How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Black Creek

Have you had enough of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You are no different than the majority of other car owners in North Carolina. Numerous battle for your hard-earned dollar, so it's not easy to compare every to get the lowest price

It's important to price shop coverage before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Just because you had the best price a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because I'm going to let you in on the secrets to the proper way to find better coverage at a better price.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Car insurance companies don't always advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both the well known and the more hidden auto insurance savings. If they aren't giving you every credit available, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Black Creek may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
  • Good Students Pay Less - A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
  • Multi-car Discount - Buying insurance for more than one vehicle on the same auto insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
  • Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
  • Sign Online - Certain companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy on their website.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, auto insurance companies aren't that generous.

To see a list of companies offering auto insurance discounts in Black Creek, follow this link.

Cheap Black Creek Auto Insurance Comparisons

Finding cheaper auto insurance prices can be surprisingly simple. Consumers just need to take a few minutes to compare rate quotes provided by online insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.

  • The best way consumers can make multiple comparisons is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This method saves time by eliminating separate quotes for every auto insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form will return quotes instantly.
  • A slightly less efficient method to shop for auto insurance online is to take the time to go to each individual company website to complete a price quote. For instance, let's say you want rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

    For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Black Creek, click here.
  • The least efficient way to compare rates is to spend your day driving to insurance agents' offices. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the trained guidance of a local agent. You can, however, obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent. We'll cover that shortly.

Whichever way you use, ensure you're using the exact same coverages and limits with each company. If you use different deductibles it will be impossible to make an equal comparison in Black Creek.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

  • Bump up deductibles to save - Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, or theft. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance companies in North Carolina provide better rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Cautious drivers pay less - Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than bad drivers. Just one moving violation may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers who have serious citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
  • Liability coverage protects you - Liability insurance will protect you if ever you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. It provides for a legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Marriage pays dividends - Having a spouse can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. It usually means you are more responsible and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Save money with special equipment - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
  • Are you male or female? - The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men have accidents in similar percentages, but the males cause more damage. They also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
  • Big city or small town - Being located in a rural area can be a good thing when talking about auto insurance. Fewer drivers means reduced accidents. Drivers who live in large North Carolina cities have much more traffic to deal with and longer commute times. More time commuting means higher likelihood of an accident.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Consumers in North Carolina can't get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing about savings if you switch your policy.

How do they all claim to save you money?

All companies can use profiling for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who don't qualify for the "perfect" profile will have to pay more money which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "people who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It's impossible to know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

A tidy conclusion

Cheap auto insurance is available both online in addition to many Black Creek insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

We covered many ways to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like .

Even more information can be found at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to report car insurance fraud, download brochures, file complaints about a company, and find out which companies have the most complaints.