Easy Techniques to Pay Less on Rutherfordton Auto Insurance

Searching for the lowest cost Rutherfordton auto insurance online is somewhat difficult for people who are new to online price comaprisons. With so many choices of online companies available, how can consumers even start to compare them all to find the best available rates?

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes some of the items used by your company to calculate prices.

Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Careers like real estate brokers, social workers and financial analysts have higher average rates in part from high stress levels and lengthy work days. Conversely, occupations like pilots, engineers and the unemployed get better rates.
Men fork out a little more - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. However, don't assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men have accidents at a similar rate, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving.
Safer cars cost less to insure - Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.
High performance equals high price - The performance of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. The cheapest insurance rates are generally reserved for lower performance four cylinder passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
Traffic violations increase rates - Even one ticket can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don't get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. If you have severe violations such as DUI or reckless driving may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to drive a vehicle legally.

Low Cost Rutherfordton Auto Insurance

There are several ways to compare auto insurance quotes, and some are less time-consuming than others. You can spend your afternoon talking about coverages with agents in Rutherfordton, or you can stay home and use the internet to quickly compare rates.

Most of the larger companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to only type in their quote data once, and every company returns a competitive quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote requests to each individual auto insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to using this type of form is you can't choose which providers to get quotes from. So if you want to choose specific providers for rate comparison, we put together a list of the cheapest auto insurance companies in North Carolina. View list of North Carolina insurance companies.

Whichever method you choose, make darn sure you compare identical coverages with each company. If you use different limits and deductibles on each one it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in Rutherfordton.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Auto insurance companies don't list every discount very clearly, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you're not getting every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

Government Employees - Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
Save over 55 - If you're over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Low Mileage Discounts - Keeping the miles down could qualify for a substantially lower rate.
Sign Early and Save - Select companies give a discount for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
Good Student Discount - This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
Organization Discounts - Participating in a qualifying organization may earn a discount when shopping for auto insurance.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don't apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like it's possible to get free car insurance, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in North Carolina, click here.

Is there truth in advertising?

North Carolina consumers can't ignore all the ads for car insurance savings from the likes of Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all have a common claim about savings if you move your coverage to them.

How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has excellent credit. A driver that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to these standards will be quoted more money and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. This is how companies can truthfully make those claims. This emphasizes why you need to quote coverage with many companies. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a one size fits all plan. Everyone's situation is unique.

For example, these questions may help you determine whether or not you might need an agent's assistance.

Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Should I buy additional glass protection?
When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
Am I getting all the discounts available?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?

If you can't answer these questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Even more information can be read at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. North Carolina consumers can read industry bulletins, learn about insurance regulations, and find disaster information.

In the end, you save

Drivers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, denial of a claim, delays in responding to claim requests or even high prices. Regardless of your reason, switching auto insurance companies is easier than you think.

While you're price shopping online, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced collision coverage and discovered at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available online as well as from independent agents in Rutherfordton, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies don't offer online price quotes and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.