Finding affordable Herndon car insurance is difficult for people who are new to shopping for insurance online. You have so many options that it can easily become a ton of work to find lower rates in Herndon.
Lower rates by qualifying for these eight discounts
Car insurance can cost a lot, but you may find discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before being credited.
- 55 and Retired – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for reduced rates.
- Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
- Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle on one policy qualifies for this discount.
- Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
- Driver Safety – Taking a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if you qualify.
- Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than less cautious drivers.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt can save up to 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
It’s important to note that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck. But any discount will reduce the amount you have to pay.
To see a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Herndon, click this link.
When might I need the advice of an agent?
When buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
These are some specific questions may help highlight if your insurance needs might need professional guidance.
- Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form.
Neighborhood insurance agents
A small number of people would prefer to talk to a local agent. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you may find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting local agencies is especially important in Herndon.
By using this quick form, your insurance data is emailed to insurance agents in Herndon who will give you bids for your coverage. There is no need to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered directly to your email. How’s that for easy! You can find better rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
What types of car insurance agents are in Herndon?
If you’re trying to find local Herndon agents, you need to know there are two different types of agents from which to choose. Agencies in Herndon can either be independent (non-captive) or captive.
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part. When searching for an agent, you should always get quotes from several independent insurance agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. Most have the option of insuring with smaller companies which can save you money.
Shown below are Herndon independent insurance agents that are able to give competitive price quotes.
- Capitol Insurance Exchange Inc – 2121 Cooperative Way – Herndon, VA 20171 – (703) 467-1450
- Frix Insurance – 209 Elden St # 203 – Herndon, VA 20170 – (703) 437-4181
Captive Insurance Agents
These agents work for only one company such as Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They are unable to compare other company’s rates so always compare other rates. Captive agents are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Some people will only buy from captive agents mainly due to high brand loyalty and solid financial strength.
The following is a list of captive insurance agencies in Herndon willing to provide price quotes.
- Liberty Mutual Insurance – 131 Elden St # 100 – Herndon, VA 20170 – (703) 742-8485
- Allstate Insurance – 2793 Equus Ct – Herndon, VA 20171 – (703) 742-0317
- State Farm Insurance – 1020 Elden St # 201 – Herndon, VA 20170 – (703) 481-4988
To view a complete directory of Herndon captive insurance agencies, please view this page.
Picking an insurance agency requires more thought than just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- How long has their agency been in business in Herndon?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
Upon receiving answers to your satisfaction and a good coverage price, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that will adequately provide car insurance.
More resources for learning
Additional car insurance information can be found on the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, download brochures, and file complaints about a company.
Additional helpful sites include this link for Virginia coverage information and this page of insurance agents in Herndon.
Learn about car insurance coverages
Understanding the coverages of your policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Auto collision coverage
Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims like crashing into a ditch, crashing into a building, backing into a parked car, driving through your garage door and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
UM/UIM Coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (25/50/20), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like fire damage, hitting a bird, damage from flooding, vandalism and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Liability auto insurance
This coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people by causing an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as loss of income, repair costs for stationary objects, funeral expenses, medical services and emergency aid. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. Virginia state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/20,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
Medical costs insurance
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills for things like ambulance fees, pain medications and X-ray expenses. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Smart consumers save more
When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.
Discount car insurance is available on the web and with local Herndon insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with the least-expected company.