Feel like you’re a prisoner to an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us, there are many Nitro consumers feeling the pinch from expensive car insurance.
You have so many auto insurance companies to buy insurance from, and although it’s a good thing to be able to choose, it makes it harder to find a good deal.
Verify you’re getting all your discounts
Car insurance companies do not list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the more common and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Safety Course Discount – Completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Early Signing – Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
- Paperless Signup – A few companies will give a small break just for signing your application over the internet.
- Student in College – Any of your kids who are attending college and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
- 55 and Retired – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive reduced rates.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Accident Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Save with a New Car – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck.
Buying car insurance locally
A small number of people would rather get advice from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates and still choose a local agent.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to insurance agents in Nitro who will return price quotes for your coverage. You won’t need to leave your house as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. How cool is that?! You can find better rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
Selecting an provider requires more thought than just the premium amount. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- How long has their agency been in business in Nitro?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- How are they compensated?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
Best auto insurance agent in Nitro
When searching for local Nitro agents, there are two types of insurance agents that you can select. Nitro agents can either be captive or independent.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agencies can only write with one company and examples are Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They generally cannot provide prices from multiple companies so keep that in mind. Captive agencies receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency.
When shopping rates, it’s recommended you include at least one independent agent to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Listed below are Nitro independent insurance agencies that are able to give price quotes.
Nationwide Insurance – 3604 36th St – Nitro, WV 25143 – (304) 743-9340
E J Patton General Insurance – 1902 19th St – Nitro, WV 25143 – (304) 755-5781
To view a complete directory of car insurance agents in Nitro, view this link.
After receiving satisfactory answers for all questions you ask in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you have narrowed it down to a car insurance agent that will insure your vehicles.
Do drivers who switch really save $402 a year?
Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm consistently run television and radio advertisements. All the companies have a common claim about savings if you change your policy. How do they all say the same thing?
All the different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who are not a match for the requirements will be quoted a higher premium and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. That’s why insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. This emphasizes why drivers should get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Additional detailed information is located at the West Virginia Insurance Commission website. West Virginia consumers can discover disciplinary actions, find disaster information, get help finding coverage, and find out industry alerts.
Smart shoppers get results
Budget-conscious car insurance can be purchased on the web and with local Nitro insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
When shopping online for car insurance, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.