Easy Tips to Spend Less on Blue Ridge Auto Insurance

Cutting costs on Blue Ridge auto insurance is nearly impossible for consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online. Consumers have so many options available that it can be more work than you anticipated to find the best price in Blue Ridge.

Finding affordable coverage in Blue Ridge is easy if you know what you're doing. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. Virginia vehicle owners just need to know the most efficient way to compare prices on the web.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are some of the items used by your company to calculate prices.

Keep rates low by being claim-free - Companies in Virginia provide discounts to people who do not file claims often. If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your insurance policy is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your car from being stolen.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that can waste your money on your auto insurance policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea at first, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
Traffic violations increase rates - A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Even one ticket can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don't get tickets receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. If you have dangerous violations such as DUI or reckless driving may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to prevent a license revocation.
Better crash test results mean better rates - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Your deductibles define the amount you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, insures against damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, and burglary. The more expense you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Your location affects your rates - Being located in small towns and rural areas can save you money when insuring your vehicles. City drivers regularly have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies don't necessarily list every discount very well, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the more hidden auto insurance savings. If you don't get every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Driver's Ed - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class if offered at their school.
Safety Course Discount - Successfully completing a course in driver safety could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
Low Mileage Discounts - Low mileage vehicles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Multiple Cars - Buying insurance for all your vehicles with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
Multiple Policy Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
Air Bag Discount - Cars that have air bags can receive discounts of more than 20%.
Organization Discounts - Participating in a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
Save over 55 - If you're over the age of 55, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
Lower Rates for Military - Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way.

To choose insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in Virginia, follow this link.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Virginia consumers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing that you'll save big if you change your coverage to them.

But how can every company make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and chooses high deductibles. A driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don't meet this ideal profile will be quoted more money which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "people who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why you should compare many company's rates. It is impossible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

More Virginia auto insurance information

More detailed Virginia auto insurance information can be read at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Virginia consumers can download brochures, view a list of available companies, and discover disciplinary actions.

Other informative sites include this site for auto insurance rates in Virginia and this list of insurance agents in Blue Ridge, VA.

And the best car insurance company is...

Consumers leave their current company for many reasons like extreme rates for teen drivers, questionable increases in premium, delays in responding to claim requests or even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn't matter what your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider is easier than you think.

Budget-conscious auto insurance is attainable online as well as from independent agents in Blue Ridge, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies don't offer online price quotes and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, don't be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.