When looking for lower-cost insurance, do you get overwhelmed by the sheer number of car insurance sources in your area? There are such a vast assortment of sources available that it can turn into a big hassle to find the best prices. If you’ve ever been there, you know that Kernersville has many things to offer, but inflated car insurance rates can make it hard for many residents to pay other bills every month.
You should take the time to compare rates every six months because car insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower price today. There is a lot of bad advice regarding car insurance on the web, but in just a couple of minutes you can learn some of the best ways to save money.
If you have insurance now or are shopping for new coverage, you can use these tips to cut your premiums and still get good coverage. This article will tell you how to get online quotes and some tips to save money. North Carolina vehicle owners just need to understand the proper way to get comparison rates online.
These eight discounts can lower your car insurance quotes
Some insurers don’t list every policy discount in an easy-to-find place, so the following list contains a few of the more common and also the more inconspicuous credits that you can use to lower your rates.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory options such as air bags may earn rate discounts up to 30%.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Buying a policy with all your vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Driver Safety – Participating in a course that instructs on driving safety may get you a small discount if you qualify.
- Drive Less and Save – Low mileage vehicles could qualify for lower rates due to less chance of an accident.
- Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars and trucks that have anti-lock braking systems have fewer accidents and will save you 10% or more.
- 55 and Retired – Older drivers are able to get a slight reduction on a .
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Some car insurance companies give a small discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
Don’t be surprised that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, nobody gets a free ride.
A list of companies and a selection of discounts can be read below.
- State Farm may have discounts that include multiple policy, multiple autos, good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, and anti-theft.
- Geico policyholders can earn discounts including emergency military deployment, driver training, daytime running lights, anti-theft, federal employee, and multi-vehicle.
- SAFECO discounts include homeowner, drive less, bundle discounts, multi-car, accident prevention training, and teen safe driver.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for distant student, pay in full, homeowner, good student, youthful driver, and early shopping.
- AAA offers discounts for education and occupation, AAA membership discount, anti-theft, good student, good driver, multi-car, and multi-policy.
- USAA offers premium reductions for military installation, safe driver, driver training, good student, family discount, and loyalty savings.
When comparing rates, check with all the companies how many discounts you can get. Some discounts listed above might not apply in your area. If you would like to choose from a list of companies with significant discounts in Kernersville, follow this link.
There are a lot of ways to compare car insurance quotes, but one way is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can spend your afternoon talking to local insurance agents in Kernersville, or you could use online quoting for quick rates.
Many insurance companies belong to an insurance system where prospective buyers complete one form, and every company then returns a price quote based on the submitted data. This saves time by eliminating form submissions to each individual car insurance company.
To use this form to compare rates click here (opens in new window).
The only drawback to doing it this way is you are unable to specify which carriers to receive prices from. So if you prefer to choose specific insurance companies to compare rates, we have a page of companies who write car insurance in North Carolina. Click here to view list.
Whichever way you use, make darn sure you compare identical coverage data on every quote you get. If the quotes have mixed coverages then you won’t be able to get a fair rate comparison in Kernersville.
But they said I’d save $457 a year!
Consumers can’t escape the ads that claim the best rates from companies such as State Farm, Geico and Progressive. All the ads tend to make the same promise that drivers can save some big amount if you get a free and switch your policy.
But how can every company sell you cheaper insurance coverage? This is the trick they use.
Many companies have underwriting criteria for the type of driver that will generate a profit. A good example of a profitable insured may need to be between the ages of 30 and 50, carries full coverage, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” receive the lowest rate quotes and therefore will save if they switch.
Insureds who do not match these criteria may receive a more expensive rate with the end result being business going elsewhere. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “drivers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” will save that much if they switch. This is how companies can lure you into getting a quote.
This really illustrates why it is so important to do a quote comparison often. It’s just not possible to know the company that will fit your personal profile best.
Coverages available on your policy
Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy helps when choosing the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Comprehensive protection – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like theft, vandalism and a broken windshield. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision – Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle and crashing into a ditch. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Liability coverages – This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property that is your fault. It protects YOU against claims from other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as emergency aid, bail bonds, pain and suffering and funeral expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. North Carolina requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many North Carolina drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (30/60/25 in North Carolina), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Frequently these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Medical expense coverage – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for immediate expenses such as X-ray expenses, prosthetic devices, doctor visits and EMT expenses. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible
Compare but don’t skimp
Lower-priced car insurance is attainable online and with local Kernersville insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers don’t offer the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent agencies.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
You just read some good ideas how you can lower your car insurance auto insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of getting . You may even discover the best price on car insurance is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
Additional North Carolina car insurance resources
Additional information is available on the website for the North Carolina Department of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, download brochures, and discover disciplinary actions.