Proven Techniques to Save on Winston Salem Auto Insurance

Are you sick and tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other North Carolina drivers.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with catchy ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to better auto insurance rates.

Shown below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate prices.

You might want pay the small claims yourself - Companies in North Carolina provide cheaper rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you file claims often, you can look forward to either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates - Driving a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your car from being stolen.
Drive a safer car and pay less - Safer cars are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Your stress level may be raising your rates - Careers like doctors, architects and dentists have the highest average rates because of high stress levels and long work hours. Other occupations like farmers, historians and retirees get better rates.
Liability coverage is cheap - Your policy's liability coverage will protect you when a jury decides you are liable for personal injury or accident damage. It provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Marriage brings a discount - Being married helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Having a significant other translates into being more responsible and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Don't get talked into coverage you don't need - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that can waste your money if you aren't careful. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every discount in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list some of the best known as well as the least known auto insurance savings.

Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class if offered at their school.
Lower Rates for Military - Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
Organization Discounts - Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance.
Paperwork-free - Some insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy digitally online.
Distant Student - Children who live away from home and don't have a car can receive lower rates.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won't be that lucky.

To choose insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in Winston Salem, follow this link.

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

Auto insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all say the same thing about savings if you change your coverage to them. How can each company say the same thing?

Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no tickets, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't meet the requirements will be quoted a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads state "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can truthfully claim big savings. This emphasizes why you should get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Even more information is available at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. North Carolina drivers can download brochures, view a list of available companies, find disaster information, and read industry bulletins.

Affordable insurance is out there

Cheaper auto insurance is attainable on the web as well as from independent agents in Winston Salem, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. A few companies don't offer online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it's a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.