Are you burned out from trying to scrape together enough money to pay car insurance each month? You’re in the same situation as many other Virginia drivers. Many insurance companies vie for your business, and it can be difficult to compare rates to find the cheapest price
Smart consumers take time to compare rates on a regular basis since insurance prices are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you got the best deal two years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate quote today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn one of the easiest ways to lower your annual insurance bill.
If you have a current car insurance policy or are just looking to switch companies, you can use these tips to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Finding the best rates in Farmville is not rocket science. Virginia vehicle owners just need to know the proper way to compare price quotes online.
Find lower-cost car insurance with these tips
Lots of things are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are pretty understandable such as traffic violations, although others are less obvious like your continuous coverage or how financially stable you are. One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of the factors that aid in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. When consumers understand what determines base rates, this enables informed choices that can earn you lower rates.
The items below are most of the major factors used by companies to determine rates.
- Do you need those add-on coverages? – Insurance companies have many optional add-on coverages you can purchase when buying car insurance. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, towing coverage, and membership fees could be just wasting money. These may sound like a good investment when discussing your needs, but now you might not need them so remove them and pocket the money.
- Tickets drive up rates – Your driving citation history has a big impact on rates. Getting just one speeding ticket or other violation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with clean records get better rates than bad drivers. Drivers who have dangerous violations such as DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to legally drive.
- Prices can change based on your address – Having an address in less populated areas of the country is a positive aspect when shopping for auto insurance. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident. Residents of big cities have to deal with more auto accidents and longer commutes to work. More time behind the wheel means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
- Raising comp and collision deductibles lowers costs – Insurance for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims are a broken windshield, flood damage, and windstorm damage. The deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the better rate you will receive.
- Performance affects insurance premiums – The type of car you own makes a substantial difference in your car insurance bill. Lower performance four cylinder passenger models normally have pretty low rates, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
- Cut prices and deter theft – Purchasing a vehicle with advanced anti-theft systems can save you a little every year. Systems that thwart theives like OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all aid in stopping auto theft.
- Your employer may affect car insurance rates – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Occupations such as lawyers, architects and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates because of job stress and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, jobs such as actors, engineers and retirees receive lower rates.
- Protect yourself with liability coverage – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you if ever a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. This coverage provides legal defense to defend your case. This coverage is relatively inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
The best way we recommend to compare rate quotes is to know the trick most larger insurance companies provide online access to give you rate quotes. To begin a comparison, all you need to do is provide the companies a bit of rating information like your general credit rating, level of coverage desired, if you require a SR-22, and if the car is leased. That rating information is submitted instantly to many of the top insurers and you will receive price estimates instantly to find the best rate.
To find lower rates now, click here and complete the form.
Discounts to earn lower Farmville car insurance rates
Some insurance providers don’t list the complete list of policy discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts that may be available.
- Seat Belts Save – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save 10% or more off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Senior Citizen Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 may receive a discount up to 10%.
- Farmville Homeowners Pay Less – Just being a homeowner can earn you a little savings because of the fact that having a home is proof of financial responsibility.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles and insure them both with the same insurance company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars and trucks with anti-theft systems help deter theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Military Rewards – Being on active deployment in the military could be rewarded with lower prices.
- Full Payment Discount – If paying your policy premium upfront as opposed to paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
As is typical with insurance, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though the math looks like all the discounts add up to a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
Companies and their possible discounts are shown below.
- Farm Bureau includes discounts for multi-vehicle, good student, youthful driver, multi-policy, and driver training.
- MetLife may offer discounts for accident-free, good driver, multi-policy, defensive driver, good student, claim-free
- Progressive has savings for multi-policy, good student, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, continuous coverage, online signing, and homeowner.
- AAA offers premium reductions for good student, anti-theft, pay-in-full, good driver, and multi-car.
- American Family discounts include good driver, Steer into Savings, good student, multi-vehicle, defensive driver, and mySafetyValet.
- Geico offers discounts including five-year accident-free, driver training, military active duty, air bags, daytime running lights, and emergency military deployment.
- State Farm may have discounts that include good student, Drive Safe & Save, good driver, defensive driving training, driver’s education, passive restraint, and accident-free.
When getting , it’s a good idea to all companies you are considering how many discounts you can get. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not apply in every state. If you would like to view car insurance companies with discount car insurance rates in Farmville, click here.
Buying car insurance from Farmville auto insurance agents
Some consumers still prefer to buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and help you file claims. The best thing about comparing car insurance online is that you can obtain lower auto insurance rates and also buy local. Supporting local insurance agents is definitely important in Farmville.
By using this simple form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered to you directly. If you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance company, feel free to find their quoting web page and submit a quote form there.
Captive and independent Farmville auto insurance agents
If you want to buy car insurance from a reliable insurance agency, it helps to know the two types of insurance agents and how they can write your policy. Agents can be categorized as either captive agents or independent agents. Either one can handle car insurance, but it’s good to learn the differences since it can affect the selection process.
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents in the independent channel are not limited to a single company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with lots of companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to do anything.
When comparison shopping, you will definitely want to compare quotes from a couple of independent agencies so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
Featured below is a small list of independent insurance agents in Farmville that can give you free rate quotes.
W A Watson and Sons Insurance – 106 N Main St – Farmville, VA 23901 – (434) 392-4177
Foster Insurance – 715 W 3rd St – Farmville, VA 23901 – (434) 315-0088
Captive Car Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be captive can usually just insure with one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, and State Farm. Captive agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Captive insurance agents are usually well trained in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.
Below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Farmville who can help you get price quotes.
Farm Bureau Insurance – 1701 E 3rd St – Farmville, VA 23901 – (434) 392-3050
State Farm Insurance – 217 E 3rd St # B – Farmville, VA 23901 – (434) 392-4357
For insurance agents in your area, see this list of Farmville, VA car insurance providers.
Choosing a insurance agent should include more criteria than just the quoted price. Any good agent should know the answers to these questions.
- What insurance companies do they work with in Farmville?
- What company holds the largest book of business for them?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- How much training do they have in personal risk management?
Car insurance can get complicated
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions could help you determine if you could use an agent’s help.
- Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
- Is Virginia a no-fault state?
- How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
- Do I qualify for additional discounts?
- Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
- Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
- What discounts do I qualify for?
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Do I need higher deductibles?
If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.
Additional information can be found on the website for the Virginia Bureau of Insurance found here. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, read state legal mandates and laws, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and download brochures.
One last thing to lower rates
In this article, we presented some good ideas how to lower your car insurance auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may discover the most savings is with an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim they didn’t have enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.
A few companies may not have online price quotes small, regional companies provide coverage only through independent insurance agencies. Cost effective car insurance can be purchased from both online companies in addition to many Farmville insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture.