Feel like you have overpriced auto insurance? You’re in good company because many Wytheville consumers are in the same pinch. Due to the increasing number of companies and agents to choose from, it’s difficult to find the lowest price insurance company.
How your Wytheville premiums are determined
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the factors that aid in calculating the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this enables you to make decisions that may result in cheaper rates. Lots of factors are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, but some are less obvious like where you live or your financial responsibility.
- Higher premiums for coverage lapses – Driving any period of time without insurance is illegal and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage cancel without a new policy in place. In addition to paying higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance may result in a revoked license or a big fine. You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Virginia motor vehicle department.
- Your address can push rates up or down – Residing in less populated areas has it’s advantages when buying auto insurance. Drivers in populated areas tend to have more aggressive driving styles and more severe claims. Fewer drivers and short commutes means a lower chance of having an accident as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
- High comp and collision deductibles save money – Coverage for physical damage, aka comp and collision, covers your vehicle from damage. Examples of some claims that would be covered could be a dented fender, hail damage, and damage caused by flying debris. The deductibles you choose represent how much money you are required to pay if a covered claim is submitted. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the less money you will pay for auto insurance.
- Your car’s features help determine rates – Selecting a car model that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you some money. Advanced theft deterrents such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all hinder car theft and help bring rates down.
- Extra coverages that may not be needed – Insurance policies have a lot of add-on coverages that can waste your money but may not be useful. Coverage for things like coverage for rental cars, death and dismemberment, and membership fees are examples of these. They may sound like good ideas when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
The best way to compare policy rates takes advantage of the fact car insurance companies pay for the opportunity to provide you with free rate quotes. All consumers are required to do is take a few minutes to give details like how old drivers are, marital status, if you have an active license, and how much you drive. The data is instantly submitted to multiple top-rated companies and they respond with quotes very quickly.
To find the cheapest car insurance rates, click here and complete the quick form.
Brand name doesn’t guarantee savings
Virginia drivers can’t avoid all the ads that claim the cheapest car insurance rates from the likes of Progressive, Allstate and Geico. They all make an identical promise about saving some big amount if you move your policy.
How does each company have lower policy pricing? This is how they do it.
Companies are able to cherry pick for a prospective insured that earns them a profit. An example of this type of driver might have to be between the ages of 30 and 45, has a clear driving record, and drives less than 5,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who matches that profile will probably get the lowest rates and will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Drivers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile will have to pay higher rates and this results in the prospect going elsewhere. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” will save that much if they switch. This is how companies can truthfully make it sound like they have such great car insurance rates. That is why drivers must get as many as possible. It’s not possible to predict which company will provide the lowest rates.
Lower-cost Virginia auto insurance quotes with discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always list all disounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down both well-publicized and also the more inconspicuous ways to save on auto insurance.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Maintaining low annual mileage could earn slightly better auto insurancerates than normal.
- Defensive Driver – Taking a safe driver class may get you a small discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles are generally safer.
- E-sign Discounts</strong – Some of the larger companies give back up to $50 for signing up online.
- Senior Citizen Rates – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens may qualify for reduced rates.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being on active deployment in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Good Students Pay Less – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
One thing to note about discounts is that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you’re out of luck.
A list of companies and a selection of discounts are included below.
- State Farm offers discounts for good driver, accident-free, defensive driving training, driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, and anti-theft.
- Esurance offers discounts including Switch & Save, Pac-12 alumni, online quote, safety device, anti-lock brakes, claim free, and online shopper.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online signing, online quote discount, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual includes discounts for exclusive group savings, new move discount, good student, multi-car, and newly married.
- Auto-Owners Insurance offers premium reductions for anti-lock brakes, group or association, safe vehicle, multi-policy, and multiple vehicles.
- Geico discounts include multi-vehicle, five-year accident-free, defensive driver, good student, military active duty, federal employee, and anti-theft.
Before buying, ask every prospective company how you can save money. Some discounts listed above might not be available to policyholders everywhere.
Are auto insurance agents of importance?
A small number of people would prefer to buy from a local agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases Experienced insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and help you file claims. The best thing about comparing rates online is you can get cheap auto insurance quotes but still work with a licensed agent.
After completing this form (opens in new window), your information is emailed to participating agents in Wytheville that can give you and help you find cheaper coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to find an agent due to the fact that quote results will go directly to you. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a particular provider, feel free to find their quoting web page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Picking the best provider requires more thought than just a low price. Below are some questions you should ask.
- Is the coverage adequate for your vehicle?
- What discounts might you be missing?
- Where would glass claims be handled in Wytheville?
- Is every driver in your family covered?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
To make it easy to get additional information on licensed agents in your area, you may want to see this full listing of Wytheville insurance agents.
If you get positive responses to all your questions as well as quotes, most likely you have located an insurance company that meets the criteria to properly service your auto insurance policy.
Your situation helps dictate your coverage
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions might point out whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
- What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
- Do I need rental car coverage?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- Is my vehicle covered for smoke damage?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
Additional detailed information is located at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, download brochures, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and find out industry alerts.
Other informative sites include this resource for Virginia auto insurance prices and QuoteClickSave.com.
More effort can pay off
We just showed you some good ideas how you can save on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more you , the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. You may even find the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies. They may have significantly lower car insurance rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Wytheville, so get from both of them so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies may not have internet price quotes and these smaller providers prefer to sell through independent agents.
When searching for , it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.