RICHMOND – Interest in the availability and affordability of insurance is on the rise as many Virginia consumers continue to experience increases in their auto and homeowners premiums. This makes it more important than ever for consumers to understand their insurance coverage, how to shop for it, and what to do should they encounter a problem.

     In an ongoing effort to increase consumer awareness and education, the State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) Bureau of Insurance has updated its free auto and homeowners insurance consumer guides.

     The guides provide basic information about auto and homeowners insurance coverage and offer useful shopping tips. They also include steps consumers may take when they must file a claim or if they have a problem with their insurance coverage.

     The homeowners guide includes information about mobile home policies, ranch and farm policies, flood insurance, mortgage guaranty insurance, and title insurance. It also offers common-sense tips on protecting your property. The auto guide discusses the impact of accidents and traffic violations on your insurance premiums, and what to do if you are involved in an accident.

     The auto and homeowners guides have separate pricing pamphlets that feature current samplings of automobile and homeowners insurance premiums categorized by geographic region. The pricing pamphlets include tables showing premiums for 50 of the top writers of automobile and homeowners insurance in Virginia.

     In both the auto and homeowners pricing pamphlets, the premium comparisons are shown for Richmond, Alexandria, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Roanoke, and Charlotte County. The premiums charged in Charlotte County represent most of the other non-metropolitan areas of Virginia. Because of the wide variation in premiums, the Bureau of Insurance advises consumers to shop around for insurance.

     The table for homeowners insurance compares coverage for frame and masonry homes. The auto insurance tables show premiums for 20-year-old unmarried males and females and for 45-year-old married adults.

     In addition to the consumer auto insurance guide, the Bureau of Insurance has developed a pamphlet specifically for younger drivers. The Teenager’s Guide to Auto Insurance offers information and tips for teens about insurance issues.

     The SCC distributes all of these guides to public libraries. The guides may also be found on the Bureau’s website at www/state.va.us/scc/division/boi/. The auto insurance guide is also being distributed to the Department of Motor Vehicles and public and private school systems for driver education classes.

     Consumers may request copies of the free guides by calling the Bureau of Insurance Property and Casualty Consumer Services Section at (804) 371-9185 or toll-free at 1-877-310-6560. Consumers who are hearing or speech impaired may call through the SCC’s Telecommunications Device for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDD) at (804) 371-9206. The guides are also available by writing to the State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance, P. O. Box 1157, Richmond, Virginia 23218.

     In addition to the auto and homeowners guides, the Bureau of Insurance makes available free guides for commercial insurance, life insurance, health insurance, long-term care insurance, and a guide designed to answer the insurance questions of senior citizens. The Bureau also has specially trained staff to help consumers with questions or problems regarding insurance.