Tired of scraping the payment together to keep your car insured? Your situation is no different than many other Vermont drivers. Because there are so many insurance companies to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to choose a lower cost insurance company.
Choosing the best insurance company for you in Ludlow is quite easy. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to save some money using these tips. Vermont drivers only need an understanding of the best way to compare rates online.
There are a variety of methods to compare auto insurance quotes, but one way is easier and takes less work. You could waste a few hours talking to insurance agencies in Ludlow, or you could save time and use online quoting to accomplish the same thing much quicker.
Most of the best insurance companies enroll in a system where insurance shoppers enter their coverage request one time, and each company then gives them pricing. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions to each company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here to start a free quote.
The one disadvantage to using this type of form is you are unable to specify which insurance companies you want to price. So if you prefer to choose from a list of companies for rate comparison, we have a listing of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Vermont. Click to view list.
Whichever method you choose, try to keep equivalent coverage information on every price quote you get. If the quotes have different deductibles it will be nearly impossible to determine the lowest rate in Ludlow.
Earn discounts to get lower-cost Vermont auto insurance quotes
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you get a quote, but a few must be manually applied prior to getting the savings.
- Own a Home and Save – Being a homeowner may trigger a policy discount on auto insurance because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Maintaining low annual mileage could qualify for better premium rates on cars that stay parked.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts may get savings of 20% or more.
- Distant Student Discount – Children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Bundled Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies and insure them with the same company they may give you a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
- Renewal Discounts – A few auto insurance companies offer discounts for renewing your policy before your current expiration date. Ten percent is about the average savings.
You should keep in mind that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Companies and a partial list of their discounts include:
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including anti-theft, passive restraint, Drive Safe & Save, good student, multiple policy, defensive driving training, and safe vehicle.
- Geico discounts include five-year accident-free, anti-lock brakes, emergency military deployment, federal employee, and defensive driver.
- SAFECO has discounts for anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, safe driver, teen safety rewards, drive less, and multi-car.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for multi-car, distant student, alternative fuel, pay in full, and business and professional.
- AAA may offer discounts for anti-theft, education and occupation, multi-car, AAA membership discount, and pay-in-full.
- USAA includes discounts for loyalty savings, good student, defensive driver, driver training, family discount, new vehicle, and safe driver.
It’s a good idea to ask all the companies which credits you are entitled to. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not be offered in your state.
Make smart decisions and lower your rates
The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at some of the things that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When consumers understand what influences your rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that may result in big savings.
Listed below are a few of the things companies use to determine your premiums.
- Lower rates come with age – Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents , and are generally more financially stable.Young drivers are statistically proven to be inattentive with other occupants in the car therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
- Fewer miles means better prices – The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage partially by how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than those that get driven frequently. It’s always a good idea to double check that your auto insurance declarations sheet correctly shows the proper vehicle usage.
- Accidents hurt – Drivers with clean records get better prices than bad drivers. Just one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates to the point where it’s not affordable. People who have careless violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find that they have to to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state’s licensing department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Qualify for multi-policy discounts – Some companies give lower prices to insureds that have more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you already get this discount, you still need to compare other company rates to guarantee you are still saving the most. You may still be able to save even more by buying insurance from more than one company.
- Which gender costs less? – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown women are more cautious behind the wheel. This data doesn’t prove that women are better drivers. They both get in accidents in similar percentages, but men cause more damage. In addition to higher claims, males also get more serious tickets like driving under the influence (DUI). Male teenagers cause the most accidents and therefore pay the highest rates.
- Lower prices with continuous auto insurance coverage – Having an insurance coverage lapse will be a quick way to drive up your policy premiums. In addition to paying higher rates, getting caught without coverage may result in fines or a revoked license.
Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you
When choosing adequate coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if you could use an agent’s help.
- What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
- Who is covered by my policy?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
- Does my vehicle qualify for pleasure use?
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.
Even more information can be found at the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation website. Vermont drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, learn about specific coverages, and download brochures.
You can find cheaper coverage
We just presented many tips how you can lower your auto insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a small local company. They can often provide lower car insurance rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to find out that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at the best cost, not the least amount of coverage.