Scraping up a payment for overpriced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your bank account and make it hard to pay other bills. Doing a price comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to help make ends meet.
Because there are so many insurance providers from which to choose, it is hard for the average consumer to locate the most cost effective company.
Compare Grafton Car Insurance Costs
All major car insurance companies give coverage price quotes on the web. Getting online rates doesn’t take much effort as you just type in the coverage amounts you desire as requested by the quote form. Behind the scenes, their system pulls your driving and credit reports and returns a price quote based on many factors. Being able to quote online streamlines rate comparisons, but having to visit many different websites and complete many quote forms can get tiresome after awhile. Unfortunately, it is important to get many rate quotes in order to find the lowest price.
A more efficient way to locate the lowest prices requires only one form that gets price quotes from a lot of companies. The form is fast, eliminates repetitive work, and makes rate comparisons much easier to do. After your information is entered, it gets priced and you are able to buy any of the returned quotes.
If a lower price is quoted, it’s easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. It takes less than 15 minutes and can result in significant savings.
To save time and compare rates using this form now, click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you duplicate the coverages as close as possible to your current policy. Doing this assures you will be getting a rate comparison using the same coverage and limits.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don’t even know exist. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but a few must be asked for prior to receiving the credit.
- Claim Free – Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts as compared to accident-prone drivers.
- E-sign – Certain companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing online.
- Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
- Military Discounts – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Discount for Good Grades – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course in driver safety could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce the cost of coverage.
But buying car insurance online seems impersonal
Some people prefer to sit down with an agent and that is a personal choice. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting local businesses is important especially in Grafton.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents in Grafton who will return price quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. How cool is that?! You’ll get the best rates and a licensed agent to work with.
Types of auto insurance agents in Grafton
When researching a good Grafton insurance agent, there are a couple of types of insurance agents that you can select. Agents are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive).
Independent Agents
Independent agencies do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part. When comparison shopping, you should always include multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection.
Below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Grafton that are able to give competitive price quotes.
Insurance Designs – Us Route 50 E – Grafton, WV 26354 – (304) 265-0598
Agency Captives
Captive agencies can only place business with one company such as Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They are unable to shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agents receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Listed below are Grafton captive agents that are able to give price quote information.
State Farm Insurance – Route 50 W – Grafton, WV 26354 – (304) 265-1937
For a complete listing of captive agencies in Grafton, go to this page.
Choosing an insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just the price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
Once you have positive feedback to all your questions as well as a affordable price, chances are good that you have found a car insurance agent that is a good match to adequately provide car insurance.
Detailed coverages of your car insurance policy
Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are typical coverages available from car insurance companies.
Medical payments and PIP coverage – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for bills like dental work, prosthetic devices, nursing services and pain medications. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover you and your occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Liability insurance – Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property in an accident. It protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage pays for things like medical services, medical expenses, funeral expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and court costs. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but consider buying as much as you can afford. West Virginia state minimum liability requirements are 20,000/40,000/10,000 but drivers should carry more liability than the minimum.
Collision coverages – This pays for damage to your vehicle caused by collision with another car or object. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims like sustaining damage from a pot hole, sideswiping another vehicle, backing into a parked car and scraping a guard rail. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many West Virginia drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 20/40/10), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Comprehensive auto coverage – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like vandalism, damage from getting keyed and hitting a bird. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Affordable insurance is out there
When you buy insurance online, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
In this article, we covered a lot of techniques to save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the biggest savings come from a small local company. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
Additional West Virginia consumer information
Additional information is available on the website for the West Virginia Insurance Commission found here. West Virginia consumers can discover disciplinary actions, learn about insurance regulations, and view agent and company licensing information.
The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Grafton