How to Get Low-Cost Marion Car Insurance

Are you overwhelmed by the sheer number of car insurance options in Marion? Lot's of other consumers are too. Drivers have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into more work than you anticipated to find the best price.

It's important to price shop coverage at least once a year due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest rates on your last policy a different company probably has better rates today. So block out anything you think you know about car insurance because I'm going to teach you the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be inquired about before you will receive the discount.

Sign Online - A few companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application online.
Drive Less and Save - Fewer annual miles can earn a substantially lower rate.
No Charge for an Accident - Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don't have any claims for a set time period.
Anti-lock Brakes - Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a discount up to 10%.

Keep in mind that some credits don't apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" that factor into rates.

Having a spouse can save you money - Having a spouse can get you a discount on car insurance. It usually means you are more mature and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.
Policy add-ons can waste money - There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy when buying car insurance. Things like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and membership fees are some examples. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
Women pay lower rates - Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes have accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
More than one policy can earn a discount - Many insurance companies will give a discount to insureds who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you still need to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
Keep rates low by being claim-free - If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance companies in Virginia generally give discounts to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Your insurance policy is intended for the large, substantial claims.
Where you live - Choosing to live in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. Urban drivers tend to have much more traffic and longer commute times. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents.
Bad driving skills means higher rates - Your driving citation history has a big impact on rates. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single speeding ticket may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers who have flagrant citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.

Is there truth in advertising?

Car insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save after switching your policy. But how can every company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. Any driver that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to this ideal profile will have to pay more money and this can result in the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers should get as many quotes as possible. You cannot predict which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Find out more about car insurance

More information can be found on the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, discover disciplinary actions, and learn about insurance regulations.

Also read more on this page for Virginia car insurance and see this list of insurance agents in Marion.

Shop smart and save

Affordable car insurance can be sourced both online in addition to many Marion insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many cases, an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford.

Drivers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, delays in responding to claim requests, denial of a claim and even policy cancellation. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company is less work than it seems.