New Techniques for Buying Charlottesville, VA Car Insurance for Less Money

Finding lower rates for Charlottesville car insurance can be hard for consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online. Drivers have so many options that it can quickly become a big hassle to find lower rates in Charlottesville.

Consumers need to do rate comparisons at least once a year since insurance rates change quite often. If you had the best rates two years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Don’t believe everything you read about car insurance on the web, but with this article, you’re going to get some proven techniques to put money back in your pocket.

This article will introduce you to the best way to quote coverages and some tips to save money. If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to save some money using these tips. Although Virginia vehicle owners do need to understand the methods companies use to determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.

Compare the Market for Car Insurance in Charlottesville

There are a variety of methods to compare car insurance prices but some are easier and takes less work. You could spend your day talking to local insurance agents in Charlottesville, or you could save time and use the internet to quickly compare rates.

Many popular insurance companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to enter their coverage request one time, and every company can provide price quotes for coverage. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for every car insurance company. To find out how much you can save on car insurance click to open in new window.

The one downside to doing it this way is you don’t know exactly which carriers you want to price. So if you want to choose from a list of companies to compare rates, we have assembled a list of car insurance companies in Virginia. Click here for list of insurance companies in Virginia.

It’s up to you which method you use, but make sure you use apples-to-apples coverages and limits for each comparison quote. If each company quotes unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s impossible to determine the best price in Charlottesville. Just a small difference in limits may cause a big price difference. It’s important to know that comparing more company’s prices will improve the odds of getting lower pricing.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even be aware of. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but a few must be inquired about prior to getting the savings.

Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Air Bag Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings up to 30%.
Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Own a Home – Being a homeowner can save you money because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
Multiple Cars – Buying coverage for all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So when the math indicates you could get a free car insurance policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any amount of discount will bring down your premiums.

To see a list of insurers with the best car insurance discounts in Virginia, click here to view.

Factors that affect insurance rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower car insurance prices.

The following are a partial list of the pieces that factor into premiums.

High crash test scores lower rates – Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Pay less after the wedding – Getting married actually saves money on car insurance. It usually means you are more mature it has been statistically shown that married couples file fewer claims.
Do you know you’re credit rating? – A driver’s credit history is a big factor in calculating your car insurance rates. So if your credit is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit scores.
Multi-policy discounts can save money – Most car insurance companies will give a discount to people who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even with this discount, it’s in your best interest to compare rates to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by splitting coverages up.
Lower rates with optional equipment – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder car theft.

Car insurance myths debunked

Car insurance providers like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all have a common claim of big savings if you change your coverage to them. But how can every company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer they prefer to insure. A good example of a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and therefore will save a lot of money.

Drivers who don’t meet this ideal profile must pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings.

This illustrates why you absolutely need to get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know the company that will have the lowest rates.

A little work can save a LOT of money

As you prepare to switch companies, make sure you don’t buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

Drivers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including policy non-renewal, unfair underwriting practices, an unsatisfactory settlement offer and delays in paying claims. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding the right car insurance provider can be pretty painless.

Affordable car insurance can be sourced both online and also from your neighborhood Charlottesville agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

Learn more about Virginia car insurance

Additional information can be read on the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Click here for link. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about a company, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and report car insurance fraud.

Other informative sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this link which helps you find a Charlottesville agent.