Tightwads Guide to Saving on Pilot Mountain Auto Insurance

Are you tired of paying out the nose each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as many other drivers in North Carolina. With consumers having so many auto insurance companies to choose from, it is very difficult to locate the lowest price company.

It's important to do rate comparisons once or twice a year since insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best price a few years ago a different company probably has better rates today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you're about to learn one of the easiest ways to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Finding affordable coverage in Pilot Mountain is not that difficult. If you are insured now or need a new policy, you can learn to get lower rates while maximizing coverage. North Carolina consumers only need to know the best way to compare company rates online.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies don't necessarily list every available discount very well, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If you don't get every credit available, you are throwing money away.

  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts of 20% or more.
  • Driver's Ed - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver's ed class in high school.
  • Military Rewards - Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
  • Accident Free - Claim-free drivers can save substantially compared to drivers who are more careless.
  • Homeowners Pay Less - Being a homeowner can help you save on auto insurance because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears it's possible to get free car insurance, you won't be that lucky.

North Carolina auto insurance

Why some people pay less for insurance in Pilot Mountain

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.

  • Your credit rating is important - Your credit rating is a huge factor in your rate calculation. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have lower credit scores. If your credit can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your rating.
  • An active claims history can cost you - Insurance companies in North Carolina award discounts to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you file claims often, you can expect higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safer cars result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
  • A clean driving record saves money - Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Even a single moving violation can increase rates by twenty percent. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who get severe violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • Rates may be lower depending on your job - Occupations like lawyers, business owners and stock brokers tend to pay the highest rates in part from high stress levels and lengthy work days. On the other hand, occupations like farmers, students and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
  • Theft deterrents lower rates - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder car theft.
  • Pay less if you're married - Having a spouse actually saves money on your policy. Marriage is viewed as being more responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Is there truth in advertising?

North Carolina drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like State Farm and Allstate. All the ads make an identical promise about savings if you move to them.

But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, a preferred risk might be profiled as between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Drivers who don't measure up to this ideal profile will be charged higher premiums and ends up with business not being written. The ads say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. That is why drivers should compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Even more information can be found at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. North Carolina drivers can find out industry alerts, download brochures, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.

Also read more on NAIC.org's Understanding your Policy and this directory of Pilot Mountain insurance agents.

compare Pilot Mountain auto insurance rates

In the end, you save

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like .

When shopping online for auto insurance, don't be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.