Top Ways to Save on Waterford Auto Insurance

No one enjoys paying for auto insurance, in particular when they are paying too much. Because there are so many auto insurance companies to choose from, it is very difficult to find the lowest price insurance company.

It's important to compare rates periodically because insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best rates last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There is a lot of wrong information about auto insurance online, so I'm going to show you some great ways to reduce your auto insurance bill.

You have some control over your rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels enables informed choices that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting rates.

Sex matters - Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don't assume that men are worse drivers. Women and men have accidents at a similar rate, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving.
How credit affects auto insurance rates - Credit rating is a important factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower credit ratings. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating.
High crash test scores lower rates - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates.
Traffic violations increase rates - Just one ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who have severe citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.

Waterford Auto Insurance Comparisons

There are several ways to shop for auto insurance, but one way is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can spend your afternoon talking about coverages with insurance agencies in Waterford, or you could save time and use the web for quick rates.

Most of the larger companies belong to an insurance system that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and each participating company then gives them pricing. This eliminates the need for quote requests to each individual auto insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to doing it this way is you are unable to specify which providers you want pricing from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to compare rates, we put together a list of auto insurance companies in Virginia. View list of Virginia insurance companies.

Which method you use is up to you, but be sure to compare apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits for each price quote. If you compare different values for each quote it will be impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Waterford.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always advertise all their discounts very well, so the following is a list of both well-publicized as well as the least known auto insurance savings. If you don't get every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

Accident Forgiveness - Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Service Members Pay Less - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
Defensive Driving Course - Completing a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
Discount for Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
Sign Online - Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy online.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won't be that lucky.

To choose companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Virginia, follow this link.

Is there truth in advertising?

Virginia consumers can't ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance by State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing about savings if you move to their company.

But how can every company make almost identical claims?

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the driver that makes them money. A good example of a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, a clean driving record, and has great credit. A driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Drivers who don't measure up to this ideal profile will have to pay higher premiums which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which company will give you the biggest savings.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When buying coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone's needs are different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. For example, these questions may help highlight whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?

If you don't know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.

Even more information can be read at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Virginia consumers can learn about insurance regulations, find out industry alerts, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.

Other informative sites include this site for Virginia auto insurance information and see this list of insurance agents in Waterford.

And the best car insurance company is...

Cheaper auto insurance is possible online and also from your neighborhood Waterford agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

In this article, we presented a lot of information how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a small local company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like .