Tightwads Guide for Saving on Vienna Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, many Vienna consumers feel financially strained by their auto insurance policy.

Companies like GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

It's important to compare rates every six months because prices are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you're about to find out one of the best ways to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

You have some control over your rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" auto insurance companies consider when setting rates.

  • Having a spouse can save you money - Having a spouse can get you a discount on auto insurance. It means you're more mature it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply would be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, or theft. The deductibles are how much you are required to spend before your auto insurance pays a claim. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your auto insurance will be.
  • Men pay higher rates - Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. They both have accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Young males tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
  • Your auto insurance rates can be influenced by your job - Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Jobs such as lawyers, social workers and dentists tend to have the highest average rates in part from high stress and lots of time spent at work. Other occupations like actors, historians and performers receive lower rates.
  • Lower miles equals lower premium - Driving more miles in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Cars not used for work or commuting qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your auto insurance coverage is rated on the proper vehicle usage.
  • Safer cars cost less to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.

Compare Quotes for Vienna Auto Insurance

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates from auto insurance companies in your area. One of the best ways to find competitive insurance rates is to get quotes online. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

  1. The fastest way to find the lowest comparison rates is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This type of form eliminates the need for separate forms to each individual auto insurance company. Filling out one form will get you rate comparisons from several companies.
  2. A slightly less efficient method to shop for auto insurance online requires you to visit each individual company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, we'll assume you want to compare rates from , and . To find out each rate you need to go to every website 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 Vienna, click here.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing exactly the same coverage information on every quote you get. If you use unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Vienna. Slightly different limits may result in a large different in cost. Just remember that getting more free quotes will improve the odds of getting the best offered rates.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies don't always advertise all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.

  • Sign Online - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application digitally online.
  • Multiple Vehicles - Buying insurance for multiple vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
  • Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you may be able to get better auto insurance rates.
  • No Accidents - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially as compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • No Charge for an Accident - A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.

Keep in mind that some credits don't apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn't work that way.

To choose companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Vienna, click here.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save after switching to their company. How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured might be a mature driver, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't qualify for the requirements will have to pay a higher premium and this can result in the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you need to compare many company's rates. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Additional detailed information can be found at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, report car insurance fraud, learn about insurance regulations, and read industry bulletins.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

Affordable auto insurance can be bought both online and also from your neighborhood Vienna agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.