Compare Bennington Auto Insurance Cheaper With These Proven Methods

Expensive auto insurance can overdraw your personal savings and make it hard to pay other bills. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.

Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with advertising and it is difficult to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It’s smart to compare prices at least once a year because rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the best deal two years ago other companies may now be cheaper. So forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you’re going to learn how to quote online to find better rates and still maintain coverage.

How to Compare Auto Insurance in Bennington, VT

The are a couple different ways to get quotes from local in Bennington, VTauto insurance companies. The best way to find competitive insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

1. The most efficient way to compare a lot of rates at once would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This method eliminates the need for a different quote for each company you want a rate for. A single form gets you coverage quotes instantly.
2. A more difficult way to compare prices is spending the time to visit the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For examples sake, let’s say you want comparison quotes from USAA, GEICO and Travelers. You would have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method. To view a list of companies in Bennington, click here.
3. The most time-consuming way of comparing rate quotes is to drive around to insurance agents’ offices. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the trained guidance only provided by licensed Bennington agents. You can, however, obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent. We’ll cover that shortly.

It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples coverage limits on every quote you get. If you compare different values for each quote then you won’t be able to make a fair comparison in Bennington. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages may result in large price differences. Just keep in mind that comparing a large number of companies will enable you to find a better price.

Cut your premium with discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be requested specifically before you get the savings.

• No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially as compared to accident-prone drivers.
• Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
• Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
• College Student – Any of your kids who live away from home without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
• Senior Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for reduced rates.
• Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you may save approximately 10% to 15%.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
• Defensive Driving Course – Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.

It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut your overall premium however.

Lower the Price of Insurance with These Tips

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

• Proper usage rating affects rates – The more you drive every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Ask your agent if your auto insurance policy properly reflects the correct driver usage, because it can save money.
• Occupation reflects on rates – Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations such as real estate brokers, executives and accountants are shown to have higher rates than average attributed to high stress and lengthy work days. On the flip side, occupations such as scientists, athletes and homemakers pay the least.
• Protect your assets with liability insurance – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you if a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
• Choose a safe vehicle and save – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safer cars result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
• Always keep insurance in force – Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse is a fast way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will rates go up, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
• Rural vs Urban Areas – Living in less populated areas has it’s advantages when buying auto insurance. Urban drivers have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate.
• Poor driving leads to higher costs – A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Even one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Good drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. If you have severe violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.

What if I want to buy from a local Bennington agent?

Some consumers would prefer to talk to a local agent and that is just fine! One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you may find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting local businesses is definitely important in Bennington.

Once you complete this short form, your insurance coverage information is sent to companies in Bennington who will return price quotes to get your business. You don’t have to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. Now that’s easy! You can find the lowest rates AND an agent nearby.

Captive and independent Bennington auto insurance agents

When looking for a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Bennington can either be independent or captive.

Independent Agents

Independent agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparing rates, you should always include at a minimum one independent agency for maximum quote selection.

Shown below are independent agents in Bennington that may be able to provide pricing information.

Edwards Agency – 126 North St – Bennington, VT 05201 – (802) 442-4411
Wills Insurance Inc – 116 South St – Bennington, VT 05201 – (802) 442-5414
Raymond P Betit Insurance – 439 Main St # 7 – Bennington, VT 05201 – (802) 442-6501

Agency Captives

Captive insurance agents can only place business with one company and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are not able to compare other company’s rates so keep that in mind. Captives receive extensive training on their company’s products which can be an advantage.

Selecting an insurance agency requires more thought than just a cheap price. These are valid questions to ask:

• Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
• What insurance companies do they work with?
• Who are their largest clients?
• Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
• Does the agency support the community they serve?
• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?

Once you have received positive feedback to all your questions as well as a affordable price, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that will service your policy.

Additional auto insurance information can be found on the website for the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation found here. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out which companies have the most complaints, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and read consumer alerts.

Best coverage at the best price

We’ve covered a lot of techniques to shop for auto insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the best prices are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Smaller companies often have lower prices on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive and GEICO.

When shopping online for auto insurance, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed collision coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford.