How to Know You’re Wasting Money for Car Insurance in Christiansburg Virginia

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy overpriced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you there are many people just like you.

Companies like GEICO and Progressive all promote huge savings with TV and radio ads and it is difficult to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these methods. Finding affordable coverage in Christiansburg is not rocket science. Nevertheless, Virginia vehicle owners benefit from understanding how insurance companies compete online and apply this information to your search.

Lower the Price of Insurance with These Tips

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that help determine car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with big savings.

The following are a partial list of the pieces that factor into rates.

• What type of vehicle do you drive? – The performance level of the vehicle you drive makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates are usually for low performance passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
• Increase deductibles and save – Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
• Optional equipment can affect rates – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system can thwart auto theft.
• Older drivers pay less – Youthful drivers in Virginia have a tendency to be more careless when driving so car insurance rates are higher. If you’ve ever had to add a teen driver onto your car insurance can be very expensive. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.

Christiansburg Car Insurance Comparisons

When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to compare rate quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The best way to find the cheapest insurance rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be done in several different ways.

1. The best way to get quotes is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This easy form eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions for every car insurance company. One form submission gets rate comparisons from car insurance companies with the best prices.
2. A more difficult way to analyze rates requires a trip to each company’s website to complete a price quote. For instance, we’ll assume you want to compare rates from GEICO, Esurance and Liberty Mutual. To get each rate you have to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular.

   To view a list of companies in Christiansburg, click here.

3. The least recommended way of getting rate comparisons is to spend time driving to insurance agents’ offices. Shopping for car insurance online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you prefer the personal advice only provided by licensed Christiansburg agents. It is possible to price shop online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll touch on that later.

It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you are comparing the exact same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote. If each company quotes different values for each quote it’s impossible to make an equal comparison in Christiansburg. Slightly different coverage limits may result in large price differences. It’s important to know that comparing more company’s prices will enable you to find the best price.

Beware of misleading car insurance ads

GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. All the companies make the same claim about savings if you change your policy. How do they all make almost identical claims?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, owns a home, and drives newer vehicles. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Consumers who don’t meet this ideal profile will have to pay higher premiums which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That is how companies can advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, drivers must quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Cut your car insurance rates with discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t always advertise all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance.

• Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application digitally online.
• Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
• Distant Student – Kids in college living away from home attending college and don’t have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Good Student – This discount can save 20 to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and will save you 10% or more.
• Auto/Life Discount – Some companies give a break if you buy life insurance from them.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks on one policy qualifies for this discount.
• No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.

It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

For a list of providers with the best car insurance discounts in Virginia, click this link.

Don’t I need to talk to an agent?

Certain consumers would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is OK! The best thing about getting online price quotes is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), your information is submitted to local insurance agents in Christiansburg who will compete for your coverage. You don’t have to leave your computer as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. How cool is that?! You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent.

Picking an provider requires more thought than just a cheap price. Here are some questions to ask:

• If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
• Is assistance available after office hours?
• What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
• If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
• Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
• Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
• Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?

If you prefer to view licensed agents in Christiansburg, visit this site.

After receiving positive responses for all questions you ask and a low price estimate, it’s possible that you found an insurance company that can properly service your car insurance policy.

How much car insurance do I need?

When it comes to buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions can aid in determining if your situation would benefit from professional advice.

• Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
• Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
• What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?
• Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
• Should I buy only the required Virginia minimum liability coverage?
• Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
• Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.

Even more information is located at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, read industry bulletins, find disaster information, and find out industry alerts.

A tidy conclusion

Cheap car insurance is definitely available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Christiansburg, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured cut full coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.