Shop For Clarksburg Car Insurance Cheaper With These Tricks

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy overpriced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you there are a lot of people in Clarksburg just like you who feel imprisoned by their car insurance policy.

Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate persitently shower you with advertising and it is difficult to ignore the promise of big savings and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using these tips. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Clarksburg is not rocket science. But West Virginia drivers must comprehend how companies sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.

Car Insurance Prices in Clarksburg, West Virginia

There are multiple methods to compare car insurance quotes, and some are easier and takes less work. You can spend countless hours talking about coverages with insurance companies in Clarksburg, or you can stay home and use the web to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Many of the larger companies belong to an insurance system that allows shoppers to send in one quote, and at least one company can provide price quotes based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for form submissions to every company.

To compare rates now click to open in new window.

The one downside to using this type of system is you cannot specify which companies you will receive quotes from. If you would rather choose from a list of companies to receive pricing from, we have a page of car insurance companies in West Virginia. Click here to view list.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing the exact same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote you get. If you compare different values for each quote it’s impossible to make a fair comparison in Clarksburg. Quoting even small variations in coverages may cause a big price difference. And when comparison shopping, obtaining a wide range of quotes will increase your chances of finding the best price.

Don’t be fooled by advertising claims

Car insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive regularly use ads on television and other media. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save if you move to their company. How can each company claim to save you money?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile will be quoted higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That’s why companies can make those claims. This emphasizes why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. You cannot predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

It’s important that you understand the factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are some of the items used by your company to calculate prices.

• Performance level impacts rates – The performance of the vehicle you drive makes a huge difference in your rates. Small economy passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
• Add-on coverages can add up – There are a ton of additional coverages that can waste your money if you aren’t careful. Things like personal injury protection, accident forgiveness and membership fees are some examples. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
• Liability coverage protects you – The liability section of your policy provides coverage when you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
• Your spouse saves you money – Being married can get you a discount on car insurance. Having a significant other usually means you are more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.
• Men pay higher rates – The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. They both are in accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving.
• No coverage gaps is important – Driving your car without having proper coverage can get your license suspended and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will your rates increase, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.
• Tickets mean higher rates – Only having one moving violation can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Careful drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with severe tickets like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
• Drive a safer car and pay less – Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies don’t always publicize all their discounts very well, so here is a list some of the best known and the harder-to-find car insurance savings.

• Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
• Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Student in College – Children who live away from home and don’t have a car can receive lower rates.
• E-sign – A few companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks just for signing your application over the internet.
• Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
• No Charge for an Accident – A few companies permit an accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.

It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won’t be that lucky.

To see a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in West Virginia, click here to view.

Smart shoppers get results

When trying to cut insurance costs, never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price.

We’ve covered a lot of ways to save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a small mutual company. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.

For more West Virginia car insurance information

Additional detailed information is located at the West Virginia Insurance Commission website. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, get help finding coverage, discover disciplinary actions, and find out which companies have the most complaints.