10 Ways to Cut Your Auto Insurance Cost in Essex Junction, VT

Sick and tired of not being able to afford to buy car insurance? You are in the same boat as millions of other consumers.

Because there are so many options when it comes to auto insurance, it’s nearly impossible to choose the lowest price company.

Finding affordable coverage in Essex Junction is not that difficult. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to save some money using these techniques. But Vermont vehicle owners need to have an understanding of how insurance companies sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.

Tips to Get Lower Essex Junction Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that help determine auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with big savings.

The following are a few of the “ingredients” that factor into rates.

Lower rates with optional equipment – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping auto theft.
How’s your driving record? – A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Good drivers receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. Only having one ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. If you have dangerous violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
High credit ratings translate to low rates – A driver’s credit score is a big factor in determining your rates. If your credit is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your by repairing your credit. Drivers with good credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have poor credit.
Do you have enough liability coverage? – The liability section of your policy is the protection if a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Pleasure use saves money – The higher the mileage driven in a year’s time the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Ask your agent if your auto insurance declarations sheet shows the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
Your job and insurance rates – Occupations such as real estate brokers, business owners and dentists have the highest average rates in part from stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. Other occupations such as pilots, historians and retirees get better rates.
Older drivers save more – Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Youthful drivers have a tendency to be more careless behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.

Comprehensive Essex Junction Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes

To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways to compare quotes and find the best price. The quickest method to compare insurance prices is to get quotes online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

The fastest way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating boring form submissions for each company. One simple form will return quotes .
A more difficult way to get comparison quotes is spending the time to visit each individual company website and request a quote. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want to compare rates from Nationwide, Progressive and Travelers. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.
To view a list of companies in Essex Junction, click here.
The least recommended way to compare rates is to spend your day driving to local insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you have a need for the professional advice of a licensed agent. However, consumers can obtain prices from the web but still have the advice of a local agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you’re using apples-to-apples coverages for each price quote. If the quotes have different deductibles it will be impossible to make a fair comparison in Essex Junction. Having just a slight variation in limits could mean much higher rates. Keep in mind that quoting more helps locate the best offered rates.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

Car insurance companies don’t always list every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance. auto insurance image

Organization Discounts – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
Multiple Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
Homeowners Discount – Owning a house in Essex Junction may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
Distant Student – Kids in college who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle on the same auto insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break for buying your policy digitally online.
Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for switching to them before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.

Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky.

For a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Vermont, click here.

Quote online but work with a neighborhood agent

Some people prefer to buy from a licensed agent. The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find better rates but also keep your business local.

By using this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents in Essex Junction who will give you bids for your coverage. There is no need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy! Get lower rates AND a local agent.

Picking an insurer requires more thought than just the premium amount. These are valid questions to ask:

Will your rates increase after a single accident?
Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?

Below is a short list of insurance companies in Essex Junction willing to provide comparison quotes.

Brousseau Insurance – 25 Pinecrest Dr # D, Essex Junction, VT 05452 – (802) 879-1114
Alan Ashe Insurance – 7 Essex Way, Essex Junction, VT 05452 – (802) 878-3608
Griffin Agency – 11 Pearl St # 101, Essex Junction, VT 05452 – (802) 879-5200

Once you have answers to your satisfaction to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, you’ve probably found a company that can service your policy.

Additional detailed information can be read at the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation website. Vermont drivers can download brochures, view a list of available companies, find out which companies have the most complaints, and view agent and company licensing information.

Additional helpful sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this page where you can also get Essex Junction auto insurance quotes.

Smart consumers save more

In this article, we covered quite a bit of information on how to save on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with some of the smallest insurance companies. Some small companies often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like Allstate and Progressive.

Discount auto insurance can be sourced from both online companies and with local Essex Junction insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. Too many times, someone dropped full coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate.