When pricing car insurance in Fredericksburg, Virginia, there are a lot of options and choosing the right Fredericksburg auto insurance agent is harder than just randomly choosing from the yellow pages. For the sake of this article, we’ll assume that not only do you want a good agent, but also the best rates possible.
With insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate and Farmers Insurance all competing for business in Fredericksburg, consumers have a hard time knowing which car insurance agent will provide you with the cheapest rates and the best coverage. To help decide, it’s easy to use insurance quotes online in order to build a list of insurance agents from which to choose.
Working with a local agent
Insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the best rates and still choose a local agent. And providing support for local agencies is especially important in Fredericksburg.
By using this quick form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to insurance agents in Fredericksburg who will compete for your business. You never need to drive around as quotes are delivered to your email. How cool is that?! Get lower rates and a licensed agent to work with.
Types of car insurance agents in Fredericksburg
If you’re trying to find a good insurance agency, there are a couple of types of insurance agents from which to choose. Insurance agencies in Fredericksburg are either independent or captive.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies and that require little work on your part. When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to contact multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from. They also have the ability to place coverage with different regional companies who may have lower rates.
Below are independent agents in Fredericksburg who may be able to give you competitive price quotes.
- John R Ihlenfeld Insurance – 1810 Princess Anne St – Fredericksburg, VA 22401 – (540) 371-9000
- Rainville Agency Inc – 4034 Plank Rd # B – Fredericksburg, VA 22407 – (540) 786-4477
- Nationwide Insurance – 3435 Jefferson Davis Hwy – Fredericksburg, VA 22408 – (540) 710-9618
Captive Agents
Captive agents work for only one company like State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. They receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers frequently buy from captive agents mainly due to high brand loyalty and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Shown below are captive agencies in Fredericksburg who can help you get comparison quotes.
- Liberty Mutual 0364 – 1340 Central Park Blvd – Fredericksburg, VA 22401 – (540) 548-8344
- Farm Bureau Insurance – 4016 Plank Rd – Fredericksburg, VA 22407 – (540) 898-2183
- Allstate Insurance – 3500 Plank Rd # L – Fredericksburg, VA 22407 – (540) 786-2666
- State Farm Insurance – 2304 Jefferson Davis Hwy – Fredericksburg, VA 22401 – (540) 373-2300
- Farmers Insurance Group – 1320 Central Park Blvd – Fredericksburg, VA 22401 – (540) 785-2600
For a full directory of captive agencies in Fredericksburg, simply jump to this page.
Choosing an insurance agency needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
Upon receiving satisfactory answers to these questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.
Include online companies when price shopping
Auto insurance agents can be invaluable at times, but Virginia consumers also have the option to buy direct online. Some companies like Allstate and State Farm that sell primarily through agents also give you the ability to buy direct online, so keep that in mind.
If you’re concerned about not having an insurance agent’s advice, that shouldn’t be an issue. Online car insurance companies all have client service departments for getting advice on proper coverages.
When trying to find the best rates, the only way to determine if car insurance prices are lower online or from agents is to get free quotes from both and compare them. You can actually get different rates from online quotes as they do from local agents from the SAME company. But you can’t find out which method provides the best price unless free rate quotes are compared from both.
Is car insurance cheaper online? That is a tough question to answer since there are many things that impact your final bill. It’s logical to say that a shopper who purchases direct lowers rates due to not having any agent compensation. But in most cases, it’s expensive to advertise so the lack of a commission may be a wash.
Best coverage at the best price
Consumers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including not issuing a premium refund, unfair underwriting practices, extreme rates for teen drivers or even high rates after DUI convictions. Whatever your reason, choosing a new company is actually quite simple.
When you buy insurance online, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped collision coverage only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate.
Virginia insurance information
Much more information about car insurance in Virginia is available on the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website through this link. Virginia drivers can file complaints about a company, read state legal mandates and laws, and report car insurance fraud.
Additional helpful sites include this link for Virginia coverage information and this list of insurance agents in Fredericksburg.
