Find the Cheapest Belle Haven Car Insurance

Consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online could find shopping for affordable Belle Haven car insurance is not as easy as it seems.

If you have car insurance now, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these techniques. This article will familiarize you with how to effectively get price quotes and some tricks to saving. But Virginia car owners do need to know the way companies market insurance on the web and apply this information to your search.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower car insurance prices.

Shown below are a few of the "ingredients" companies use to determine premiums.

  • Don't get talked into coverage you don't need - There are quite a few additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Insurance for personal injury protection, accidental death and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you don't need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • How's your driving record? - Good drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Only having one ticket can increase rates twenty percent or more. Drivers with dangerous tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Too many car insurance claims drive up costs - If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Virginia give cheaper rates to people who file claims infrequently. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of larger claims.

car insurance in Belle Haven

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there are discounts available to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but a few need to be requested specifically before they will apply.

  • Safety Course Discount - Completing a driver safety course can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
  • Military Rewards - Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Federal Employees - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
  • Discount for Swiching Early - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
  • Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • New Car Discount - Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
  • Multiple Cars - Having all your vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.

Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will reduce your premiums.

To choose insurers with discount car insurance rates in Belle Haven, click this link.

The car insurance bait and switch

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads in print and on television. All the companies make the same claim that you'll save big if you change to them. How can each company make the same claim?

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. A customer who matches those parameters will get very good rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Consumers who don't measure up to the requirements must pay higher rates which leads to business going elsewhere. The ads say "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That is how companies can state the savings.

This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. Because you never know which company will have the lowest rates.

Your personal situation dictates your coverage

When buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Everyone's situation is a little different.

Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight whether or not you might need an agent's assistance.

  • Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
  • Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
  • Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
  • Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
  • Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?

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 an agent. If you don't have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Much more information about car insurance in Virginia can be found on the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website located here. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about a company, and find disaster information.

Virginia car insurance

Do the work, save more money

Discount car insurance is attainable from both online companies and with local Belle Haven insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you many ideas to save on car insurance. It's most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the lowest rates come from some of the lesser-known companies.

Insureds leave their current company for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, poor customer service, delays in responding to claim requests or even extreme rates for teen drivers. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company is easier than you think.