Are you tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than most other car owners in Virginia.
Multiple auto insurance companies compete for your business, so it can be very hard to choose a insurance company and uncover the absolute lowest rate
If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to cut costs considerably using these techniques. Finding affordable coverage in Bristol is not rocket science. But Virginia consumers must learn how big insurance companies sell insurance online.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Auto insurance companies don’t always list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched some of the best known and the more hidden car insurance savings.
- Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have a discount if you purchase life insurance.
- Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay less when compared with accident-prone drivers.
- Clubs and Organizations – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home may earn you a small savings because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
- Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accidents.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
It’s important to note that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
Make smart decisions and save
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that could result in better car insurance rates.
The list below includes some of the factors car insurance companies consider when setting premiums.
- Too many car insurance claims drive up costs – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance companies in Virginia generally give better rates to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Your insurance policy is intended for the large, substantial claims.
- More miles equals more premium – The more you drive in a year’s time the higher your rate. Almost all companies rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Double check that your car insurance policy shows the correct driver usage.
- Better credit scores mean better rates – Credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have poor credit. So if your credit history is low, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating.
- Men are more aggressive – Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
Don’t assume everyone needs the same coverage
When buying the best car insurance coverage, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
- Should I buy only the required Virginia minimum liability coverage?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- Do I need higher deductibles?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Are you falling for claims of savings?
Companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico consistently run ads on TV and radio. All the ads have a common claim about savings if you change to their company. How does each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.
All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a profitable customer might be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer who matches those parameters receives the best rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.
Potential customers who do not match the requirements must pay a higher premium and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. This is how companies can claim big savings. This illustrates why you need to quote coverage with many companies. You cannot predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
More detailed Virginia car insurance information is available at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Virginia consumers can report car insurance fraud, read consumer alerts, and read state legal mandates and laws.
The following articles may also be useful.
- Know How to Find the Best Price on Bristol, RI Car Insurance
- Easy Techniques to Spend Less on Bristol Auto Insurance
One last thing about your coverage
In this article, we presented a lot of information how to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from an unexpected company. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like Progressive or Geico.
Lower-priced car insurance is possible both online and also from your neighborhood Bristol agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.