Getting budget Dumfries auto insurance can be intimidating for consumers who are new to price shopping on the web. With dozens of insurers available, how are consumers expected to be able to compare all the different companies and get the lowest price available?
It’s a good idea to take a look at other company’s rates quite often since insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you had the best deal a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re about to learn how to use online quotes to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.
Drivers save money with with these discounts
Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list every discount they offer in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down some of the best known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving when you .
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Drivers who insure more than one vehicle on a single policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
- Home Ownership Discount – Being a homeowner can save you money since home ownership is proof of financial responsibility.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a course that instructs on driving safety may get you a small discount if you qualify.
- Professional Organizations – Participating in a civic or occupational organization in Dumfries can get you a small discount on your policy.
- Cautious Drivers – Safe drivers may receive a discount up to 45% than drivers with accidents.
- Claim-Free Discount – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially as opposed to drivers with a long claim history.
- Air Bag Discount – Options like air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
Just know that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Despite the appearance that it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.
A list of auto insurance companies and their possible discounts are included below.
- Progressive has discounts for homeowner, good student, continuous coverage, online quote discount, online signing, and multi-vehicle.
- AAA includes discounts for multi-car, good student, AAA membership discount, multi-policy, pay-in-full, education and occupation, and good driver.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for multi-car, electronic funds transfer, distant student, good student, homeowner, and youthful driver.
- Geico offers premium reductions for membership and employees, multi-policy, seat belt use, good student, multi-vehicle, and driver training.
- Esurance offers discounts including online shopper, homeowner, emergency road assistance, good student, claim free, and renters.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for bundle discounts, teen safety rewards, safe driver, drive less, anti-theft, and accident prevention training.
- State Farm discounts include good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, accident-free, good student, anti-theft, and safe vehicle.
When getting a coverage quote, ask each company what discounts are available to you. Some credits may not be offered in your area.
Low cost Dumfries auto insurance
Performing a rate comparison can take hours if you don’t know the best way to get rate quotes. You could waste time discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in Dumfries, or you could save time and use the internet for quick rates.
Most of the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to enter their policy data once, and each participating company returns a rated price based on that information. This system prevents you from having to do form submissions to each individual auto insurance company.
To find out what other companies charge click here to open in new window.
The one disadvantage to pricing coverage this way is you are unable to specify which providers to get pricing from. So if you want to choose specific insurance companies to compare, we have a page of companies who write auto insurance in Virginia. Click to view list.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you’re using the exact same coverage limits on every quote you get. If each company quotes different liability limits it’s impossible to make an equal comparison in Dumfries.
Buy cheaper auto insurance with these tips
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that help calculate the rates you pay for auto insurance. If you know what determines premiums, this allows you to make good choices that can earn you big savings.
- Liability coverage is cheap – Liability coverage will protect you if a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. This coverage provides legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to other policy coverages, so do not cut corners here.
- Too many policy claims will drive prices up – If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims don’t be surprised to see either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in Virginia generally give discounts to policyholders that do not abuse their auto insurance. Your insurance policy is intended for the large, substantial claims.
- Raise your coverage deductibles for better costs – Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, covers your vehicle from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply would be a dented fender, vandalism, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Deductibles for physical damage state the amount of money you are required to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. The larger the amount you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
- Cautious drivers pay less – Good drivers receive lower rates compared to drivers with tickets. Having just one driving citation may increase your cost to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers who get dangerous violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to prove financial responsibility with their state in order to keep their license.
- Type of car determines base premiums – The performance of the vehicle you need to insure makes a huge difference in the rate you pay. The cheapest insurance rates will normally be found when insuring low performance passenger cars, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Gender and insurance coverage – Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. The data does not necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes have accidents at about the same rate, but guys have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 have the highest risk to insure so it costs more to insure them.
- More policies can equal more savings – Most insurers provide better rates to insureds that purchase more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. The discount can be anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even with this discount, consumers should still comparison shop to help guarantee you have the best rates.There is a chance you can save even more than the discount even if you have your coverage with different companies
- Cheaper rates after marriage – Your spouse may earn you lower rates when buying auto insurance. It is viewed as being more financially stable it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
Auto insurance myths debunked
Consumers in Virginia can’t get away from all the ads for cheaper auto insurance by companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies convey the message that drivers can save some big amount just by switching your policy.
How is it plausible that every one can cost less than your current company? It’s all in the words they use.
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that will generate a profit. For example, a preferred risk could be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. A customer who matches those parameters will probably get the lowest car insurance rates and will also cut their rates substantially.
Insureds who fall short of the “perfect” profile may receive a higher rate which leads to the customer buying from a different company. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much. That’s the way companies can advertise the savings. Each company has different criteria, so you really need to get price quotes at each policy renewal. It’s just not possible to know which insurance companies will have the best car insurance rates for your profile.
Quote more, save more
More affordable auto insurance can be sourced both online and from local insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online quoting and many times these small insurance companies prefer to sell through independent agents.
We just covered some good ideas how to reduce auto insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding . You may even find the best rates are with an unexpected company.
Insureds change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including delays in paying claims, high rates after DUI convictions, questionable increases in premium and poor customer service. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new company can be pretty painless.
Additional Virginia car insurance resources
Even more information is located at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Virginia drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, and download brochures.