Top 6 Ways to Save on Car Insurance in South Burlington, VT

Cutting costs on South Burlington car insurance can be nearly impossible for people who are new to shopping for insurance online. Drivers have so many options available that it can turn into a challenge to find lower rates in South Burlington.

Choosing the best insurance company for you in South Burlington is not rocket science. Basically, every vehicle owner who carries car insurance stands a good chance to be able to find lower rates. Although Vermont drivers can benefit from knowing the way companies price insurance differently.

South Burlington Car Insurance Quote Comparison

Most companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm provide coverage price quotes online. Getting quotes doesn’t take much effort as you simply enter your personal and coverage information into the quote form. Once entered, the company’s rating system orders your driving and credit reports and provides a quote.

Online quotes helps simplify price comparisons, but the time it takes to visit several different sites and fill out multiple forms can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s absolutely necessary to perform this step in order to find the lowest price.

Rate comparisons made easy

The quickest way to lower your car insurance bill is to use a quote form to return rates from several companies at one time. This type of form saves time, reduces the work, and makes price shopping online much more enjoyable. As soon as the form is sent, it gets priced and you can choose any or none of the quotes returned. If you find a better price it’s easy to complete the application and buy the policy. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.

To quickly fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, click here to open in a new tab and fill out the form. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you replicate the coverages exactly as they are listed on your policy. Doing this guarantees you will get comparison quotes using the exact same coverages.

Is there deception in advertising?

Companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on TV and radio. All the ads make the same claim of big savings if you move your coverage to them. How do they all say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no prior claims, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who matches those parameters receives the best rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.

Consumers who are not a match for this ideal profile will be quoted a higher premium and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This emphasizes why you need to quote coverage with many companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always publicize every discount very clearly, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance.

• More Vehicles More Savings – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks with the same company qualifies for this discount.
• Student Driver Training – Have your child take driver’s ed class in high school.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive reduced rates.
• Payment Method – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
• Federal Government Employee – Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.

It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.

To see a list of insurers with discount car insurance rates in Vermont, click this link.

But don’t I need an insurance agent?

Certain consumers just want to sit down with an agent and that is just fine! One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local.

To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your information is transmitted to insurance agents in South Burlington who will compete to get your business. There is no reason to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. You can find the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.

Selecting a company shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
• What insurance company do they write the most business with?
• Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
• Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Vermont?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
• What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?

Two types of insurance agencies

When researching a good insurance agency, there are a couple of types of insurance agents from which to choose. Agents are either captive or independent.

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents have only one company to place business with like Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. Captives cannot compare other company’s rates so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agents receive extensive training on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage. Some consumers prefer to buy insurance from these agents mainly due to the prominence of the brand and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

Listed below are South Burlington captive insurance agencies who may provide you with comparison quotes.

• Allstate Insurance – 205 Dorset St – South Burlington, VT 05403 – (802) 862-8620
• State Farm Insurance – 100 Dorset St – South Burlington, VT 05403 – (802) 657-3500

Independent Agents

Independent agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency.

When searching for an agent, you should always include price quotes from at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from. Most have the option of insuring with smaller companies which can be an advantage.

The following is a list of independent insurance agencies in South Burlington that can give you comparison quotes.

• Leary’s Insurance Inc – 337 Dorset St – South Burlington, VT 05403 – (802) 862-6594
• Immediate Auto Insurance – 41 Idx Dr # 221 – South Burlington, VT 05403 – (802) 864-3333
• Citro Agency – 20 Kimball Ave # 307 – South Burlington, VT 05403 – (802) 864-3939

For a full directory of insurance agents in South Burlington, click here to link.

Once you have received reasonable responses to any questions you have and locked in a price quote, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that is a good match to properly service your car insurance policy. Just keep in mind once you purchase a policy you can cancel your policy whenever you wish so never assume you’re contractually obligated to a policy with no way out.

Car insurance coverages 101

Knowing the specifics of car insurance can be of help when determining appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Coverage for collisions

Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for things such as scraping a guard rail, driving through your garage door and hitting a mailbox. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Another option is to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Insurance for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for expenses for things like EMT expenses, dental work, prosthetic devices and pain medications. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things like hitting a bird, hail damage, rock chips in glass and hitting a deer. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your vehicle.

Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (25/50/10), their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.

Liability auto insurance

Liability coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as court costs, structural damage, emergency aid, legal defense fees and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Vermont state minimum liability requirements are 25,000/50,000/10,000 but drivers should carry higher limits.

Summing up your car insurance search

When buying insurance coverage, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

Budget-conscious car insurance is attainable from both online companies and also from your neighborhood South Burlington agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

Consumers who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, high prices, high rates after DUI convictions and even being labeled a high risk driver. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.

Consumer car insurance information in Vermont

More tips and info about car insurance is available at the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation website. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, discover disciplinary actions, learn about insurance regulations, and view a list of available companies.

Also read more on III.org’s auto insurance page and this page for help finding agents in South Burlington, VT.