Cheapest Auto Insurance for Active Military in Virginia

Our content editors always give us grief that when writing about auto insurance, the words “affordable” or “cheap” shouldn’t be used as a descriptor for auto insurance rates. Sad but true, cheap auto insurance for active military does not exist. But don’t despair, because we are going to show you how you can find insurance that you can afford.

When shopping for insurance for military personnel, one of the many considerations that insurance companies use when figuring auto insurance rates is your address. Areas that are densely populated or have higher claim frequency like Alexandria, Lake Ridge, and Richmond will most likely pay more, whereas areas with less traffic congestion and claims have the luxury of the cheapest auto insurance for active military in Virginia.

The next table illustrates the most costly cities in Virginia for active military to purchase a policy in.

Annual rates are approximated as specific location information can impact price quotes substantially.

The car, truck, or SUV you are insuring is probably the biggest factor that determines if you can find the cheapest auto insurance for active military in Virginia. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, good safety features, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost less to insure than fast, unsafe models.

The next table shows auto insurance rates for the cheaper vehicles to buy coverage for.

Prices above based on married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Virginia minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in Virginia location which can affect coverage prices greatly.

Looking at the numbers, makes and models like the Ford Escape, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Edge, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Equinox will definitely be the less-costly vehicles to insure for military personnel.

The illustration below illustrates how your deductible choice can increase or decrease annual premium costs when trying to find cheap insurance for active military. The premium estimates are based on a married male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

In the chart above, a 30-year-old driver could cut expenses by $200 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $300 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the Age 20 category, could potentially save $598 or more just by using higher deductibles.

When insureds make the decision to increase the deductibles on their policy, it will be required to have emergency funds available to be able to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense that deters many people from opting for higher deductibles.

Get discounts on Virginia insurance

Insurance companies that sell the cheapest auto insurance for active military in Virginia may also offer discounts that can reduce rates by as much as 40% or more if you meet specific criteria. Popular auto insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are detailed below.

The example below compares insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The information is based on a male driver, no violations or accidents, Virginia state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles.

The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with accident-free, claim-free, safe-driver, vehicle safety, anti-theft, and passive restraint discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, the average amount saved each year on auto insurance for active military is 13% or $216.

Cheap insurance quotes for military personnel

Thanks to technology, drivers have a lot of ways to buy auto insurance in Virginia, but the most prevalent methods are from an independent or non-exclusive agent, a captive (or exclusive) agent such as Allstate or State Farm, or from a direct company like Geico. They all have the same end result, but they are slightly different in how they price policies.

Independent insurance agents write for multiple companies and can quote your policy with every one. Independent agents have the ability to provide multiple price quotes, which may give you a better overall rate comparison. If cheaper coverage is found, an independent agent can move your coverage and you can keep the same agent.

An agent who is captive is restricted to just one company such as a State Farm or Farmers agent. They generally cannot provide multiple price quotes, so drivers will want to get other quotes as well.

The final way is buying direct, which means you skip local insurance agents and instead shop direct from companies such as Esurance or Progressive. Buying direct can be good for families who do not need high levels of coverage and have a decent understanding of the limitations of auto insurance.

What is the best method for finding the cheapest auto insurance for active military in Virginia? We wish we could say buying from a direct company results in the cheapest price since there isn’t an agent involved, but that generally is not the case. It would also be easy to say using an independent agent is the best way to save because they can quote many companies, but that assumption is also not necessarily accurate. In many circumstances, exclusive agencies may have very competitive prices that other auto insurance companies cannot touch.

Because of the variability of auto insurance rates, the only true way to ensure you are not overpaying for auto insurance is to compare lots of quotes. Set aside the time to get rate quotes from all three in order to find the best price. For a list of companies offering online discounts in Virginia, click here to view.