Easy Techniques to Save Money on Triangle Car Insurance

Finding better rates for Triangle car insurance is a challenge for consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online. You have so many options that it can be a lot of work to locate the lowest price in Triangle.

It's important to get comparison quotes once or twice a year because rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price a couple years back there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There is too much inaccurate information about car insurance online but I'm going to show you some great ways to reduce your car insurance bill.

Shopping for the cheapest coverage in Triangle is easy if you know what you're doing. Essentially every vehicle owner who has to buy car insurance will be able to cut their insurance bill. Nevertheless, Virginia car owners do need to know how big insurance companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining your car insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

  • Drive less and save money - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you will pay for car insurance. The majority of insurers rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles that are left in the garage receive lower rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your car insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
  • Safer cars cost less to insure - Safer cars are cheaper to insure. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
  • How's your driving record? - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Just one citation may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers who have serious citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
  • Teen drivers pay high rates - Young drivers in Virginia are statistically proven to be more careless in a vehicle so they pay higher car insurance rates. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel.
  • Clean credit earns discounts - Credit score is a huge factor in your rate calculation. Therefore, if your credit rating is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Consumers who have high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with poor credit.
  • Your occupation can affect rates - Did you know your job can affect your rates? Jobs such as judges, architects and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates in part from job stress and long work hours. Conversely, jobs such as farmers, engineers and homemakers pay the least.
  • Are you male or female? - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women cause accidents in similar numbers, but the males cause more damage. They also get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high car insurance rates.

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Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in Triangle

All major car insurance companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive quote insurance quotes directly from their websites. The process doesn't take much effort as you just type in the amount of coverage you want into the quote form. After the form is submitted, their rating system will obtain your driving record and credit report and returns a price quote.

Being able to quote online makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time required to go to several different sites and type in the same information gets old quite quickly. Unfortunately, it is important to compare as many rates as possible if you are searching for a lower rate.

There is an easier way!

The preferred way to find cheaper rates utilizes a single form that obtains quotes from many companies. It's a real time-saver, requires less work, and makes online price comparison much more enjoyable. Immediately after you send the form, it is quoted and you can choose any one of the resulting price quotes.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. It can be completed in a matter of minutes and may result in a nice savings.

If you want to find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you duplicate deductibles and limits identical to your current policy. This makes sure you're receiving rate comparison quotes for the exact same coverage.

More discounts equal less premium

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but a few must be asked about before they will apply.

  • New Car Discount - Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
  • Military Discounts - Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
  • Good Students Pay Less - This discount can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
  • One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims for a certain period of time.
  • Organization Discounts - Belonging to a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
  • Defensive Driver - Taking a driver safety course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • College Student - Children who are attending college and do not have a car may be able to be covered for less.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don't profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your premiums.

To choose companies offering car insurance discounts in Virginia, follow this link.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you switch your policy. How does each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Different companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured could be between 30 and 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and therefore will save when switching.

Consumers who do not match these standards will have to pay higher rates which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. That's why insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, you need to get as many comparisons as possible. Because you never know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Additional car insurance information is located on the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Click here for link. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.

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Final considerations

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured dropped collision coverage and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.

Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including delays in paying claims, unfair underwriting practices, poor customer service or even not issuing a premium refund. It doesn't matter why you want to switch switching car insurance companies is easier than you think.

We just showed you a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company.