Top 7 Ways to Save Money on Car Insurance in Pinehurst

Expensive car insurance can empty your personal savings and force you to make sacrifices. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to help make ends meet.

Insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive persitently shower you with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates quite often since rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the lowest price six months ago a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you're about to find out how to quote online to get good coverage at a lower rate.

Save big with these seven discounts

Companies do not advertise all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we researched some of the more common as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.

Sign Online - A few companies will give a small break just for signing your application digitally online.
55 and Retired - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive better car insurance rates.
Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with a substantially lower rate.
Service Members Pay Less - Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Anti-lock Brakes - Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
No Accidents - Drivers who don't have accidents pay much less as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Accident Waiver - A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don't have any claims for a set time period.

It's important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you're out of luck.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a "perfect" insurance plan. Everyone's needs are different and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions may help you determine if your situation may require specific advice.

Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
Should I buy additional glass protection?
Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in North Carolina?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?

If you can't answer these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Car insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save if you change to their company. How can each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a desirable insured could be over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who fall outside the requirements will have to pay a higher premium and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save that much. This is how insurance companies can state the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should compare many company's rates. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

More sites with car insurance information

Additional detailed information is located at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. Consumers can get help finding coverage, learn about insurance regulations, find disaster information, and view a list of available companies.

Shop smart and save

Lower-priced car insurance is attainable from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Pinehurst agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many cases, drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford.