Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Stokes Car Insurance

Tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as many other North Carolina drivers.

Because you have many insurance companies to choose from, it can be challenging to pick the right insurance company.

Finding affordable coverage in Stokes is quite easy. In a nutshell, every vehicle owner who has to buy car insurance stands a good chance to be able to reduce their rates. Nevertheless, North Carolina consumers do need to know the way insurance companies sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't always list all available discounts very well, so we took the time to find both the well known as well as the least known car insurance savings.

Memberships - Being a member of a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
Early Signing - Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Good Students Pay Less - A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
Student in College - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
Paperless Signup - Certain companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing online.
Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may qualify for better car insurance rates.

It's important to understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn't quite work that way.

To see a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in North Carolina, follow this link.

Cheap Stokes Car Insurance Comparisons

Comparing car insurance rates can take hours if you aren't aware of the best way to get rate quotes. You can waste a lot of time talking to insurance agencies in Stokes, or you could save time and use the web for quick rates.

Many insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each company returns a rated price for coverage. This eliminates the need for quote forms for each company you want a rate for. To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is you are unable to specify which carriers you want pricing from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to compare, we have a listing of car insurance companies in North Carolina. Click here for list of insurance companies in North Carolina.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just ensure you're using apples-to-apples coverages and limits with every price quote. If you use different deductibles it's not possible to find the best deal in Stokes. Just a small difference in coverage limits may cause a big price difference. And when price shopping your coverage, obtaining a wide range of quotes gives you a better chance of getting a lower rate.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates enables informed choices that could result in lower car insurance prices.

Protect yourself with liability coverage - Liability insurance will protect you if you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Too many car insurance claims drive up costs - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance companies in North Carolina provide discounts to policyholders who are claim-free. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
What type of vehicle do you drive? - The make and model of the car you are insuring makes a huge difference in determining your rates. The lowest rates are for small economy passenger vehicles, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
Bad driving skills means higher rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Careful drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. Just one citation can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Drivers with serious tickets like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in North Carolina are statistically proven to get distracted easily in a vehicle so car insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse can actually save you money when buying car insurance. Having a spouse means you're more mature and responsible and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Bump up deductibles to save - Your deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply would be colliding with a building, collision with an animal, or theft. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Poor credit can mean higher rates - A driver's credit score is a important factor in your rate calculation. If your credit score is lower than you'd like, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers with poor credit.

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

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. All the companies say the same thing of big savings if you switch to their company. But how can every company claim to save you money?

All companies can use profiling for the driver that is profitable for them. For example, a profitable customer might be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has great credit. Any driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't meet this ideal profile must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. That's why insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. This illustrates why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Final considerations

Low-cost car insurance is available both online and also from your neighborhood Stokes agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just presented a lot of tips how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may be surprised to find that the best price on car insurance is with the least-expected company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like .

More tips and info about car insurance can be found at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, download brochures, learn about specific coverages, and file complaints about a company.

Additional helpful sites include this link for North Carolina car insurance quotes and this link which helps you find a Stokes agent.