How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Car Insurance in Eleanor

Expensive car insurance can dwindle your checking account and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparison shopping is free and is an excellent way to slash your bill and have more diposable income. Online insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

It's important to compare prices yearly because rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting now, ignore everything you know about car insurance because you're going to learn the only way to find lower rates on car insurance.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that can help you get better car insurance rates.

How's your driving record? - Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one moving violation can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who get flagrant violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
Drive less and save money - Driving more miles in a year's time the higher your rates will be. Most insurance companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos that are left in the garage can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your car insurance coverage is rated on the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Being married can save on car insurance - Being married can get you a discount on your car insurance policy. Marriage means you're more responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Choose a safe vehicle and save - Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. Safer cars reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Women pay lower rates - Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Men and women cause accidents at about the same rate, but men have costlier accidents. Men also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Youthful male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high car insurance rates.

Compare Car Insurance Today

Effectively comparing car insurance prices can be challenging if you don't understand the most efficient way to do it. You can spend your afternoon driving to local insurance agents in Eleanor, or you can stay home and use online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Most of the larger companies enroll in a system that enables customers to enter their policy data once, and every company can provide price quotes based on the submitted data. This system prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions to each individual car insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

The only drawback to using this type of form is that consumers can't choose which providers you will receive quotes from. If you wish to select individual companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in West Virginia. Click to view list.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just make sure you use exactly the same quote information with each company. If each company quotes mixed coverages you will not be able to make an equal comparison in Eleanor.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always publicize every available discount in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list some of the more common and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance. If you aren't receiving every discount you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

Good Student Discount - This discount can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
Auto/Life Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
Own a Home - Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
Service Members Pay Less - Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
E-sign - Some insurance companies will give a small break for buying your policy digitally online.
Payment Method - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So even though it sounds like you could get a free car insurance policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

To choose providers who offer car insurance discounts in Eleanor, click this link.

The car insurance bait and switch

Consumers can't ignore all the ads for car insurance savings by State Farm and Allstate. All the ads make the same claim about savings after switching to their company.

How can each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk could be between 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has great credit. A customer who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to the requirements will be charged more money which leads to business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much. This is how companies can truthfully advertise the savings. That is why you need to get as many quotes as possible. Because you never know which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

Your personal situation dictates your coverage

When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Every insured's situation is different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether or not you might need professional guidance.

Should I buy only the required West Virginia minimum liability coverage?
What are the financial responsibility laws in West Virginia?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in West Virginia?
Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
Should I buy additional glass protection?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Even more information is available at the West Virginia Insurance Commission website. Consumers can file complaints about a company, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, get help finding coverage, and find disaster information.

A tidy conclusion

We just showed you many ideas to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as .

When you buy insurance online, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Cheap car insurance can be sourced from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Eleanor agents, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.