Are you tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other North Carolina drivers.
Consumers have many auto insurance companies to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have multiple companies, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.
Consumers should take time to compare rates occasionally since rates change frequently. If you had the best price a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the tricks you need to know to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.
Discounts can save BIG
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list both well-publicized and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.
- Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Drive Safe and Save – Insureds without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accidents.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
- Paperless Signup – Certain companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
- Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
It’s important to understand that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won’t be that lucky.
Will just any policy work for me?
When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions might point out whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
- Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my vehicle to commute?
- Should I buy more coverage than the required North Carolina minimum liability coverage?
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Is my vehicle covered for smoke damage?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Switch companies and save? Really?
Car insurance companies such as Geico, State Farm and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. They all seem to make the same claim about savings after switching to them. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.
All companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer they prefer to insure. For instance, a driver they prefer might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. Any new insured who fits that profile will get very good rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Consumers who do not match these standards will have to pay a more expensive rate which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That is how insurance companies can confidently claim big savings. Because of the profiling, you need to compare many company’s rates. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.
Even more information is available at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, learn about insurance regulations, and download brochures.
Other informative sites include this page for car insurance in North Carolina and this page of Greensboro insurance agents.
A little work can save a LOT of money
Budget-conscious car insurance is definitely available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Greensboro, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
You just learned a lot of techniques to reduce car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. They may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like Progressive and Geico.