a financed new car it's a felony-of-judgment waiting to happen. The Standard Policy is the baseline.
G3: "Automatic new-vehicle coverage" only works for ADDS. The 14-30 day grace period for adding a new vehicle ASSUMES an existing policy you're adding to. For first-time buyers with NO existing policy: this does NOT exist. You MUST bind a new policy before pickup. Dealer F&I sometimes mis-states this - verify.
G4: Quoted rate vs bound rate vs 90-day surcharge. Progressive (sometimes Allstate) will quote LOW initially then surcharge after 90 days when they pull MVR or credit. Always:
- Verify "no rate change in first 6 months" in writing
- Get the binding rate confirmed AFTER they've pulled MVR + credit (not before)
- Walk away if the carrier won't commit to the quoted rate for the full policy term
G5: New Vehicle Replacement rider. For brand-new $33k vehicle in first 1-3 years, ALWAYS include New Vehicle Replacement (NVR) coverage - typically $5-15/mo. Pays full replacement cost (new car of same trim, NOT depreciated ACV) if totaled. Most carriers don't push this - you must ASK. Without NVR, totaling a 6-month-old car gets you the depreciated value (~$26-28k on a $33k car), leaving you short.
Output Contract
When the skill completes a shopping pass, return:
Insurance shopping pass - <YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM>
Driver profile : <new-driver / experienced>
State : <NJ / NY / PA / etc>
Garaging ZIP : <NNNNN>
Carriers quoted : <N>
Coverage spec : <e.g. 100/300/100k + $500 comp+coll + $250k PIP + NVR>
Best 6-month total : $<X> via <carrier>
Runner-up : $<Y> via <carrier> (delta +$<Z>)
ID card status : <pending bind / bound / received>
Effective date : <YYYY-MM-DD>
Pre-close blocker : <YES resolved / NO not yet>
Next action : <bind by <date> / send ID card to F&I / etc>
Cross-References
../orchestrator/SKILL.md Phase 9 close-day gate (ID card is a blocker)../close-day-checklist/SKILL.md - cross-references the insurance ID card requirement../state-fee-lookup/SKILL.md - for per-state fee/registration detail (insurance is a separate axis but often shopped together)../payment-method-decider/SKILL.md - if financed, lender insurance requirements feed back into payment-method choice
Voice Note
Insurance is a pre-close blocker, not a post-close cleanup. If the buyer pushes "I'll deal with it at the dealer" - push back. Dealer F&I will sell a panicked uninsured buyer a bad first-day policy + financing tie-in, and re-shopping after the fact is harder than shopping clean once.
