9 Ways You Can Buy Auto Insurance for Less in Brattleboro, VT

Are you overwhelmed by the wide range of auto insurance options in Brattleboro? You have a lot of company. Consumers have so many options available that it can easily become a challenge to locate the lowest price.

You should make it a habit to compare prices quite often because prices trend upward over time. Even if you got the best deal a couple years back a different company probably has better rates today. Starting now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the things you must know in order to find better rates and still maintain coverage.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, buy you may qualify for discounts to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time you complete a quote, but some must be asked about before you will receive the discount. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

Auto/Home Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
E-sign – Certain companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing on their website.
Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
Anti-theft System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Brattleboro may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because owning a home shows financial diligence.
Student in College – Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way. But all discounts will cut the cost of coverage.

To choose providers offering auto insurance discounts in Brattleboro, click here to view.

Compare Brattleboro Auto Insurance Costs

Getting a cheaper price on insurance doesn’t have to be difficult. The only thing you need to do is take time to get quotes online from several insurance companies. This can be done in several different ways.

One of the simplest ways to get quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This easy form prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form will return quotes direct from many companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
A slightly less efficient method to compare prices consists of visiting the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For example, let’s say you want rates from GEICO, 21st Century and GMAC. To get each rate you have to go to every website to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Brattleboro, click here.

Whichever way you use, be sure to compare exactly the same coverages for each price quote. If each company quotes mixed coverages then you won’t be able to determine the best price in Brattleboro.

Car insurance coverage information

Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Comprehensive auto coverage

Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as hitting a bird, vandalism and damage from getting keyed. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-47.jpg" alt="Vermont auto insurance“/>

Collision insurance

Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision insurance covers things like backing into a parked car, scraping a guard rail, colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a mailbox and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Liability insurance

Liability insurance provides protection from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability can pay for claims like repair costs for stationary objects, structural damage, medical services, bail bonds and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford. Vermont requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/10,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage

This provides protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your vehicle.

Since many Vermont drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/10 in Vermont), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Frequently these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.

Medical payments and PIP coverage

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for short-term medical expenses for X-ray expenses, pain medications, surgery, dental work and nursing services. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Best coverage at the best price

Budget-conscious auto insurance is possible both online as well as from independent agents in Brattleboro, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

We just showed you a lot of ways to lower your auto insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the most savings is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many instances, someone sacrificed collision coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

More Vermont auto insurance information

More information can be found on the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation website. Click here for link. Vermont drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find disaster information, and find out which companies have the most complaints.