Finding the Cheapest Union Auto Insurance

Nobody looks forward to paying for auto insurance, in particular when they are paying too much.

Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive promote their brand names with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Union

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are some of the factors companies use to determine premiums.

Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are many additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for personal injury protection, accidental death and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment initially, but if you don't need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Traffic violations increase rates - Only having one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Good drivers get better rates than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Most auto insurance companies will award you with lower prices to customers who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even if you're getting this discount it's still a good idea to comparison shop to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

There are multiple methods to shop for auto insurance, but one way is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can spend your afternoon driving to insurance companies in Union, or you could use online quotes to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Most of the larger companies take part in a program that enables customers to submit their information once, and each participating company provides a quote for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions to each individual auto insurance company. To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

The only drawback to comparing rates this way is you cannot specify which providers to get pricing from. So if you prefer to choose from a list of companies to compare rates, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in West Virginia. Click here for list of insurance companies in West Virginia.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just be sure to compare exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote you get. If you use different liability limits then you won't be able to determine which rate is truly the best in Union. Having just a slight variation in coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Keep in mind that more quotes will increase your chances of finding the best rates.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't necessarily list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list both well-publicized and also the lesser-known ways to save on auto insurance.

Defensive Driver - Successfully completing a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
Early Signing - Some companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
Theft Prevention Discount - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver's education in school.
Payment Discounts - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
Homeowners Savings - Owning a home in Union may earn you a small savings because owning a home requires personal responsibility.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Union, click this link.

The auto insurance bait and switch

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the companies make the same claim about savings if you switch to them. How can each company make almost identical claims? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a profitable customer could possibly be between 25 and 40, a clean driving record, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who matches those parameters is entitled to the best price and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don't measure up to the requirements must pay a higher premium which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state "customers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This illustrates why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Your personal situation dictates your coverage

When buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Every situation is different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight whether or not you would benefit from an agent's advice.

Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?

If it's difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Even more information is available at the West Virginia Insurance Commission website. West Virginia consumers can discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about a company, read consumer alerts, and view a list of available companies.

Affordable insurance is out there

Cheaper auto insurance can be found online and with local Union insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best selection. Some auto insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

In this article, we presented many ideas to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as .

When shopping online for auto insurance, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.