Paying cheaper rates for Woodruff car insurance is always difficult for drivers who are new to shopping for insurance online. Drivers have so many options that it can easily be a burden to find more affordable prices in South Carolina.
Finding low cost car insurance quotes is surprisingly easy. You just need to spend a little time comparing rate quotes to discover which company has . Price comparisons can be done by following the guidelines below.
The first (and easiest) way to get quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This easy form keeps you from doing multiple quote forms for every prospective company. A single, simple form gets rate comparisons from many national carriers. This is by far the quickest method.
A different way to analyze rates is spending the time to visit the website for every company you want to comare and go through the quote process again. For instance, we’ll pretend you are doing a rate comparison from State Farm, Geico and Liberty Mutual. In order to get each rate, you would have to go to each individual site and type in your information over and over, which can be really labor intensive.
To view a list of companies in Woodruff, click here.
Whichever method you choose, make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples coverage information on every quote you get. If the quotes have different coverage information you will not be able to decipher which rate is best in Woodruff.
The car insurance bait and switch
Consumers can’t get away from all the ads for the lowest price car insurance from companies such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. They all say the same thing that you can save if you get a free and switch your car insurance coverage to their company.
How is it possible that every company can make almost identical claims? This is the way they can do it.
All companies quote their cheapest rates for a prospective insured that will add to their bottom line. For instance, a preferred risk could be married and over the age of 30, has no driving citations, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and will also pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential customers who do not meet the ideal profile will probably have to pay a higher rate and this can result in the customer buying from someone else. If you listen closely, the ads state “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can make it sound like they have such great auto insurance rates. This really illustrates why it’s extremely important to compare many company’s auto insurance rates. It’s not possible to predict which company will have the best rates at this point in time.
Informed consumers can lower your rates
Many different elements are considered when you get your auto insurance bill. Some of the criteria are obvious like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are less apparent such as your credit history and annual miles driven. Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the things that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. If you have a feel for what controls the rates you pay, this enables you to make decisions that could help you find big savings.
The factors shown below are some of the things companies use to determine your premiums.
- Men drivers tend to cost more – Statistics have proven that females take fewer risks when driving. It does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. They both cause auto accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species have accidents that have higher claims. They also get higher numbers of serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Males from age 16 to 21 generally have the highest accident percentage and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
- Lower rates come with age – More mature drivers have been proven to be more responsible, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.Beginning drivers are statistically shown to be less responsible when driving with friends so car insurance rates are higher.
- Consider raising comp and collision deductibles – Physical damage protection, aka comp and collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of some claims that would be covered are a broken side mirror, hail damage, and burglary. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles tell how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The more you’re willing to pay, the less money you will pay for car insurance.
- Liability protection preserves assets – Your car insurance policy’s liability coverage will provide protection if you are found to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides you with a defense in court to attempt to prove you were not liable. It is affordable coverage as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Discounts for lower-cost car insurance rates
Some insurance providers don’t always publicize every policy discount very well, so the list below gives a summary of both the well known as well as the least known credits available to lower your premiums when you .
- Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates as compared to drivers with claims.
- College Student Discount – who are enrolled in higher education away from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Policyholders that allow driving data collection to track vehicle usage remotely such as Progressive’s Snapshot may get a rate reduction if their driving habits are good.
- Smart Student Discounts – Maintaining excellent grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount well after school through age 25.
- Waiver for an Accident – but a few companies such as Allstate and Progressive will turn a blind eye to one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 15% off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can save you some money because new vehicles keep occupants safer.
You should keep in mind that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.
The best car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are detailed below.
- AAA may offer discounts for AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, anti-theft, education and occupation, and multi-car.
- Progressive has discounts for good student, homeowner, multi-vehicle, online signing, and continuous coverage.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for good student, multiple policy, defensive driving training, good driver, student away at school, safe vehicle, and Drive Safe & Save.
- Esurance may include discounts for online shopper, DriveSense, renters, anti-lock brakes, and homeowner.
- Nationwide includes discounts for Farm Bureau membership, family plan, good student, defensive driving, and easy pay.
Before you buy a policy, ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. Discounts may not be offered in your state. If you would like to view insurers who offer discounts in South Carolina, click here to view.
You may need specialized car insurance coverage
When it comes to buying coverage, there is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique.
Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- What are South Carolina no-fault laws?
- Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
If you can’t answer these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.
More effort can pay off
Some insurance companies do not offer rate quotes online and many times these smaller companies sell through local independent agents. Lower-priced car insurance is definitely available online as well as from insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates.
As you prepare to switch companies, never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice collision coverage only to find out that they should have had better coverage. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best possible price while not skimping on critical coverages.
We just presented quite a bit of information on how to compare car insurance rates online. It’s most important to understand that the more you , the better likelihood of getting . You may be surprised to find that the best price on car insurance is with a smaller regional carrier.
For more South Carolina car insurance information
More detailed South Carolina car insurance information is located at the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. Consumers can learn about specific coverages, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and file complaints about a company.