10 Tips Guaranteed to Lower Auto Insurance Costs in Suffolk

Expensive auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your checking account, especially in this economy. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to slash your bill and have more diposable income. Many insurers compete to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a company to find the absolute lowest price

Consumers should take time to get comparison quotes periodically because prices tend to go up over time. Even if you got the best price two years ago there may be better deals available now. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you’re about to learn how to quote online to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

If you are insured now or need new coverage, you can use this information to reduce the price you pay while maximizing coverage. Finding the best rates in Suffolk is not rocket science. Virginia consumers only need an understanding of the tricks to compare company rates on the web.

Discounts can save BIG

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Some trigger automatically at the time you complete a quote, but a few need to be requested specifically prior to getting the savings. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.

Clubs and Organizations – Being a member of a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
Sign Early and Save – Select companies give a discount for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
Homeowners Savings – Owning a home in Suffolk may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
Safe Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accident claims.
Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more.
Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you may save approximately 10% to 15%.
Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
Accident Forgiveness – A few companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you haven’t had any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if you qualify.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky. Any amount of discount will help reduce the cost of coverage.

To see a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Virginia, follow this link.

How to Compare Auto Insurance in Suffolk, Virginia

All the larger auto insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive give prices for coverage on the web. Getting quotes is quite easy as you just type in the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. After you complete the form, the system requests information on your driving record and credit history and returns pricing information. Being able to quote online simplifies rate comparisons, but having to visit each company’s website and repetitively fill out multiple forms is monotonous and tiresome. But it’s very important to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find better prices.

The better way to compare rates

The quickest way to find cheaper rates uses one simple form that gets price quotes from more than one company. It saves time, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes comparison shopping much easier. As soon as the form is sent, it is rated and you can choose any or none of the returned quotes.

If a lower price is quoted, it’s easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. It takes 15 minutes at the most and could lower your rates considerably.

To save time and find out what other companies charge, click here to open in a new tab and input your coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you enter the coverage information exactly as shown on your declarations page. Using the same limits helps guarantee you will have a price comparison for similar coverage. free Virginia insurance quote

Will just any policy work for me?

When it comes to buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions might help in determining whether your personal situation may require specific advice.

How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in Virginia?
Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Do I need higher deductibles?

If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.

Educate yourself about auto insurance coverages

Having a good grasp of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are typical coverage types found on the average auto insurance policy.

Auto collision coverage

Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage pays for things like sustaining damage from a pot hole, damaging your car on a curb, sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with a tree and crashing into a building. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Coverage for liability

This coverage protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have values of 50/100/50 which means a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against things such as repair costs for stationary objects, loss of income and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible. Virginia requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/20,000 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.

Comprehensive insurance

This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things like theft, hail damage, damage from flooding, a broken windshield and hitting a bird. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

This gives you protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your vehicle.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (25/50/20 in Virginia), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important. Frequently these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for bills such as hospital visits, EMT expenses and nursing services. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

And the best car insurance company is…

We covered some good ideas how you can get a better price on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest premiums are with a small local company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be found online and with local Suffolk insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

Learn more about auto insurance in Virginia

Additional auto insurance information is available on the website for the Virginia Bureau of Insurance through this link. Virginia drivers can report car insurance fraud, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read state legal mandates and laws, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

The following articles may also be useful.

Proven Techniques for Buying Cheap Suffolk, VA Car Insurance