How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Auto Insurance in Bluefield

Expensive auto insurance can empty your checking account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to slash your bill and have more diposable income. Because there are so many different company options, it can be challenging to pick the most affordable company.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies offering auto insurance don't always advertise all available discounts very well, so we researched both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you don't get every credit you deserve, you're paying more than you need to.

Driver Safety - Successfully completing a course in driver safety could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Student in College - Youth drivers who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
Auto/Home Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
Theft Prevention Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Military Discounts - Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.

It's important to note that some credits don't apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you're out of luck.

To see a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Virginia, click here.

Low Cost Bluefield Auto Insurance

Finding cheaper auto insurance prices is not a difficult process. Consumers just need to spend a few minutes on the computer comparing rates online with multiple companies. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The best way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This type of form eliminates the need for a different quote for each company you want a rate for. One form gets rate comparisons .
A less efficient way to shop for auto insurance online is spending the time to visit the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For sake of this example, we'll pretend you want comparison quotes from , and . To get each rate you have to spend time on each company's site and enter your policy data, and that's why the first method is more popular.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Bluefield, click here.

Whichever method you choose, make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples information with every price quote. If you enter higher or lower deductibles you will not be able to find the best deal in Bluefield.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

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

Policy add-ons can waste money - There are a ton of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and membership fees are some examples. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
Mature drivers pay less - Teen drivers in Virginia are known to get distracted easily when driving so auto insurance rates are higher. Adding a teen driver onto your auto insurance can be very expensive. More mature drivers are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
Rural vs Urban Areas - Residing in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when insuring your vehicles. Urban drivers have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Lower population means reduced accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
One company can mean more discounts - Many insurance companies will award you with lower prices to customers who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, it's in your best interest to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates.

Insurance agents can help

When choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Every insured's situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation might need an agent's assistance.

Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?

If you can't answer these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Virginia consumers can't get away from ads for car insurance savings from companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies have a common claim that you can save after switching your policy.

But how can every company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that is profitable for them. For instance, a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't qualify for this ideal profile must pay a more expensive rate and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

In the end, you save

Lower-priced auto insurance can be purchased online in addition to many Bluefield insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

More sites with auto insurance information

Additional detailed information is located at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Virginia consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, view agent and company licensing information, and read consumer alerts.

Additional helpful sites include this resource for Virginia auto insurance prices and this link which helps you find a Bluefield agent.