Easy Techniques to Cut Costs on Spencer Car Insurance

Are you intimidated by the number of car insurance companies in Spencer? Lot's of other consumers are too. People have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a ton of work to find lower rates.

It's important to compare prices every six months due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best deal on your last policy you can probably find a better price now. So just block out anything you think you know about car insurance because I'm going to teach you the proper way to find lower rates on car insurance.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with big savings.

  • Lower miles equals lower premium - The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you will pay for car insurance. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Ask your agent if your car insurance declarations sheet shows the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
  • Liability coverage protects you - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage if ever you are found liable for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
  • Do you need those extra coverages? - There are quite a few extra coverages that you can buy when buying car insurance. Coverages for personal injury protection, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
  • Being married can save on car insurance - Being married helps lower the price on your car insurance policy. It translates into being more responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
  • With age comes lower rates - Youthful drivers in North Carolina have a tendency to be more careless when behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and burglary. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more money you have to pay, the less your car insurance will be.

North Carolina car insurance quotes

Don't pay full price with these discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but some must be inquired about before you will receive the discount. If you're not getting every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Auto/Life Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
  • Organization Discounts - Being a member of a qualifying organization could trigger savings on car insurance.
  • Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Sign Online - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.
  • Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a house in Spencer may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down your premiums.

To choose companies with discount car insurance rates in North Carolina, click this link.

The car insurance bait and switch

Consumers in North Carolina can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings from the likes of GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you change your coverage to them.

How does each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured might be over the age of 50, has no driving citations, and has great credit. Any driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Drivers who don't measure up to these standards will have to pay higher premiums which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That's the way companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, you should get as many quotes as possible. You cannot predict which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Learn more about North Carolina car insurance

Additional information is available on the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. Visitors are able to file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out which companies have the most complaints, and discover disciplinary actions.

In the end, you save

When you buy insurance online, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price.

Cheap car insurance is attainable both online as well as from independent agents in Spencer, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who don't offer online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

We just presented many ideas to save on car insurance. It's most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a smaller regional carrier.