Do you get frustrated by the sheer number of car insurance choices available to you? You’re not alone. There are so many options that it can be a real challenge to find better car insurance rates. If you live there, you know that Isle Of Palms is a great city to raise a family in, but the high premiums for car insurance can make it hard to stay on budget.
It is always a good idea to price shop coverage once or twice a year since insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates at your last renewal a different company probably has better premium rates today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the proper way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.
Buy Isle Of Palms car insurance online
Shopping for lower car insurance rates can be challenging if you don’t utilize the most efficient way. You can spend your afternoon talking to agents in Isle Of Palms, or you could use the web to achieve your goal.
Most of the best insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace where prospective buyers submit their information once, and at least one company returns a competitive quote based on the submitted data. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests for each company. To compare rates using this form now click here (opens in new window).
The only drawback to comparing rates this way is buyers cannot specifically choose the providers to get pricing from. So if you want to select individual companies to compare prices, we have assembled a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in South Carolina. Click here to view list.
The method you choose is up to you, but do your best to use the exact same coverage data with every price quote. If you use unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s not possible to decipher which rate is best in Isle Of Palms.
Car insurance buyers beware
South Carolina drivers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings for switching by companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive. All the ads try to convey promises about savings just by switching your coverage.
That’s great but how can every company sell you cheaper insurance coverage? It’s all in how they say it.
Different companies have strict underwriting profiles for the driver that will not have excessive claims. An example of this type of driver may be married and over the age of 30, has never had a claim, and drives a safe vehicle. A propective insured that matches those criteria will get very good Isle Of Palms prices and will also cut their rates substantially.
People who do not match those criteria may receive a more expensive rate and this results in the customer not buying. The ads say “drivers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” will save that much if they switch. That’s why companies can lure you into getting a quote.
Because of this risk profiling, drivers must get price quotes at each policy renewal. It’s just not possible to know which car insurance company will give you lower rates than your current company.
Discounts can really help save money
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be significant discounts to help offset the cost. Certain reductions will be credited when you quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Federal government employees can save as much as 8% with a few car insurance companies.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some companies reward drivers for switching policies before your current coverage expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Anti-theft System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems have a lower chance of being stolen and can earn a small discount on your policy.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Owning your own home or condo can help you save on car insurance because maintaining a house requires a higher level of personal finance.
- No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on compared to drivers with a long claim history.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Taking time to complete a defensive driver course could save 5% or more and easily pay for the cost of the class.
You should keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will lower your policy cost.
A list of car insurance companies and their possible discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm has discounts for passive restraint, defensive driving training, Drive Safe & Save, multiple policy, good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and driver’s education.
- Geico offers premium reductions for driver training, multi-policy, emergency military deployment, anti-lock brakes, federal employee, and multi-vehicle.
- Allstate discounts include good payer, auto/life discount, economy car, teenSMART discount, good student, anti-lock brakes, and multi-policy.
- SAFECO may include discounts for homeowner, safe driver, multi-car, accident prevention training, teen safe driver, bundle discounts, and anti-lock brakes.
- Farm Bureau offers discounts for driver training, 55 and retired, safe driver, youthful driver, renewal discount, and multi-vehicle.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, good student, and online quote discount.
- AAA may offer discounts for education and occupation, anti-theft, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, good student, multi-car, and good driver.
When comparing rates, check with all companies you are considering which discounts can lower your rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be offered in Isle Of Palms. To see a list of insurers that offer multiple discounts in Isle Of Palms, click here to view.
Get rate quotes but buy from a local neighborhood Isle Of Palms car insurance agent
Some people just want to buy from a licensed agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Insurance agents can help you choose the best coverages and help you file claims. The best thing about comparing rate quotes online is that you can obtain cheap rate quotes but also keep your business local. Buying insurance from neighborhood insurance agencies is important especially in Isle Of Palms.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, your coverage information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Isle Of Palms who will give you quotes for your business. There is no need to leave your house as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. If for some reason you want to compare rates for a specific company, you can always search and find their rate quote page to submit a rate quote request.
What type of Isle Of Palms auto insurance agent is right for you?
If you prefer to buy car insurance from a good insurance agency, it’s important to understand the different types of agencies and how they are slightly different. Car insurance agencies are categorized either captive agents or independent agents. Either can sell car insurance policies, but it’s worth learning the difference between them because it may have an impact on the type of agent you choose.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Agents that choose to be independent are not restriced to one company and that enables them to quote your coverage with a variety of different insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If your premiums go up, an independent agent can move your coverage which makes it simple for you.
When comparing car insurance prices, it’s recommended you compare quotes from a few independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. Most independent agents also contract with companies that do not advertise much which may have better rates.
Captive Insurance Agencies
Captive agencies can only provide one company’s prices and examples are State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. They are unable to give you multiple price quotes so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage. Some people will only buy from captive agents partially due to the brand and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Picking a car insurance agent requires you to look at more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- How will an accident affect your rates?
- How long has their agency been open in Isle Of Palms?
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Is the agent properly licensed in South Carolina?
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
More information can be found on the located here. Consumers can file complaints about a company, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read consumer alerts, and get help finding coverage.
Other informative sites include this page for car insurance prices in South Carolina and QuoteClickSave.com.
Online plus local equals savings
Budget-friendly car insurance can be sourced online in addition to many Isle Of Palms insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers may not offer rates over the internet and many times these smaller companies work with independent agents.
Throughout this article, we presented many ways to lower your car insurance prices. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the best price on car insurance is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
Insureds switch companies for many reasons like unfair underwriting practices, poor customer service, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or even delays in paying claims. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching car insurance companies is actually quite simple.