Anyone knows that car insurance companies want to keep you from comparing rates. Consumers who compare other rates will, in all likelihood, switch insurance companies because of the good chance of finding lower rate quotes. A survey found that consumers who regularly shopped around saved about $3,500 over four years compared to those who never compared prices.
If saving the most money on Chevy Volt insurance is your ultimate goal, learning how to shop and compare insurance premiums can help simplify the process.
If you want to save money, the best way to save money on Chevy Volt insurance is to compare prices once a year from insurance carriers in Virginia Beach. You can shop around by completing these steps.
- First, spend some time learning about coverages and the things you can change to prevent rate increases. Many rating factors that result in higher prices such as traffic tickets, fender benders, and a substandard credit history can be controlled by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
- Second, request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can quote prices for a wide range of insurance providers.
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing rates to determine if you can save on Volt insurance. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Fourth, notify your current company of your intent to cancel your current policy and submit the application along with any required down payment to your new insurance company. When you receive it, safely store the certificate verifying proof of insurance in your glove compartment.
The most important part of shopping around is that you’ll want to compare similar deductibles and liability limits on each quote and and to get price estimates from as many companies as possible. Doing this helps ensure a level playing field and a complete rate analysis.
If you are already insured, you should be able to shop for the lowest rates using the techniques presented in this article. Finding the cheapest car insurance coverage in Virginia Beach is really quite easy. But Virginia consumers must know the methods companies use to sell online because it can help you find the best coverage.
How to get free Chevy Volt insurance quotes online
Most major insurance companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm provide insurance quotes online. This process is fairly simple because you just enter the coverage amounts you desire into the quote form. When the form is submitted, their quoting system automatically retrieves your credit score and driving record and returns a price quote based on the data you entered. This makes it a lot easier to compare rates and it’s also necessary to perform this step in order to get cheap prices.
To save time and find out if lower rates are available, compare quotes from the companies shown below. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you type in the limits and deductibles as close as possible to your current policy. This way, you will receive comparison quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.
The auto insurance companies shown below are our best choices to provide quotes in Virginia Beach, VA. To buy cheap car insurance in VA, we suggest you compare several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Save money with these ten price cutting discounts
Not too many consumers would say car insurance is affordable, but you might already qualify for some discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be requested specifically in order for you to get them.
- Theft Deterrent – Cars equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are less likely to be stolen and will save you 10% or more on Volt insurance in Virginia Beach.
- Government Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government may qualify for a discount when you quote Virginia Beach car insurance but check with your company.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – If you have multiple policies and insure them with the same company you could save up to 20% and get you affordable Chevrolet Volt insurance rates in Virginia Beach.
- Good Student – Excelling in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Own a Home and Save – Simply owning a home can save you money because of the fact that having a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
- Paperless Signup – A few larger companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application online.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a course that instructs on driving safety could earn you a small percentage discount depending on where you live.
- Payment Method – By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying in monthly installments you could save 5% or more.
- Accident Waiver – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a few companies such as Progressive and Allstate allow you one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars and trucks with anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and the ABS can save up to 10%.
Policy discounts save money, but most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, that’s just not realistic.
To choose insurers that offer some of these discounts in Virginia Beach, click here.
Why you need to buy auto insurance
Despite the high cost, auto insurance serves a purpose in several ways.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means state laws require a minimum amount of liability insurance if you don’t want to risk a ticket. In Virginia these limits are 25/50/20 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $20,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your Chevy Volt with a loan, it’s guaranteed your bank will make it a condition of the loan that you have physical damage coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Chevy for a lot more money and require you to pay much more than you were paying before.
- Auto insurance preserves both your assets and your Chevy. It will also cover all forms of medical expenses for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also covers legal expenses if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, your auto insurance policy will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance definitely exceed the price paid, especially with large liability claims. The average driver in America overpays more than $700 annually so it’s important to compare rates each time the policy renews to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Compare rate quotes but work with a local neighborhood Virginia Beach car insurance agent
Some consumers still prefer to talk to a local agent and that is a smart decision A good thing about price shopping on the web is the fact that drivers can get cheap auto insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting local agents is especially important in Virginia Beach.
After completing this short form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area that give free quotes to get your business. It makes it easy because there is no need to do any legwork as quotes are delivered to your email. You can most likely find cheaper rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you want to compare prices from one company in particular, don’t hesitate to go to their quote page and complete a quote there.
Finding the right insurance company is decision based upon more than just a low price. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
- How will an accident affect your rates?
- Which family members are covered?
- Does the company have a local claim office in Virginia Beach?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Do they offer rental car reimbursement?
Car insurance specifics
Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are typical coverages offered by car insurance companies.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage pay for expenses for ambulance fees, X-ray expenses, nursing services, doctor visits and hospital visits. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Collision coverage protection
This will pay to fix damage to your Volt caused by collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things such as backing into a parked car, colliding with a tree, crashing into a ditch, rolling your car and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible on your Volt to bring the cost down.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (25/50/20), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Normally these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Comprehensive auto coverage
This coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like vandalism, theft, a broken windshield and damage from getting keyed. The most your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Auto liability
Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 25/50/20 that translate to a limit of $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $20,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage pays for things such as medical expenses, court costs, legal defense fees, repair costs for stationary objects and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford. Virginia requires minimum liability limits of 25/50/20 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.
The next chart demonstrates why buying low liability limits may not be adequate coverage.