Proven Ways to Save on Southern Shores Auto Insurance

Nobody looks forward to paying for auto insurance, especially knowing their premiums are through the roof.

Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with catchy ads and it can be hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

It's important to compare rates periodically since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest rates a few years ago you may be paying too much now. Starting now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the tricks you need to know to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using these techniques. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Southern Shores is easy if you know what you're doing. But North Carolina vehicle owners do need to know the way companies sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.

How to Get Southern Shores Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes

Most major insurance companies give prices directly from their websites. Getting online quotes is quite easy as you simply enter your personal and coverage information into the quote form. Behind the scenes, their system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and gives you a price quote. Online quotes simplifies rate comparisons, but the process of having to visit multiple sites and type in the same information is repetitive and time-consuming. Unfortunately, it is important to compare as many rates as possible in order to get a lower rate.

A less time-consuming method to compare rates requires only one form that analyzes rates from a bunch of companies at once. It's a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes quoting online much easier to do. As soon as you send your information, your coverage is rated and you can choose your choice of the returned quotes.

If you find a better price you can click and sign and purchase coverage. This process takes less than 15 minutes and may result in a nice savings.

To quickly find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and submit your coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend that you enter your coverages identical to your current policy. This way, you will receive a rate comparison based on similar coverages.

North Carolina auto insurance

You have some control over your rates

It's important that you understand the factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that can help you get better auto insurance rates.

Listed below are a few of the "ingredients" auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

  • Performance influences rates - The type of car you drive makes a significant difference in your rates. Economy passenger cars generally receive the lowest base rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
  • How credit affects auto insurance rates - Your credit score is a big factor in determining your rates. Therefore, if your credit is lower than you'd like, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your credit score. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with poor credit.
  • Save money with special equipment - Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent auto theft.
  • Where do you drive? - The more miles you rack up on your car each year the higher your rates will be. Most insurance companies price each vehicle's coverage based on how the vehicle is used. Cars that are left in the garage qualify for better rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your auto insurance policy is rated on how each vehicle is driven.

More discounts equal less premium

Car insurance can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied before you will receive the discount.

  • Early Signing - Some companies give discounts for signing up before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.
  • Passive Restraints - Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
  • Payment Discounts - By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
  • Life Insurance Discount - Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
  • Low Mileage - Driving fewer miles can earn a substantially lower rate.
  • Accident Forgiveness - A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
  • Service Members Pay Less - Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
  • Good Student - Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
  • Drivers Ed for Students - Require your teen driver to take driver's ed class in school.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So when it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will reduce your premiums.

For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in Southern Shores, click here.

It's not one size fits all

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if you might need an agent's assistance.

  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
  • Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
  • What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
  • Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?
  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?

If you can't answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.

Much more information about auto insurance in North Carolina can be found on the website for the North Carolina Department of Insurance found here. North Carolina drivers can learn about specific coverages, find out industry alerts, view a list of available companies, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

North Carolina auto insurance

Do the work, save more money

In this article, we covered a lot of techniques to lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even find the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as .

When shopping online for auto insurance, it's not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.