Best Way to Find Low-Cost Gatesville Car Insurance

Buying the most affordable Gatesville car insurance on the web is somewhat difficult for people who are new to buying insurance on the web. With so many choices of online companies, how can consumers even start to compare them all to find the cheapest rates?

It's important to compare prices yearly since rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting right now, ignore everything you know about car insurance because we're going to show you the proper way to find lower rates on car insurance.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.

Listed below are some of the factors car insurance companies consider when setting rates.

  • Teen drivers pay high rates - Young drivers in North Carolina are statistically proven to be more careless when driving so car insurance rates are higher. If you've ever had to add a young driver to your car insurance policy can be quite pricey. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
  • Where you live can impact rates - Residing in less populated areas can be a good thing when it comes to car insurance. Drivers in populated areas regularly have much more traffic and longer commute times. Lower population translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
  • Tickets mean higher rates - Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Only having one moving violation can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who have serious citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
  • Poor credit can mean higher rates - Credit score is a huge factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. If your credit rating is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have poor credit.
  • Multiple policies with one company can save - Most car insurance companies will give a discount to policyholders who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to comparison shop to ensure the best deal.

Gatesville car insurance comparison

Compare Car Insurance Today

Reducing your insurance rates doesn't have to be difficult. Consumers just need to take time to get quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

  1. The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This form prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests to each individual car insurance company. A single, simple form will return quotes from car insurance companies with the best prices. This is by far the quickest method.
  2. A different way to shop for car insurance online is to take the time to go to each company's website to request a price quote. For examples sake, we'll pretend you want comparison quotes from , and . To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

    For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Gatesville, click here.
  3. The hardest way to compare rates to different agent offices. Buying insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the trained guidance only provided by licensed agents. Drivers can find lower rates online but buy from a local insurance agent and we'll cover that in a bit.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just make sure you use apples-to-apples coverages and limits for each price quote. If the quotes have different deductibles you will not be able to truly determine the lowest rate in Gatesville.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies offering auto insurance don't necessarily list all their discounts very well, so here is a list some of the more common and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance. If you don't get every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

  • College Student - Any of your kids who live away from home and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
  • Bundle and Save - If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
  • Early Signing - Select companies give a discount for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
  • Braking Control Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
  • Theft Prevention System - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Accident Waiver - Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

To choose companies offering car insurance discounts in North Carolina, click this link.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Consumers can't ignore all the ads for car insurance savings by Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you switch to their company.

But how can every company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured could be over the age of 40, has no prior claims, and drives newer vehicles. Any new insured who matches those parameters will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Drivers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will have to pay higher premiums which leads to business going elsewhere. The ads state "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. This is how companies can truthfully claim big savings. Because of the profiling, you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Insurance agents can help

When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no "perfect" insurance plan. Every insured's situation is different.

For example, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation could use an agent's help.

  • Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
  • What are the best liability limits?
  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
  • Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
  • Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
  • Do I qualify for additional discounts?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Even more information is available at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. Consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, view agent and company licensing information, and file complaints about a company.

Other informative sites include this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of insurance agents in Gatesville.

North Carolina car insurance quotes

In the end, you save

When trying to cut insurance costs, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price.

You just learned many ideas to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with a lesser-known regional company.

Cheaper car insurance is available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Gatesville agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.