Overpriced car insurance can stress out your accounts and maybe even restrict other spending. Doing a price comparison is a smart way to tighten up your finances.
Insurance companies such as Geico, Farmers Insurance and State Farm all claim big savings, bombarding you with ad campaigns and it can be hard to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and take the time to shop coverage around.
If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to cut costs considerably using these techniques. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Fayetteville is not that difficult. Although West Virginia consumers should learn the way companies determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.
Get more affordable car insurance with these tips
The best way to find cheaper car insurance is to take a look at the rating factors that aid in calculating the level of your policy premiums. When consumers understand what determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower premium levels. Many factors are taken into consideration when pricing auto insurance. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, but other factors are less apparent such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating.
- Keep policy claims to a minimum – Insurance companies in West Virginia generally give the lowest premiums to policyholders who only file infrequent claims. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for claims that pose a financial burden.
- How many miles do you drive? – The higher the miles on your car in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure it. A lot of companies calculate prices based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars that are left in the garage can be on a lower rate level as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your policy correctly shows the proper vehicle usage.
- Always keep your car insurance policy in force – Driving your car without having proper coverage can get you a ticket and companies may charge more for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, not being able to provide proof of insurance may result in fines and jail time. You may need to file a SR-22 with the West Virginia DMV.
- Get married and get better rates – Getting married helps lower the price on car insurance. It is viewed as being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Verify you’re receiving every discount
Companies don’t list every possible discount very clearly, so the following is a list of both well-publicized in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits available to lower your premiums when you .
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Buying coverage for primary and secondary vehicles on a single policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you can bundle your home and auto insurance with the same company you could earn a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
- Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for lower car insurancerates due to less chance of an accident.
- Student in College – Older children living away from home attending college and don’t have a car could qualify for this discount.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are much safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Don’t be surprised that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky. But all discounts will help lower your car insurance premiums.
Popular car insurance companies and some of the discounts are shown below.
- Geico may have discounts that include driver training, emergency military deployment, military active duty, multi-vehicle, and anti-lock brakes.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including good student, good driver, defensive driver, accident-free, claim-free, multi-policy
- Progressive may include discounts for homeowner, good student, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, and continuous coverage.
- Travelers has discounts for new car, good student, student away at school, driver training, and IntelliDrive.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for teen safe driver, safe driver, multi-car, bundle discounts, drive less, teen safety rewards, and anti-theft.
- AAA includes discounts for anti-theft, good driver, multi-car, education and occupation, and good student.
If you need lower rates, check with every insurance company which credits you are entitled to. All car insurance discounts may not apply in your area. For a list of providers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in West Virginia, click this link.
You may want advice from an insurance agency
A lot of people just want to buy from a licensed agent and we recommend doing that The biggest benefit of getting free rate quotes online is you can get cheap car insurance rates and also buy local.
By using this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is instantly submitted to companies in Fayetteville who want to provide quotes to get your business. There is no need to find an agent due to the fact that quote results will go to you. You can find better rates AND an agent nearby. If you want to quote rates from a specific insurance company, you would need to visit that company’s website to submit a rate quote request.
Picking an insurer shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
- Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?
If you wish to view insurance agents in your area, visit this complete selection of insurance agencies in Fayetteville.
But they said I’d save $492 a year!
Car insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate and Geico constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all advertise claims that you can save if you move your policy. Is it even possible that every company can make almost identical claims? Here is the trick they use.
Companies have specific criteria for the type of insured that will not have excessive claims. An example of a profitable insured might be described as a married male, has no driving citations, and insures a new vehicle. A propective insured who matches that profile will get low premium rates and most likely will cut their rates if they switch.
Potential customers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile may be forced to pay higher rates which leads to the customer buying from someone else. If you listen closely, the ads state “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” will save that much if they switch. That is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. That is why it’s extremely important to compare quotes as often as possible. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which company will have the best premium rates at this point in time.
Even more information can be found at the West Virginia Insurance Commission website. West Virginia drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, view agent and company licensing information, and file complaints about a company.
Other related articles:
- How to Get the Best Price from Fayetteville, NC Car Insurance Agencies
- 10 Must-Know Tips When Comparing Fayetteville North Carolina Car Insurance
- Proven Techniques for Buying Cheaper Fayetteville, AR Auto Insurance
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
While you’re price shopping online, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. The goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
We’ve covered a lot of information how to get a better price on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premium rates come from an unexpected company. Smaller companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Progressive or Geico.