Having to pay for overpriced auto insurance can dwindle your checking account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparing price quotes is an excellent way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.
Having so many choices of insurance companies, it can be diffult for drivers to find a more affordable company.
Smart consumers take time to check auto insurance prices occasionally because prices tend to go up over time. If you had the lowest rate last year there may be better deals available now. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re about to find out the only way to buy cheaper auto insurance.
Auto insurance policy discounts you can’t miss
Some companies don’t list all possible discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of both well-publicized as well as the least known discounts that you may qualify for.
- Driver Education Discount – Teen drivers should participate in a local driver’s education class as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By making one initial payment rather than paying in monthly installments you could save up to 5%.
- No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers pay much less when compared with drivers with a long claim history.
- Online Discount – Many companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy digitally online.
- Smart Student Discounts – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. Many companies even apply the discount to college students well after school through age 25.
- Defensive Driver – Taking part in a course that instructs on driving safety can save you 5% or more and also improve your driving technique.
- Early Renewal Discounts – A few companies give discounts for switching policies before your current expiration date. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Military Discounts – Having an actively deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premium rates.
- Senior Citizen Rates – Mature drivers are able to get a small discount on rates.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low annual miles could earn cheaper rates.
You should keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
If you would like to view auto insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in West Virginia, click this link.
Low cost Romney auto insurance
Getting a more affordable price on insurance is not a difficult process. All that’s required is to take the time to compare rate quotes from different insurance companies. Shoppers can get rates using a couple different methods.
- The most efficient method consumers can analyze rates would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This quick form saves time by eliminating separate quote forms for every auto insurance company. One form submission gets you coverage quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices.
- A different way to find lower rates consists of visiting the website for every company you want to comare to request a price quote. For example, let’s assume you want to get rates from Auto-Owners, Progressive and Liberty Mutual. In order to get each rate, you would have to go to every website and enter your policy data, which can be really labor intensive.
To view a list of companies in Romney, click here.
- The final method to get price estimates is physically going to and from local insurance agencies. Comparing online rate quotes eliminates the middleman unless you want the trained advice that you can only get from talking to an agent. It is possible to comparison shop online and have a local agent actually service the policy.
Which method you use is up to you, but compare nearly identical quote information on every quote you get. If the quotes have differing limits you will not be able to truly determine the lowest rate in Romney.
Different people need different auto insurance coverages
When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage, there is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions can aid in determining whether or not you may require specific advice.
- Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- What are the best liability limits?
- Am I covered when driving a rental car?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.
Compare prices but work with a local Romney insurance agent
A lot of people still prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that is a personal choice. Agents can help you build your policy and will help you if you have claims. One of the great benefits of getting free rate quotes online is that you can find the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.
After completing this simple form, the coverage information is submitted to insurance agents in Romney who want to provide quotes for your coverage. You never need to contact an agency due to the fact that quote results will go directly to you. If you want to compare rates from a particular provider, you would need to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
Selecting an company requires more thought than just the price. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Is insurance their full-time profession?
- How often do they review coverages?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
Is a captive or independent car insurance agent right for you?
If you want to use a reliable agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents and how they operate. Agencies in Romney are either captive or independent (non-captive). Either type can sell and service auto insurance coverage, but it’s a good idea to understand the difference in the companies they write for since it could factor into which agent you choose.
Captive Auto Insurance Agencies
Captive agents write business for a single company such as State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. These agents are not able to give you multiple price quotes so always compare other rates. These agents receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents.
Below are captive agencies in Romney willing to provide price quotes.
State Farm Insurance – Route 50 E – Romney, WV 26757 – (304) 822-4545
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
These agents do not have single company limitations so they have the ability to put coverage through many different auto insurance companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If you want to switch companies, they simply switch companies in-house without you having to go to a different agency. If you are comparing auto insurance prices, we recommend you get rate quotes from independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison.
Shown below is a list of independent agencies in Romney willing to provide price quote information.
West Virginia Insurance Co – 52 W Rosemary Ln – Romney, WV 26757 – (304) 822-4171
American Insurance Ctr – 310 N Bolton St – Romney, WV 26757 – (304) 822-8050
For more licensed insurance agents in Romney, view this directory of Romney West Virginia auto insurance agencies.
Coverages available on your auto insurance policy
Understanding the coverages of auto insurance can help you determine the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are typical coverages offered by auto insurance companies.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive insurance pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, damage from flooding, falling objects and rock chips in glass. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision protection
Collision insurance pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision can pay for claims like crashing into a building, driving through your garage door, colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a ditch and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for bills for things like pain medications, ambulance fees and surgery. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 20/40/10), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.
Liability insurance
Liability coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property that is your fault. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show policy limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability can pay for things such as medical expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses, medical services and emergency aid. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as much as you can afford. West Virginia requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/40,000/10,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
Cheaper coverage is out there
As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your objective should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
We just covered some good ideas how you can get a better price on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding . Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from some of the lesser-known companies. These companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
Additional detailed information can be read at the West Virginia Insurance Commission website. Visitors are able to file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, and read industry bulletins.