Scraping up a payment for high-priced auto insurance can empty your checking account and force you to tighten up your finances. Comparing cost estimates is an excellent way to tighten up your finances.
There is such a variety of car insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, it makes it harder to adequately compare rates.
Consumers need to get comparison quotes before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Even if you got the best deal six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the fastest and easiest way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.
This information will introduce you to how to get online quotes and some money-saving tips. If you have car insurance now, you should be able to save some money using these techniques. Nevertheless, North Carolina consumers can benefit from knowing how companies determine prices and apply this information to your search.
The quickest method to compare policy rates takes advantage of the fact all the major auto insurance companies pay for the opportunity to quote your coverage. To get started, all you need to do is provide a little information such as types of safety features, how much education you have, driver ages, and whether your vehicle is owned or leased. That rating information gets sent immediately to many highly-rated insurers and they return rate quotes with very little delay.
To get price quotes for your car now, click here and enter your zip code.
Can you really save $387 a year?
Auto insurance companies such as State Farm and Allstate continually stream television, radio, and online ads. All the ads seem to make the promise about savings after switching your coverage to them. How does each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.
Insurance providers have specific characteristics for the type of driver that will generate a profit. For example, this type of driver could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, owns their home, and has a high credit rating. Anybody that fits those parameters will most likely get cheap prices and as a result will probably save money with a new company.
Potential customers who may not quite match these stringent criteria may be required to pay more expensive rates which results in the customer buying from a different company. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that much when switching. That’s the way companies can truthfully claim big savings.
Because each company has a different risk profile, you should get as many as possible. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which auto insurance company will have the lowest rate quotes.
Cut your auto insurance rates with these nine discounts
Not too many consumers would say auto insurance is affordable, but there are discounts available that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Some of these disounts will be visible when you quote, but some need to be inquired about prior to receiving the credit.
- Renewal Discounts – A few larger companies offer discounts for buying a new policy prior to your current policy expiration. You could save around 10% when you .
- Accident Free – Stallings drivers who stay claim-free are rewarded with significantly better rates on as compared to drivers with a long claim history.
- Accident Forgiveness – This one isn’t a discount, but some insurance companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Buying a new car instead of a used car can cost up to 25% less since new model year vehicles are generally safer.
- Life Insurance Discount – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a small discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
- Student in College – College-age children who are attending college and don’t have a car may qualify for this discount.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with ABS braking systems or traction control can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving less can qualify you for substantially lower premium rates.
Please keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because you may think all the discounts add up to a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
To find auto insurance companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in North Carolina, click here.
Local Stallings car insurance agents
A small number of people still like to buy from a licensed agent and we recommend doing that A good thing about comparing rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get lower car insurance rates and still have a local agent. And buying from local agents is important particularly in Stallings.
After filling out this simple form, the coverage information is emailed to local insurance agents who want to provide quotes for your auto insurance coverage. There is no need to even leave your home since rate quotes are delivered instantly to you. You can get cheaper auto insurance rates and a licensed agent to work with. If you need to quote rates from a specific auto insurance provider, you just need to go to their quote page and give them your coverage information.
If you want to buy auto insurance from a local agent, it can be helpful to understand the types of agencies and how they operate. Agents are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive).
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
Independent agents are normally appointed by many insurers and that enables them to quote your coverage through many different auto insurance companies and find you the best rates. If your premiums go up, the business is moved internally which requires no work on your part. When comparing rate quotes, you need to get insurance quotes from several independent agencies in order to have the best price comparison.
The following are independent insurance agencies in Stallings that can possibly get you price quotes.
Marshall Insurance – 1328 Stallings Rd – Stallings, NC 28104 – (704) 684-0082
Captive Auto Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be captive are contracted to one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Captives are highly trained on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Deciding on an car insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Has the agent ever had any license suspensions?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Does the company use OEM repair parts?
- Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
- Is every driver in your family covered?
Coverage specifics
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can be of help when determining the right coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverage types offered by auto insurance companies.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for bills for things like nursing services, surgery and hospital visits. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (30/60/25 in North Carolina), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Coverage for collisions
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, damaging your car on a curb, crashing into a building, driving through your garage door and scraping a guard rail. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive auto coverage
This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, vandalism, hitting a deer and damage from flooding. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.
Liability
Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability insurance covers things like medical expenses, attorney fees and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but buy as large an amount as possible. North Carolina state law requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.
A little work can save a LOT of money
Affordable auto insurance is attainable both online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies don’t offer online rate quotes and many times these regional carriers only sell through independent insurance agencies.
When trying to cut insurance costs, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, someone dropped liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
More information is located on the located here. Consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, download brochures, read state legal mandates and laws, and find disaster information.