If you’re looking to buy car insurance, picking a good Virginia insurance agent is more difficult than just picking up the phone. Chances are good you not only want a good agent, but you also need affordable coverage.
With companies like State Farm, Allstate and Farmers Insurance having offices in Lynchburg, it’s hard to tell which one will provide the best rates, service and coverage. To help decide, it’s easy to use online price quotes to assemble a group of agencies and price estimates.
Shop online but buy locally
Insurance agents can answer important questions and give you peace of mind. The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find better rates but also keep your business local. Supporting local businesses is especially important in Lynchburg.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the coverage information is immediately sent to participating agents in Lynchburg who will compete for your coverage. You never need to leave your computer since price quotes are sent directly to your email. How’s that for easy!
The different types of insurance agents
When researching a good Lynchburg insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agents to choose from. Agents are classified as either independent or captive. Both write coverage properly, but it’s worth learning the differences since it may influence the type of agent you choose
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can switch companies without you having to go to a different agency.
When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to contact multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.Many can place coverage with smaller companies who may have lower rates.
Below is a list of independent insurance agents in Lynchburg who may be able to give you pricing information.
- Robinson Agency – 3831 Old Forest Rd – Lynchburg, VA 24501 – (434) 385-0071
- Mid-State Insurance – 2525 Rivermont Ave – Lynchburg, VA 24503 – (434) 528-1001
- Twiddy Insurance – 4129 Richmond Hwy – Lynchburg, VA 24504 – (434) 847-7562
- Title Agency Of Virginia Inc – 20580 Timberlake Rd – Lynchburg, VA 24502 – (434) 237-5928
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agents can only place business with one company such as State Farm or Allstate. Captives cannot place coverage with different providers so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are trained well on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers sometimes choose to use a captive agent partially due to high brand loyalty and strong financial ratings.
Shown below are captive insurance agents in Lynchburg that can give you comparison quotes.
- State Farm Insurance – 1119 Oakley Ave # 1 – Lynchburg, VA 24501 – (434) 528-1234
- Liberty Mutual Insurance – 7803 Timberlake Rd – Lynchburg, VA 24502 – (434) 237-1658
- Allstate Insurance – 3311 Waterlick Rd # B – Lynchburg, VA 24502 – (434) 832-1110
To view a complete directory of car insurance agents in Lynchburg, please click here.
Picking a car insurance agent should depend on more than just the price. These questions are important to ask:
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Virginia?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Are they full-time agents?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
Upon receiving reasonable responses to these questions and an acceptable price quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that will provide car insurance coverage.
Can you buy online and save?
Professional insurance agents are important to many people, but you also have the option of buying Virginia car insurance from online companies direct. Some car insurance companies like State Farm and Allstate who have local Lynchburg agents additionally provide the ability to get quotes and purchase online, so that should be considered as an alternative to contacting agents.
If you’re worried about having to choose coverages yourself when buying direct, that should not be a issue. Auto insurance companies have customer service departments for answering any questions you have. Many online companies also provide online education and live help anytime you can access prior to buying.
The best way to determine if the best rates are online or from local agents is to take the time to compare rates from both. Even though it sounds odd, people frequently get different pricing from the same car insurance company when they get quotes from both.
Can online rates save money? The answer to that question is complicated due to the fact that there are many factors that impact your rate calculation. Some people think that buying direct saves money because there is no agent involvement. For most companies selling online, however, advertising and marketing take a lot of money so the lack of a commission may be a wash.
Additional information can be read on the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website located here. Virginia consumers can learn about insurance regulations, read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.
Quote often and quote early
When trying to cut insurance costs, never reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Consumers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, high prices, unfair underwriting practices and delays in responding to claim requests. Whatever your reason, choosing a new company is easier than you think.
