When shopping for more affordable insurance, do you get frustrated by the crazy number of auto insurance choices in your area? Many other drivers are as well. There are so many choices to choose from that it can quickly become a ton of work to locate the lowest rates. Abingdon is a wonderful place to live, but the high premiums for auto insurance makes it impossible to purchase enough protection.
It’s important to check auto insurance prices quite often because auto insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you think you had the lowest quotes a year ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Don’t believe everything you read about auto insurance on the web, but in a few minutes you can learn some solid techniques on how to lower your auto insurance bill.
Buying car insurance in Abingdon is quite easy. Basically, every vehicle owner who buys auto insurance most likely will be able to cut their insurance bill. Although Virginia drivers can benefit from knowing how big insurance companies price insurance differently and apply this information to your search.
Get lower-cost rates by earning discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may be missing some discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Some trigger automatically when you quote, but occassionally some discounts must be manually applied before being credited.
- Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on when compared to drivers who are more careless.
- Clubs and Organizations – Participating in a civic or occupational organization in Abingdon is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Successfully completing a course teaching driver safety skills could cut 5% off your bill and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Student in College – Children living away from home attending college and won’t have access to an insured vehicle may qualify for this discount.
- Life Insurance – Some insurance carriers give a small discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars and trucks that have anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Even though the math looks like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Insurance companies who might offer most of the discounts above may include but are not limited to:
Double check with all the companies which discounts they offer. Some credits may not apply to policyholders everywhere. If you would like to view insurers that offer the discounts shown above in Virginia, click here to view.
What is the best auto insurance coverage?
When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Every insured’s situation is different.
Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- What are Virginia no-fault laws?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
- What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
- Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Do I qualify for additional discounts?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
- Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.
When to have guidance from a local insurance agent
A lot of people still like to visit with an insurance agent and doing so can bring peace of mind The best thing about comparing rates online is the fact that you can find cheap auto insurance rates but also keep your business local.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-51.jpg" alt="Abingdon Virginia car insurance quote”/>
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your information is immediately sent to local insurance agents that provide to get your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to search for any insurance agencies since rate quotes are delivered instantly to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates AND a local agent. In the event you want to quote rates from one company in particular, you can always search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
Finding the right insurance company should include more criteria than just the quoted price. Get answers to these questions too.
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Does their agency support local causes in Abingdon?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
- Are they primarily personal or commercial lines agents?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
If you want to use a local insurance agency, it helps to know the two different types of agencies and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents are considered either captive or independent.
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agents can only write with one company and some examples include American Family, State Farm, and Allstate. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agencies are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell on service rather than price. Some insured continue to buy insurance from these agents primarily because of high brand loyalty instead of buying on price only.
Shown below is a short list of captive agents in Abingdon who can help you get comparison quotes.
- State Farm Insurance – 519 E Main St – Abingdon, VA 24210 – (276) 628-9535
- Allstate Insurance – 329 Cummings St # A – Abingdon, VA 24210 – (276) 628-1184
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents are appointed with more than one company and that enables them to quote your coverage through lots of different companies and find the cheapest rate. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part. When comparing auto insurance prices, we recommend you get insurance quotes from a few independent agents to maximize your price options. Most also write with small mutual carriers who may have lower rates.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agents in Abingdon that can give you rate quotes.
- CSE Agency Inc – 263 W Main St – Abingdon, VA 24210 – (276) 628-4121
- Roger Davis Insurance – 19440 Pleasant View Dr – Abingdon, VA 24211 – (276) 628-8911
- Ole Commonwealth Insurance – 22270 Guilford Dr – Abingdon, VA 24210 – (276) 466-3361
To view more auto insurance agents in Abingdon, see this complete selection of auto insurance providers in Abingdon.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and Geico continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the ads say the same thing about how much you will save if you move your auto insurance coverage to their company. How is it possible that every company can cost less than your current company? You have to listen carefully.
Different companies have strict underwriting profiles for the type of insured that earns them the highest profit. For example, this type of risk profile could be between the ages of 40 and 55, owns a home, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. A customer getting a price quote who matches that profile will probably get the lowest prices and will save when they switch companies.
Drivers who fall short of those standards will probably be forced to pay a higher rate and this results in the customer buying from a different company. If you listen closely, the ads state “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save the amount stated. That is how companies can truthfully make it sound like they have such great prices. Because of these techniques, it’s extremely important to compare many company’s prices. It’s not possible to predict which company will have better premium rates than you’re paying now.
More resources for learning
Even more information is available at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Virginia drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find a variety of consumer forms, file complaints about a company, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Other informative sites include this online resource for free quotes in Virginia and this list of insurance agents in Abingdon.
In the end, you save
The cheapest auto insurance can be sourced from both online companies and from local agencies, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies do not provide price quotes online and usually these small insurance companies only sell through local independent agencies.
Consumers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as lack of trust in their agent, not issuing a premium refund, poor customer service or high prices. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new company can be less work than you think.
We just covered many ideas to reduce auto insurance car insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company.