10 Proven Ways to Lower Auto Insurance Rates in Castleton, Vermont

Are you tired of scraping the payment together to buy car insurance? Your situation is no different than millions of other consumers.

Because you have many options when it comes to auto insurance, it is very difficult to locate the cheapest insurance company.

It’s smart to shop coverage around yearly because prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates a year ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to how to use online quotes to find great coverage at a great price.

How to Lower Your Auto Insurance Cost in Castleton, Vermont

Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can be a lot of work if you aren’t aware of the fastest way to get free quotes. You can spend your afternoon discussing policy coverages with agents in Castleton, or you can stay home and use online quoting to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

Most of the larger companies take part in a program where insurance shoppers submit their information once, and every company provides a quote determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to each individual auto insurance company.

To find out what other companies charge click here to start a free quote.

The single downside to doing it this way is you cannot specify which companies to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to compare, we have assembled a list of low cost auto insurance companies in Vermont. Click to view list.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just be sure to compare the exact same coverages and limits on every quote you get. If each company quotes mixed coverages you will not be able to determine which rate is truly the best in Castleton. Just a small difference in insurance coverages may result in large price differences. Just remember that having more price comparisons provides better odds of finding a better price.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts that you may not even be aware of. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but some must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.

Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
Drivers Ed for Students – Have your child complete a driver education course in high school.
E-sign – A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application online.

It’s important to note that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most cut individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will cut your overall premium however. car insurance image

But I want to work with a local agent

Some people just want to get advice from a local agent. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is that you can obtain the best rates but still work with a licensed agent. Supporting small agencies is especially important in Castleton.

Once you complete this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to insurance agents in Castleton who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to leave your computer as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy! You can find the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Insurance agent types

When looking for local Castleton agents, there are two different types of agents that you can select. Insurance agencies in Castleton are categorized either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company but instead can place your coverage with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies without you having to go to a different agency. When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you get quotes from at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection.

Shown below are Castleton independent agents who can help you get rate quotes.

Riley Agency Inc – 595 Main St – Castleton, VT 05735 – (802) 468-5586

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents can only write with one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage.

Selecting an insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. These are valid questions to ask:

Do they make recommendations based only on price?
Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
Can glass repairs be made at your home?
Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?

Upon getting satisfactory answers to any questions you have and an affordable coverage quote, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that can properly service your auto insurance policy.

Informed Drivers can Cut Their Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.

More claims means more premium – Auto insurance companies in Vermont give better rates to people who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance coverage is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Teen drivers pay high rates – Teen drivers in Vermont tend to be more careless when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
Your stress level may be raising your rates – Occupations like lawyers, executives and accountants have higher rates than average attributed to stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, jobs such as farmers, athletes and the unemployed get better rates.
Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Safer cars can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates.
More miles equals more premium – The higher the mileage driven in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. Most insurance companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles that are left in the garage get more affordable rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your auto insurance declarations sheet is showing the correct usage for each vehicle.

More effort can pay off

Affordable auto insurance is definitely available online in addition to many Castleton insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

As you shop your coverage around, do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many instances, someone sacrificed collision coverage only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford.

We just covered many ideas to shop for auto insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.

Consumer auto insurance information in Vermont

Much more information about auto insurance in Vermont is available on the website for the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation through this link. Consumers can view agent and company licensing information, read consumer alerts, and find disaster information.

Additional helpful sites include this online resource for free quotes in Vermont and this link where you can get more info about Castleton coverage.