Techniques for Paying Less for Richmond, VT Auto Insurance Rates

No one likes having to buy auto insurance, especially knowing their premiums are too high.

Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Farmers Insurance constantly bombard you with ads and consumers find it hard to ignore the propoganda and find the best price available.

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. Buying car insurance in Richmond is quite easy. Although Vermont vehicle owners need to have an understanding of the way insurance companies sell online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Components of your insurance rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what influences your rates enables informed choices that could result in big savings.

Discounts for multiple policies – The majority of auto insurance companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Traffic violations increase rates – Drivers who don’t get tickets have lower premiums than bad drivers. Even one ticket can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. If you have serious violations like DUI or reckless driving may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
Add-on coverages can add up – There are a ton of extra coverages that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Coverages like roadside assistance, towing coverage and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment at first, but if you don’t need them get rid of them and save.
Sex matters – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. Men and women are in accidents at about the same rate, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI.
Where you live – Choosing to live in a rural area has it’s advantages when talking about auto insurance. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers in populated Vermont areas have congested traffic and longer commute times. More time commuting means more change of being in an accident.
Teen drivers pay high rates – Teenage drivers in Vermont are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted when driving so auto insurance rates are higher. Having to add a teenage driver onto a policy can really hurt. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
Being married can save on auto insurance – Being married can actually save you money on your auto insurance policy. Having a significant other usually means you are more mature and responsible and statistics show married couples file fewer claims.

Finding Auto Insurance Deals in Richmond, VT

The are a couple different ways to compare rate quotes from local in Richmond, VTauto insurance companies. The best way to compare insurance prices consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The first (and easiest) way to find the lowest comparison rates would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This type of form eliminates the need for multiple quote forms for each company you want a rate for. Just one form will return quotes from multiple low-cost companies.
A more difficult way to get quotes online requires a visit to the website for every company you want to comare and fill out their own quote form. For example, let’s say you want rates from Nationwide, Allstate and GEICO. To find out each rate you need to visit each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker.
For a list of links to insurance companies in Richmond, click here.
The least recommended way to get comparison rates is to spend your day driving to different Richmond agent offices. The internet can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you prefer the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. However, consumers can find lower rates online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll cover that in a bit.

Whichever way you use, be sure to compare the exact same quote information for each price quote. If you compare different deductibles it will be very difficult to find the best deal in Richmond. Having just a slight variation in limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just remember that more quotes will enable you to find lower pricing.

Pay less by taking advantage of discounts

Companies don’t necessarily list every discount very well, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.

Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
New Vehicle Savings – Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Distant Student – Children living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Paperless Signup – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break simply for signing on their website.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.

To choose providers who offer auto insurance discounts in Richmond, click here to view.

Price shop online but buy from a local Richmond agent

Some consumers would rather talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you can get better rates but still work with a licensed agent. free Vermont insurance quote

For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, the coverage information is sent to local insurance agents in Richmond who will compete to get your business. There is no reason to leave your house as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find better rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Deciding on an insurer requires more thought than just the price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
Is assistance available after office hours?
Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?

Types of auto insurance agents in Richmond

When finding a good Richmond insurance agent, there are two different agency structures to choose from. Agencies in Richmond are either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents have only one company to place business with such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which can be an advantage.

Independent Agents

Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to get the best comparison.

Shown below is a short list of independent agencies in Richmond willing to provide price quote information.

Jamieson Insurance – 13 S Main St – Richmond, VT 05477 – (802) 434-4142

To view a complete directory of auto insurance agents in Richmond, go to this page.

Once you have received reasonable responses and a low price estimate, you may have just found an insurance agent that can properly service your auto insurance policy.

Tailor your coverage to you

When buying adequate coverage, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions might point out whether or not you could use an agent’s help.

Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Vermont?
Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
When should I not file a claim?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Even more information can be found at the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation website. Vermont drivers can learn about insurance regulations, download brochures, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.

More quotes mean more savings

Cost effective auto insurance can be purchased on the web as well as from independent agents in Richmond, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced full coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We covered a lot of techniques to get a better price on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.