How to Know You’re Wasting Money for Car Insurance in Hurricane, WV

Perplexed by the sheer number of car insurance companies in Hurricane? Many other drivers are as well. There are so many choices that it can easily become a challenge to find the lowest price.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

All the larger car insurance companies quote coverage prices online. This process is quite simple as you simply type in your required coverages into a form. Upon sending the form, the company’s rating system will order your credit score and driving record and returns a price.

This helps simplify price comparisons, but the work required to visit each company’s website and repetitively enter the same data into a form can get tiresome after awhile. But it is imperative to perform this step in order to find the lowest price.

Compare rates the easy way

A less time-consuming method to find cheaper rates makes use of a single form that analyzes rates from a lot of companies. It’s a real time-saver, reduces the work, and makes rate comparisons a little more enjoyable. As soon as the form is sent, it is quoted and you can select any of the quotes returned.

If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The whole process can be completed in a matter of minutes and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.

To save time and get comparison pricing now, simply click here to open in new window and begin entering your coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend that you enter coverages and limits identical to your current policy. Using the same limits helps guarantee you’re receiving an apples-to-apples comparison using the same coverage and limits.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

It’s important that you understand the factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

• Sex matters – The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. They both have accidents at about the same rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
• Your spouse saves you money – Getting married can get you a discount on your car insurance policy. Marriage usually means you are more mature than a single person and it’s proven that being married results in fewer claims.
• You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Insurance companies in West Virginia award cheaper rates to people who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Insurance coverage is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
• Performance makes a difference – The performance level of the vehicle you drive makes a substantial difference in how high your rates are. The most favorable rates are generally reserved for low performance passenger models, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
• Theft deterrents lower rates – Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart auto theft.
• Discounts for multiple policies – Some insurance companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be 10 percent or more. If you currently are using one company, you may still want to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Drivers may still find a better deal by buying car insurance from a different company.

Don’t miss these discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of purchase, but a few need to be asked for before you get the savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you are throwing money away.

• Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a house in Hurricane can save you money because owning a home shows financial diligence.
• Paperwork-free – Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up online.
• Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
• Good Students Pay Less – Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
• Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with one company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
• Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
• Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
• Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a driver safety course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.

It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. But all discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

To choose companies offering car insurance discounts in West Virginia, click here to view.

Aren’t my neighborhood agents an option?

Some people just want to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. Agents can answer important questions and give you peace of mind. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is you can get the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Buying from local businesses is important especially in Hurricane.

By using this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is immediately sent to local insurance agents in Hurricane who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!

How to choose the best insurance agent in Hurricane

When researching a local agent, there are a couple of types of agencies that you can select. Agents are categorized either captive or independent. Either one can write coverage properly, but it’s worth learning how they are different since it can impact your selection of an agent.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can switch companies without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, you should always include at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from. Many write coverage with lesser-known insurance companies which may provide better rates.

The following is a list of independent agencies in Hurricane that can give you rate quotes.

• Scott Erwin Insurance – 3791 Teays Valley Rd – Hurricane, WV 25526 – (304) 757-9337
• Mike Ward Insurance – 2702 Main St – Hurricane, WV 25526 – (304) 562-6130

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents are contracted to one company and examples are State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are not able to compare other company’s rates so keep that in mind. Captive agents are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers often buy from captive agents partially due to the prominence of the brand and solid financial strength.

The following are captive agents in Hurricane willing to provide comparison quotes.

• Allstate Insurance – 3857 Teays Valley Rd # 4 – Hurricane, WV 25526 – (304) 757-1381
• State Farm Insurance – 2805 Main St – Hurricane, WV 25526 – (304) 562-9000
• Liberty Mutual Insurance – 113 Liberty Sq – Hurricane, WV 25526 – (304) 757-4220

To view a complete directory of car insurance agents in Hurricane, please view this page.

Deciding on an insurance agent requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
• What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• How long has their agency been open in Hurricane?
• Do they make recommendations based only on price?
• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?

Once you have positive feedback to your questions and a good coverage price, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that will properly service your car insurance policy.

Smart consumers save more

When trying to cut insurance costs, never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We’ve covered many ideas to reduce car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with a small local company.

Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including policy cancellation, policy non-renewal, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or even poor customer service. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new insurance company can be easy and end up saving you some money.

Consumer car insurance information in West Virginia

Additional information is located on the West Virginia Insurance Commission website located here. West Virginia drivers can view a list of available companies, read consumer alerts, and report car insurance fraud.