Establishing which insurers offer the cheapest auto insurance rates for welfare recipients may require a little more sweat than just quoting one company’s rates. Each auto insurance company has a unique approach for determining rates, so let’s take a look at the auto insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in West Virginia.
It’s a good idea to be aware that West Virginia auto insurance rates are calculated based on many things that will increase or decrease the price you have to pay for coverage. Improving your credit rating, marrying your spouse, or getting a ticket for careless driving can produce rate changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors.
Best Insurance Companies in West Virginia
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Erie | $904 |
2 | The Hartford | $1,060 |
3 | State Auto | $1,266 |
4 | Westfield | $1,275 |
5 | USAA | $1,326 |
6 | Progressive | $1,479 |
7 | State Farm | $1,553 |
8 | Nationwide | $1,583 |
9 | Encompass | $1,620 |
10 | GEICO | $1,676 |
11 | Safeco | $1,749 |
12 | Motorists Mutual | $1,750 |
13 | California Casualty | $1,806 |
14 | Allstate | $2,253 |
15 | Liberty Mutual | $3,211 |
16 | Sentry | $3,923 |
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Erie offers some of the most affordable car insurance rates in West Virginia at around $904 per year. The Hartford, State Auto, Westfield, and USAA would also be considered some of the more affordable West Virginia insurance companies.
In this example, if you are a customer of Westfield and switched to Erie, you might realize a yearly savings of in the neighborhood of $371. Policyholders with USAA may save as much as $422 a year, and Progressive policyholders might lower prices by $575 a year.
These policy rates are averaged for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and are not factoring in a price discount for welfare recipients. So the car insurance company that fits your situation best may not even be featured in the list of companies above. That helps illustrate why you need to compare prices as often as possible using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
Everyone has different tastes in autos, and the style of vehicle that needs insurance is one of the primary factors when trying to find affordable coverage for welfare recipients. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, a lack of modern safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than safer models.
The lists below estimates car insurance rates for a selection of the cheapest automobiles to buy insurance for.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Malibu LS | $968 | $484 | $81 |
Ford Fusion Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $1,222 | $611 | $102 |
Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $898 | $449 | $75 |
Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $1,002 | $501 | $84 |
Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,028 | $514 | $86 |
Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 2-Dr Coupe | $1,164 | $582 | $97 |
Toyota Corolla S | $1,026 | $513 | $86 |
Volkswagen Jetta SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,048 | $524 | $87 |
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Data assumes married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and West Virginia minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Premium amounts do not factor in garaging location in West Virginia which can raise or lower rates significantly.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Cadillac Escalade 4WD | $1,268 | $634 | $106 |
Chevrolet Traverse LT AWD | $920 | $460 | $77 |
Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $842 | $421 | $70 |
Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 2WD | $978 | $489 | $82 |
Ford Explorer Limited AWD | $990 | $495 | $83 |
GMC Acadia SLE AWD | $968 | $484 | $81 |
Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $818 | $409 | $68 |
Honda Fit | $784 | $392 | $65 |
Honda Pilot Touring 4WD | $990 | $495 | $83 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD | $1,048 | $524 | $87 |
Nissan Pathfinder LE 2WD | $990 | $495 | $83 |
Subaru Forester X Premium AWP AWD | $920 | $460 | $77 |
Toyota Highlander 2WD | $912 | $456 | $76 |
Toyota RAV4 4WD | $968 | $484 | $81 |
Volvo XC90 3.2 AWD | $1,128 | $564 | $94 |
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Price data assumes married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and West Virginia minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can affect insurance rates significantly.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Colorado LT Crew Cab 2WD | $944 | $472 | $79 |
Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD | $968 | $484 | $81 |
Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab SLT 2WD | $1,150 | $575 | $96 |
Dodge Ram Crew Cab ST 4WD | $1,050 | $525 | $88 |
Ford F-150 XLT Super Cab 4WD | $934 | $467 | $78 |
Ford F-350 XLT Crew Cab King Ranch Turbo Diesel 2WD | $1,150 | $575 | $96 |
GMC Canyon SLE Crew Cab Z71 4WD | $990 | $495 | $83 |
GMC Sierra 3500HD SLT Extended Cab 2WD | $1,072 | $536 | $89 |
GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $968 | $484 | $81 |
Toyota Tundra SR/5 Double Cab 4WD | $1,050 | $525 | $88 |
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Data assumes married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and West Virginia minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Price estimates do not factor in West Virginia location which can influence price quotes noticeably.
When comparing auto insurance for drivers on welfare, four good companies to start with are Progressive, Allstate, Geico, and State Farm. When combined, they insure almost half of the entire U.S. market share. All of them offer physical damage and liability coverage, but each has a little bit different set of discounts and options that shoppers can choose from. The next table breaks down price and claims rank as well as some different options that may be available in West Virginia.
Progressive | Allstate | Geico | State Farm | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Price Ranking | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 2nd |
Discounts Offered | 4th | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
Claims Rank | 4th | 1st | 3rd | 2nd |
Client Satisfaction | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 4th |
Amount of market share | 8.8% | 10% | 11.4% | 18.3% |
Rating from A.M. Best | A+ | A+ | A++ | A++ |
Standard & Poor’s financial rating | AA | AA- | AA+ | AA |
Emergency roadside service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mechnical breakdown | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Accident forgiveness coverage | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
New car replacement coverage | No | Yes | No | No |
Rate for vehicle usage | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
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There are quite a few ways to compare auto insurance quotes in West Virginia, but the most frequently used are either through an exclusive insurance agent such as Allstate or Liberty Mutual, a non-exclusive or independent agent, or direct online or over the phone from a company like Progressive or Geico. Each way has the same basic steps, but each is slightly different in how they work.
Independent agencies write for multiple companies and can get rate quotes from every one. They have the ability to give you more rate choices, which may give you the best shot at cutting your rates. If they find a lower price, your policy can be easily switched to a new company which requires no work on your part.
Exclusive agents are restricted to quoting rates for a single company, two examples being Allstate or State Farm agents. This type of agents cannot compare other company’s rates, so if finding the cheapest auto insurance is your goal, you will want to shop around.
Choosing to buy auto insurance direct means you do not use the middleman (the agent) and instead shop from a direct company like Progressive or Geico. Shopping for auto insurance direct can be good for people who do not have a need for a risk management assessment and have an above average understanding of the limitations of auto insurance.
Out of those three methods, which one works best to buy the best cheap car insurance for welfare recipients in West Virginia? Most people assume that shopping direct results in the cheapest price because you bypass the agent, but in reality, that is not the case. We could also say that using an independent agent saves the most money since they have more companies to choose from, but again, that’s not accurate. In some circumstances, exclusive agencies have coverage prices that are well below what direct and independents offer.
Due to the fact that auto insurance rates vary so much, the one way to ensure the lowest rates is to do a thorough rate comparison. It’s a good idea to get quotes from all three in order to have enough rates to compare. For a list of companies offering online discounts, click here to view.