How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Car Insurance in Boonville

Are you sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as most other car owners in North Carolina.

With consumers having so many options when it comes to car insurance, it is hard for the average consumer to pick the cheapest company.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies don't list all available discounts very well, so here is a list both the well known and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.

  • Service Members Pay Less - Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
  • Student in College - Children who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount - Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may be able to get better car insurance rates.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn't work that way.

To see a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in North Carolina, follow this link.

car insurance in Boonville

Comparison of Car Insurance in Boonville

Most companies allow you to get coverage prices on the web. Obtaining pricing is pretty painless as you just enter as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and returns a price quote based on these and other factors. This helps simplify price comparisons, but the process of having to visit multiple sites and type in the same information is monotonous and tiresome. But it's very important to have as many quotes as possible in order to find the best price on car insurance.

The preferred way to lower your car insurance bill makes use of a single form that gets prices from a bunch of companies at once. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes rate comparisons much more enjoyable. As soon as you send your information, it is rated and you can select any or none of the price quotes you receive. If you find a better price you can click and sign and purchase the new policy. The entire process only takes a few minutes and may save quite a bit of money.

In order to find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and begin entering your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it's recommended you copy the limits and deductibles as shown on your current policy. This makes sure you will have a rate comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Boonville Rates are Influenced by These Factors

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates enables informed choices that could result in big savings.

The following are some of the factors car insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

  • Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
  • Your car insurance rates can be influenced by your job - Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Occupations such as doctors, architects and stock brokers tend to have the highest rates due to high stress and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, occupations such as farmers, students and performers receive lower rates.
  • Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in North Carolina are known to get distracted easily in a vehicle so car insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
  • Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Many companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, it's still a good idea to compare rates to ensure the best deal. You may still find better rates by splitting coverages up.
  • Do you have enough liability coverage? - Liability coverage will protect you if you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Men pay higher rates - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. They both are in accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
  • The type of vehicle makes a difference - The make and model of the vehicle you are insuring makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. The lowest base rates are usually for small economy passenger vehicles, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
  • Bad driving skills means higher rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Careful drivers get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Just one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Drivers with flagrant tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.

How can 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads on television and other media. All the companies say the same thing that you can save after switching to their company. But how can every company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All the different companies can use profiling for the driver that is profitable for them. An example of a profitable customer might be over the age of 40, is a homeowner, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who are not a match for this ideal profile must pay more money which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "customers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. That's why insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers must compare many company's rates. You cannot predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

Affordable car insurance can be bought both online and also from your neighborhood Boonville agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some car insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When shopping online for car insurance, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Learn more today

Additional detailed information is available at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find disaster information, read industry bulletins, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and read consumer alerts.

Additional helpful sites include this page for car insurance prices in North Carolina and this page of Boonville insurance agents.