How to Get Low-Cost Phenix Auto Insurance

Finding lower premiums on Phenix auto insurance is challenging for consumers not familiar with comparing rates online. People have so many options available that it can turn into more work than you anticipated to find lower rates in Phenix.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Liability insurance protects assets - Liability insurance will protect you if a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. It will provide legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Save money with special equipment - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder auto theft.
Better credit means lower rates - A driver's credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. So if your credit is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. Drivers with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with poor credit.
Keep rates low by being claim-free - Auto insurance companies in Virginia generally give discounts to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
With age comes lower rates - Teenage drivers in Virginia are statistically proven to get distracted easily in a vehicle so auto insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
How many coverages with the same company - Most insurance companies will award you with lower prices to people who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you may still want to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by splitting coverages up.
Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.

Take advantage of discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there are discounts available that many people don't even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but a few must be specifically requested before you will receive the discount. If you don't get every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Organization Discounts - Affiliation with a professional or civic organization may earn a discount when buying auto insurance.
Military Rewards - Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
Anti-lock Brakes - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
Air Bag Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags can receive discounts up to 30%.
Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.

It's important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck. But any discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

To choose insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Virginia, click here.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Virginia drivers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies have a common claim that you can save if you switch to them.

But how can every company say the same thing?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer might be profiled as a mature driver, has no tickets, and has excellent credit. A propective insured that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don't qualify for this ideal profile must pay more money and this can result in business not being written. The ads state "people who switch" not "people who quote" save money. That's why insurance companies can make those claims.

This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

More Virginia auto insurance information

More information is located on the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website through this link. Virginia drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, view a list of available companies, and find out industry alerts.

Other informative sites include this link for Virginia auto insurance quotes and this link which helps you find a Phenix agent.

A tidy conclusion

Lower-priced auto insurance can be found on the web and with local Phenix insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Drivers switch companies for many reasons like questionable increases in premium, unfair underwriting practices, policy cancellation or even poor customer service. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right auto insurance provider is easier than you think.

While you're price shopping online, don't be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, an insured dropped collision coverage and learned later they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.