Saving money on Greenville car insurance is always hard for consumers new to comparing rates online. People have so many options that it can turn into a big hassle to find the best price in Greenville.
Consumers should take time to compare rates every six months because insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates a year ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. You can find a lot of wrong information about car insurance on the web, but I’m going to show you some proven techniques to stop overpaying for insurance.
Shopping for the lowest cost protection in Greenville is quite easy. In a nutshell, every vehicle owner who is shopping for car insurance stands a good chance to be able to lower their premiums. But South Carolina drivers need to have an understanding of the methods companies use to price insurance differently because it can help you find the best coverage.
Are you getting all your discounts?
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but companies offer discounts to reduce the price significantly. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you complete an application, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for prior to getting the savings.
- E-sign – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy on their website.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner may trigger a car insurance policy discount because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Having multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
- No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will cut your premiums.
To see a list of companies with the best car insurance discounts in Greenville, click here to view.
Buyer beware of car insurance advertising tricks
Car insurance providers like Geico, State Farm and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all say the same thing that you’ll save big after switching your coverage to them. How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.
Insurance companies can use profiling for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a preferred risk might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has excellent credit. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and most likely will save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who don’t meet this ideal profile will be quoted a more expensive rate which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can make those claims.
This emphasizes why drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It’s not possible to predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.
Learn more about car insurance in South Carolina
More information can be found on the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. South Carolina drivers can find disaster information, report car insurance fraud, and find out industry alerts.
A little work can save a LOT of money
We covered a lot of ways to save on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the best price on car insurance is with the smaller companies.
Low-cost car insurance can be bought both online as well as from independent agents in Greenville, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies don’t offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When shopping online for car insurance, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.