Are you confused by the wide range of car insurance company choices in High Point? You’re not the only one! Drivers have so many options available that it can be more work than you anticipated to find the best price.
How to Buy High Point Car Insurance Online
Getting a lower price on insurance doesn’t have to be difficult. Drivers just need to take the time to compare rate quotes from different insurance companies. This can be accomplished in several different ways.
- The best way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This type of form saves time by eliminating multiple quote forms to each individual car insurance company. One form gets you coverage quotes from car insurance companies with the best prices. It’s definitely the quickest method.
- A less efficient way to get comparison quotes consists of visiting each company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For sake of this example, let’s say you want to compare Auto-Owners, State Farm and Progressive. You would have to go to every website and enter your policy data, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in High Point, click here.
- The most time-consuming method to get comparison rates is to spend time driving to local High Point insurance agencies. Shopping for car insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you require the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, comparison shop your insurance online and still use a local agent and we’ll cover that in a bit.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make darn sure you compare identical coverage limits with each company. If you compare different deductibles it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in High Point.
You probably qualify for some discounts
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Some discounts apply automatically when you purchase, but a few need to be inquired about before being credited. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you are throwing money away.
- Sign Early and Save – Select companies give a discount for buying a policy before your current expiration date. It can save you around 10%.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with one company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
- Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Life Insurance Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Organization Discounts – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying car insurance.
A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most cut individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.
To see a list of insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in North Carolina, click this link.
Your local neighborhood insurance agent
Some people just want to get advice from a local agent and that is OK! Licensed agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is you can get better rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for small agencies is definitely important in High Point.
Once you complete this form (opens in new window), the quote information is submitted to companies in High Point who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to leave your house since price quotes are sent to your email.
Types of insurance agents in High Point
If you’re trying to find a good High Point insurance agent, you must know there are a couple different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in High Point are either independent (non-captive) or captive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s worth mentioning the differences because it can influence your agent selection.
Independent Agents
Independent agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to include several independent insurance agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. Many write coverage with different regional companies which may provide better rates.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agencies in High Point that are able to give price quote information.
- John P Causey Insurance Co – 1504 Wendover Dr – High Point, NC 27262 – (336) 889-7368
- Direct General Ins Agency – 2505 N Main St – High Point, NC 27262 – (336) 869-0300
- Womack Agency – 1107 N Main St # 105 – High Point, NC 27262 – (336) 889-5441
- Direct General Ins Agency – 2620 S Main St – High Point, NC 27263 – (336) 884-4281
- Zimmerman Insurance – 2106 W English Rd – High Point, NC 27262 – (336) 883-6512
Captive Insurance Agents
This type of agents work for only one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. These agents are very knowledgeable on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage. Some consumers prefer to buy from captive agents partially due to the prominence of the brand and strong financial ratings.
The following are High Point captive insurance agencies that are able to give price quote information.
- State Farm Insurance – 1620 Eastchester Dr # 104 – High Point, NC 27265 – (336) 884-1675
- Allstate Insurance Co – 275 E Parris Ave # 107 – High Point, NC 27262 – (336) 889-8005
For a full directory of captive agencies in High Point, visit this site.
Selecting an insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just the price. Here are some questions to ask:
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- How long has their agency been open in High Point?
Once you have positive feedback to any questions you have and a good coverage price, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that is a good match to properly service your car insurance policy. But remember, you can always cancel a policy whenever you wish so don’t think you are locked into your new company with no way to switch.
Car insurance coverage considerations
Learning about specific coverages of your policy aids in choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.
Liability coverages – Liability insurance will cover damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show limits of 50/100/50 which means a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability insurance covers things like pain and suffering, funeral expenses and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but you should buy higher limits if possible. North Carolina requires drivers to carry at least 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Coverage for medical expenses – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for immediate expenses such as doctor visits, nursing services, chiropractic care and surgery. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Comprehensive car insurance – This coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as theft, damage from getting keyed, hail damage, damage from flooding and rock chips in glass. The maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision – This pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage protects against things such as damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox, crashing into a building and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Since 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 very important. Frequently the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Final considerations
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice full coverage and found out when filing a claim they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Insureds who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including policy non-renewal, poor customer service, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or not issuing a premium refund. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new car insurance company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
We covered quite a bit of information on how to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the lowest premiums are with a lesser-known regional company.
More resources for learning
Much more information about car insurance in North Carolina is located on the North Carolina Department of Insurance website located here. North Carolina consumers can download brochures, find out industry alerts, and read industry bulletins.
The following information may also be useful.