insurance-shopper · git:20260520.4bac6b2 · 2026-05-20 · sha256 9e257a2d4a38ca51
insurance-shopper git:20260520.4bac6b2A
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--- 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". --- # 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. 1. **Pull driver-profile data sheet** (the 7 fields above). Have driver's license + VIN + lienholder info (if financed) ready. 2. **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. 3. **Geico online** (~10 min, fully online for new drivers). Save the quote ID. 4. **Progressive online** (~10 min). Save the quote ID. 5. **Optionally State Farm** (~30 min, agent contact, slower) or **Erie** (PA only, agent-only). 6. **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. 7. **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. 8. **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.