I really doubt anyone anticipates paying for auto insurance, especially when they could lower their rates if they shopped around. Big-name insurance companies like Geico, 21st Century and Progressive constantly blast consumers with TV and radio ads and it can be hard to see past the geckos and flying pigs and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
You should take the time to compare prices before your policy renews because prices change frequently. If you had the best quotes last year you can probably find a lower rate today. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance online but in a few minutes you can learn some solid techniques on how to lower your auto insurance premiums.
If you have a current auto insurance policy or are shopping for new coverage, you can use this information to shop for the lowest rates while maximizing coverage. Buying car insurance in Dillon is not rocket science. South Carolina vehicle owners only need an understanding of the most effective way to shop for auto insurance online.
Many insurance companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm allow you to get prices for coverage online. Comparing rates online doesn’t take a lot of time because it’s just a matter of typing in your coverage information as requested by the quote form. Once entered, the company’s rating system makes automated requests for your driving record and credit report and returns a price based on these and other factors. Online price estimates simplifies rate comparisons, but the time required to go to many different websites and enter the same data into a form is a big time waster. But it’s very important to do this in order to get the lowest price.
The quickest way to compare auto insurance pricing uses one form to obtain quotes from many companies. It saves time, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes quoting online a little more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is rated and you can select any or none of the price quotes you receive.
If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The entire process just takes a couple of minutes and could lower your rates considerably.
To find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and fill out the form. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you type in coverages and limits as shown on your current policy. This ensures you will get comparison quotes for similar coverage.
Auto insurance discounts are available to cut your rates
Auto insurance is not inexpensive, but you may be missing some discounts that you may not even know about. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about before they will apply.
- Senior Discount – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens may be able to get a small discount on rates.
- Pay Early and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
- Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
- ABS Brakes – Vehicles that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are much safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the personal injury premium cost.
- Active Service Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit may lower your prices slightly.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Despite the appearance that you would end up receiving a 100% discount, nobody gets a free ride.
To view companies offering auto insurance discounts in South Carolina, click here.
Get more affordable costs by understanding these factors
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the elements that go into determining your auto insurance rates. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this enables informed choices that may result in big savings. Many things are taken into consideration when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious like your driving record, but others are more obscure like your vehicle usage or your vehicle rating.
- Five star NHTSA crash test rating saves money – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Highly rated vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates translates directly to fewer claims and cheaper rates on your policy.
- Save money by raising comp and collision deductibles – Physical damage protection, aka comp and collision, is used to repair damage to your vehicle. Some coverage claims could be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and damage caused by flying debris. The deductibles you choose define how much the insured will be required to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The more of the claim you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Auto insurance rates and age – Teen drivers in South Carolina are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Having to add a young driver onto a policy can cause a big jump in price. More mature drivers have been proven to be more responsible, cost insurance companies less in claims and receive fewer citations.
- Save money by eliminating add-on coverages – Policies have optional add-on coverages that can add up but may not be useful. Coverages like coverage for rental cars, towing, and extra equipment coverage are probably not needed. They may sound like good ideas when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so consider taking them off your policy.
- Your liability limits – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance will protect you if you are ruled to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. This coverage provides legal defense which can cost a lot. It is affordable coverage when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
More information is located on the website for the South Carolina Department of Insurance. Click here for link. South Carolina drivers can view agent and company licensing information, learn about specific coverages, read consumer alerts, and view a list of available companies.
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Advertising and auto insurance
Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that claim the lowest rates from companies such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. All the ads make the point that you can save if you move your coverage.
It sounds good, but how can they all offer you a better deal? This is the trick they use.
Many companies have an ideal profile for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer should be over age 30, has no driving citations, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver who matches those parameters will most likely get cheap car insurance rates and have a good chance to save a lot if they switch.
Potential customers who do not fit the “perfect” profile must pay higher premium rates which translates to the customer buying from a different company. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “people that switch” not “all people who quote” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the savings.
This emphasizes why you absolutely need to do a quote comparison often. Because you never know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.
A tidy conclusion
Lower-priced auto insurance can be bought on the web in addition to many Dillon insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies may not offer rate quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers prefer to sell through local independent agencies.
In this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for auto insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your prices. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from the least-expected company. Regional companies may only write in your state and offer lower prices as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.