Tightwads Tips for Saving on Harrisonburg Car Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say you are not the only one feeling buyer's remorse. There are many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to be able to choose, it makes it harder to compare rates.

Buying car insurance in Harrisonburg is quite easy. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. Virginia drivers only need an understanding of how to get comparison quotes online.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine premiums.

Drive a safer car and pay less - Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
Protect your assets with liability insurance - The liability section of your policy provides coverage if you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. It will provide legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations such as judges, business owners and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates because of job stress and long work days. Conversely, professions such as actors, engineers and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
With age comes lower rates - Young drivers in Virginia tend to get distracted easily when behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. Older insureds are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
High performance equals high price - The performance level of the vehicle you are insuring makes a big difference in the rate you pay. The lowest rates are for low performance passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
How's your driving record? - Whether or not you get tickets has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Good drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one citation can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers with severe tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't list all available discounts very clearly, so we researched some of the more common as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If you're not getting every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Keeping the miles down could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Organization Discounts - Belonging to a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying car insurance.
Federal Government Employee - Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.
New Car Discount - Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
Sign Early and Save - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
Defensive Driving Course - Successfully completing a driver safety course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
Life Insurance - Larger companies have a discount if you purchase life insurance.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

To choose insurers with the best car insurance discounts in Virginia, click here to view.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

Consumers can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings by companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings if you move to them.

How does each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer could be over the age of 40, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. A customer who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential insureds who don't qualify for these standards must pay more money and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save money. That's the way insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. Because you never know which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Learn more about Virginia car insurance

More tips and info about car insurance is located at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Consumers can find disaster information, find out which companies have the most complaints, read industry bulletins, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

In the end, you save

Cost effective car insurance is definitely available from both online companies and with local Harrisonburg insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers do not offer online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you some good ideas how you can save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than their larger competitors like .