Top Ways to Save on Shelby Auto Insurance

Have you had enough of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? You are no different than many other drivers in North Carolina. Multiple compete for your business, so it's not easy to compare every and get the definite lowest rate

It's important to do rate comparisons once or twice a year because prices are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price two years ago you can probably find a better price now. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance on the internet, so I'm going to show you some great ways to quit paying high auto insurance rates.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Shelby

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine rates.

  • Are you male or female? - The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Women and men have accidents in similar numbers, but the males cause more damage. They also receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
  • Safer occupants lowers premiums - Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you.
  • Careful drivers pay lower rates - Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Just one citation can increase rates by twenty percent. Good drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
  • Low deductibles can be expensive - Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, or theft. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The more you're willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
  • With age comes lower rates - Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers. Teen drivers are statistically proven to be more careless in a vehicle therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
  • Pay less if you're married - Having a wife or husband can actually save you money on your policy. It is viewed as being more responsible and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • The more you drive the more you pay - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks left parked in the garage receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your auto insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.

Shelby auto insurance comparison

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both well-publicized and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using. If they aren't giving you every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Save over 55 - If you're over the age of 55, you may qualify for reduced rates.
  • Military Rewards - Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
  • Air Bag Discount - Factory air bags can get savings of 20% or more.
  • Drive Less and Save - Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
  • Multi-car Discount - Buying insurance for more than one vehicle with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
  • Anti-lock Brake System - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, auto insurance companies aren't that generous.

To choose companies offering auto insurance discounts in Shelby, click here to view.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

North Carolina consumers can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings if you switch to them.

How do they all make almost identical claims?

All companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured could possibly be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and chooses high deductibles. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who don't meet the "perfect" profile will have to pay a higher premium and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "people who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's why companies can truthfully state the savings. Because of the profiling, you should get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

More North Carolina auto insurance information

Even more information is located at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. North Carolina consumers can learn about insurance regulations, find disaster information, file complaints about a company, and report car insurance fraud.

compare Shelby auto insurance rates

A tidy conclusion

When buying insurance coverage, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped collision coverage and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate.

You just read some good ideas how you can save on auto insurance. 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 be surprised to find that the most savings is with an unexpected company. Some small companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like .