Have you fallen victim to high-priced auto insurance? Trust us when we tell you there are a lot of people in Conway just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy. Online insurance companies like Geico and Progressive promote their brand names with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to see past the corporate glitz and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
You need to do rate comparisons every six months since insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the lowest price last year a different company probably has better rates today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to find out the fastest way to find better coverage at a better price.
If you are insured now or need a new policy, you can follow these tips to shop for the lowest rates and possibly find even better coverage. Buying car insurance in Conway is not that difficult. South Carolina consumers just need to know the proper way to get comparison rates online.
Auto Insurance Prices in Conway
All major auto insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate and Geico quote insurance quotes on the web. Getting quotes is fairly simple as you simply enter the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the company’s rating system orders your driving record and credit report and returns a price. Being able to quote online streamlines rate comparisons, but the work required to visit a lot of sites and enter the same data into a form can be a bit repetitive. But it’s absolutely necessary to perform this step in order to get the best price on auto insurance.
A less time-consuming method to find cheaper rates is to use a quote form to return rates from many companies. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes quoting online much more enjoyable and efficient. Immediately after you send the form, it gets priced and you can select any of the resulting price quotes.
If you find a better price you simply finish the application and buy the new coverage. It can be completed in a matter of minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.
To quickly use this form to compare rates, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you duplicate coverages and limits exactly as they are listed on your policy. This way, you will be getting an apples-to-apples comparison using the same coverage and limits.
Don’t listen to company ads
South Carolina consumers can’t ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like State Farm, Allstate and Geico. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings if you change to them.
How can each company make almost identical claims?
All companies can use profiling for the type of driver they prefer to insure. An example of a preferred risk could possibly be over the age of 50, owns a home, and chooses high deductibles. Any driver who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save a lot of money.
Drivers who don’t measure up to these standards must pay more money which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “people who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently state the savings.
This illustrates why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.
Lower rates by qualifying for these nine discounts
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but a few must be requested specifically before they will apply. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.
- Auto/Life Discount – Some companies give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
- Good Student Discount – This discount can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
- Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down can earn a substantially lower rate.
- Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
- Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Bundle and Save – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may earn at least 10% off all policies.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and will save you 10% or more.
It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Most cut specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck. But any discount will help reduce the cost of coverage.
To see a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in South Carolina, click here.
Car insurance is unique, just like you
When choosing adequate coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine if your situation could use an agent’s help.
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
- Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
- What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.
Much more information about auto insurance in South Carolina is available on the website for the South Carolina Department of Insurance located here. Consumers can read consumer alerts, learn about insurance regulations, find out industry alerts, and read industry bulletins.
Other related articles:
- Insider Methods to Paying Less for Conway, AR Car Insurance
- How to Compare Car Insurance Rates From Conway Insurance Providers
Parts of your auto insurance policy
Learning about specific coverages of a auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are the usual coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Coverage for liability – Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against things such as legal defense fees, court costs, attorney fees and emergency aid. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford. South Carolina requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/25), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Most of the time these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Collision coverages – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as colliding with a tree, scraping a guard rail and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
Insurance for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for chiropractic care, hospital visits, EMT expenses and nursing services. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hitting a deer, falling objects, a broken windshield, vandalism and damage from flooding. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.
And the best car insurance company is…
We covered many tips how you can lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from the least-expected company. They often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive.
When you buy insurance online, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage only to regret they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.