How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Sylva

Have you had enough of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other North Carolina consumers.

You have so many to pick from, and although it's a good thing to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

Finding affordable coverage in Sylva is quite easy. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Nevertheless, North Carolina drivers do need to know the way companies price online insurance and apply this information to your search.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always list every discount very clearly, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.

Use Seat Belts - Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
Discount for Life Insurance - Larger companies have a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
Memberships - Participating in a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
Low Mileage Discounts - Driving fewer miles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Homeowners Pay Less - Simply owning a home may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don't profit that way.

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

Cheap Sylva Auto Insurance Comparisons

There are several ways you can shop for auto insurance and some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can waste a lot of time talking to agents in Sylva, or you can stay home and use the web to get prices fast.

Many insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each participating company returns a competitive quote for coverage. This eliminates the need for quote forms to each individual auto insurance company. To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

One minor caviat to comparing rates this way is you can't choose which carriers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers for rate comparison, we have a listing of the cheapest auto 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 identical coverage limits and deductibles on every quote you get. If you use different liability limits it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Sylva. Just a small difference in coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing more company's prices helps you find the best rates.

Tips to Get Lower Sylva Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate prices.

Always keep insurance in force - Having an insurance coverage lapse is a guaranteed way to bump up your auto insurance costs. Not only will rates go up, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.You may need to file a SR-22 with the North Carolina DMV.
Frequent auto insurance claims increase rates - Companies in North Carolina provide lower rates to policyholders who do not file claims often. If you file claims often, you can expect either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
High credit ratings translate to low rates - Having a bad credit score is a huge factor in your rate calculation. If your credit history is lower than you'd like, you could pay less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than drivers with poor credit.
Lower miles equals lower premium - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the higher your rate. Almost all companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles left parked in the garage qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your auto insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven.
Protect your assets with liability insurance - Liability insurance will protect you when a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Don't buy coverages you don't need - There are many extra bells and whistles that can waste your money on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. Having a significant other translates into being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your car from being stolen.

Is there truth in advertising?

Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all say the same thing of big savings if you switch your coverage to them. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a driver they prefer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Drivers who don't measure up to these standards will be quoted a higher premium which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. This emphasizes why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Final considerations

As you prepare to switch companies, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Cost effective auto insurance can be found online as well as from independent agents in Sylva, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who don't offer the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

Learn more today

More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. North Carolina consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, download brochures, find out industry alerts, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Additional helpful sites include this site for auto insurance information in North Carolina and this list of agents in Sylva, NC.