Shop For Harrisonburg Virginia Car Insurance at a Discount With These Tricks

Are you a victim of overpriced car insurance? Believe me when I say many Harrisonburg consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy.

Many car insurance companies compete to insure your vehicles, so it can be very hard to choose a company to find the absolute lowest price

Smart consumers take time to price shop coverage quite often due to the fact that insurance rates tend to go up over time. Even if you think you had the lowest rates two years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding car insurance on the web, but we’re going to give you some guaranteed methods to save money.

If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to cut costs considerably using these techniques. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Harrisonburg is quite easy. But Virginia drivers need to have an understanding of the methods companies use to price online insurance because it can help you find the best coverage.

Automobile Insurance Quotes in Harrisonburg, Virginia

There are several ways of comparing rate quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The easiest way by far to compare insurance prices consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be done using a couple different methods.

The most efficient way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions to each individual car insurance company. One form submission will return quotes from several companies.

A different way to get comparison quotes is spending the time to visit each company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, let’s assume you want to compare rates from Nationwide, Progressive and Allstate. To get each rate you have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in Harrisonburg, click here.

It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you’re using identical coverage limits for every quote you compare. If you compare different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to determine the lowest rate in Harrisonburg. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just keep in mind that having more price comparisons helps locate a better price.

Pay less by taking advantage of discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts to help offset the cost. Most are applied when you purchase, but less common discounts must be manually applied in order for you to get them.

Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
Homeowners Discount – Owning a home in Harrisonburg may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
Accident Waiver – Certain companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
Accident Free – Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared to frequent claim filers.

Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky. But all discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

Informed Drivers can Cut Their Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that go into determining car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.

Listed below are a few of the “ingredients” used by your company to calculate prices.

Performance makes a difference – The performance of the vehicle you drive makes a substantial difference in the rate you pay. The lowest rates are generally reserved for lower performance four cylinder passenger models, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
Little extras can really add up – There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that can waste your money when buying car insurance. Things like roadside assistance, accident forgiveness and membership fees may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
Never allow your policy to lapse – Not having insurance can get your license suspended and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance expire. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Virginia department of motor vehicles.
Occupation reflects on rates – Careers like real estate brokers, architects and stock brokers tend to pay the highest rates in part from job stress and long work days. On the other hand, occupations like scientists, students and retirees have the lowest average rates.
Drive a safer car and pay less – Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
Please use or commuting – Driving more miles each year the higher your rate. Most companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks left parked in the garage can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Protect yourself with liability coverage – Your policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if ever you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
Big city or small town – Choosing to live in a small town is a positive aspect when buying car insurance. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers in populated Virginia areas tend to have more traffic problems and longer commute times. Longer commute distances translates into higher accident risk.

Your coverage should be tailored to you

When it comes to buying coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions might help in determining if you might need professional guidance.

Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Virginia?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

More information is located on the website for the Virginia Bureau of Insurance located here. Virginia consumers can find out industry alerts, read state legal mandates and laws, and view a list of available companies.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. They all seem to have a common claim of big savings if you switch to their company. But how can every company make almost identical claims?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. Any new insured who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.

Drivers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be quoted a more expensive rate and this can result in business not being written. The ads say “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s the way companies can truthfully make those claims.

This emphasizes why you need to get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.

One last thing

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just showed you a lot of techniques to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the lowest rates come from a small mutual company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like State Farm and Allstate.