Are you confused by the dozens of auto insurance company choices in Manassas Park? Many other consumers are too. Consumers have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a real challenge to compare prices.
Don’t overlook these ten discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.
- Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
- E-sign – Some insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
- Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a home in Manassas Park can help you save on auto insurance because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Federal Employees – Simply working for the federal government could cut as much as 10% off with certain companies.
- Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for reduced rates.
- Braking Control Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free auto insurance policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Free Manassas Park Auto Insurance Quotes
The are a couple different ways to compare quotes from local in Manassas Park, Virginiaauto insurance companies. The recommended way to find competitive insurance rates is to get quotes online. This can be done in several different ways.
The first (and easiest) way consumers can make multiple comparisons is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This form prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms to each individual auto insurance company. Just one form will get you price quotes from many national carriers. This is perfect if you don’t have a lot of time.
A less efficient way to compare prices is to take the time to go to the website for each individual company and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want to compare Nationwide, Esurance and Geico. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Manassas Park, click here.
The most time-consuming method of getting rate comparisons is driving around to local insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the trained guidance of a licensed agent. Drivers can compare online quotes and still use a local agent and we’ll touch on that later.
It’s up to you which method you use, but be sure to compare the exact same coverage information on every quote you get. If you have different deductibles it will be very difficult to truly determine the lowest rate in Manassas Park. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits may result in large price differences. Keep in mind that obtaining a wide range of quotes will enable you to find a lower rate.
Your local neighborhood insurance agent
Some people would prefer to get advice from a local agent. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the best rates and still choose a local agent.
Upon completion of this simple form, the quote information is submitted to companies in Manassas Park who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to drive around as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. You’ll get the best rates AND an agent nearby.
Choosing a company should depend on more than just a cheap price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
Independent or Captive: It’s your choice
If you’re trying to find an insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents that you can select. Manassas Park agents are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).
Agency Captives
Captive insurance agents write business for a single company and some examples include AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so always compare other rates. Captive agents receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some consumers prefer to buy insurance from these agents mostly because of the brand legacy and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to get quotes from at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection. They often place coverage with different regional companies who may have lower rates.
Listed below are independent agencies in Manassas Park that are able to give price quote information.
- T and B Insurance – 9101 Industry Dr – Manassas Park, VA 20111 – (703) 365-0018
- Godoy Insurance – 8452 Centreville Rd – Manassas Park, VA 20111 – (703) 368-0087
To view a complete directory of auto insurance agents in Manassas Park, visit this site.
After receiving positive feedback and a low price estimate, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that can properly insure your vehicles. Keep in mind once you purchase a policy you can cancel your coverage whenever you wish so don’t feel that you’re stuck with a policy for the entire policy term.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Auto insurance companies such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make an identical promise of big savings if you switch to their company. How can each company say the same thing?
All the different companies can use profiling for the right customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A propective insured who fits that profile will get very good rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.
Consumers who do not match the requirements will be quoted higher premiums and ends up with business not being written. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That is how insurance companies can claim big savings. This emphasizes why drivers should get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Specific coverages
Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many Virginia drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 25/50/20), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for bills such as X-ray expenses, pain medications, prosthetic devices, rehabilitation expenses and nursing services. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers you and your occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Comprehensive insurance – This covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like hitting a deer, theft, rock chips in glass, vandalism and falling objects. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Liability – This will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability insurance covers claims such as court costs, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, repair costs for stationary objects and pain and suffering. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford. Virginia requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/20,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Collision coverages – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your vehicle from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for things like colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a mailbox, hitting a parking meter, crashing into a building and crashing into a ditch. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Best coverage at the best price
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. Too many times, an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later they didn’t have enough coverage. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford.
In this article, we covered some good ideas how to lower your auto insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from the smaller companies.
Cheap auto insurance can be purchased from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Manassas Park agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online quoting and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.
Consumer auto insurance information in Virginia
Additional detailed information can be found at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, read consumer alerts, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and discover disciplinary actions.
Other informative sites include Wikipedia and QuoteClickSave.com.