You have probably watched the catchy advertisements from companies like Farmers, Nationwide, and State Farm that guarantee dirt cheap rates, so drivers should just choose the one with the flashiest ad, right?
It’s just not that simple, as there are a whole bunch of unknowns like your financial stability, your prior traffic citations, and the number of miles you drive in a year, that all impact the price you pay. We know insurance is not everyone’s favorite topic, but in this article we will cover the things that cause high insurance rates and should give you a good start in finding the cheapest insurance in South Carolina.
For older drivers, one of the largest components that help determine insurance cost is where your car is garaged in South Carolina. Areas that are more densely populated like North Charleston, Goose Creek, and Summerville tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with less congestion have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The information below sorts the more expensive cities in South Carolina for drivers over age 60 to purchase auto insurance in.
Rank | City | Annual Rate |
---|---|---|
1 | North Charleston | $1,288 |
2 | Charleston | $1,285 |
3 | Goose Creek | $1,284 |
4 | Florence | $1,259 |
5 | Summerville | $1,252 |
6 | Sumter | $1,215 |
7 | Columbia | $1,189 |
8 | Mount Pleasant | $1,189 |
9 | Socastee | $1,187 |
10 | Saint Andrews | $1,184 |
11 | Myrtle Beach | $1,174 |
12 | Hilton Head Island | $1,139 |
13 | Rock Hill | $1,135 |
14 | Greenwood | $1,132 |
15 | North Augusta | $1,128 |
16 | Spartanburg | $1,127 |
17 | Aiken | $1,119 |
18 | Anderson | $1,116 |
19 | Greenville | $1,100 |
20 | Taylors | $1,095 |
21 | Wade Hampton | $1,080 |
22 | Greer | $1,077 |
23 | Mauldin | $1,071 |
24 | Easley | $1,055 |
25 | Simpsonville | $1,039 |
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Premium amounts are comparative as specific South Carolina garaging address can revise coverage prices considerably.
Shopping around for low-cost insurance is difficult, and determining which company offers the most affordable car insurance rates for drivers over age 60 will involve even more shopping around. Insurance rates will probably be moderately cheaper than the average price in South Carolina due to the reduced risk that comes with offering coverage for older drivers. Cost-effective coverage should be readily available without having to search too hard.
Every insurance company uses a different method for determining prices, so let’s rank the car insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in South Carolina.
It’s a good idea to know that South Carolina car insurance rates are impacted by many factors that may substantially change your annual premium. This price fluctuation is why it is critical to compare as many rates as possible to get the most budget-friendly auto insurance rates for drivers over age 60. Car insurance prices are influenced by many factors and can increase or decrease at any time, so the best price the last time you shopped around may now be one of the higher cost companies.
Find Cheaper Auto Insurance for Age 60+
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | The Hartford | $752 |
2 | USAA | $985 |
3 | Auto-Owners | $1,119 |
4 | State Auto | $1,127 |
5 | Southern Farm Bureau | $1,248 |
6 | SC Farm Bureau Mutual | $1,260 |
7 | National Grange Mutual | $1,335 |
8 | State Farm | $1,380 |
9 | Travelers | $1,397 |
10 | Progressive | $1,594 |
11 | Allstate | $1,621 |
12 | Encompass | $1,691 |
13 | Nationwide | $1,778 |
14 | Safe Auto | $1,907 |
15 | GEICO | $2,001 |
16 | Liberty Mutual | $2,439 |
17 | Bristol West | $2,493 |
18 | Safeco | $2,771 |
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The Hartford may have some of the best car insurance rates in South Carolina at around $752 each year. USAA, Auto-Owners, State Auto, and Southern Farm Bureau also rank well as some of the cheaper South Carolina car insurance companies.
As shown in the table above, if you currently buy coverage from Southern Farm Bureau and switched to USAA, you could realize yearly savings of around $263. South Carolina drivers with SC Farm Bureau Mutual could save as much as $275 a year, and National Grange Mutual insureds might reduce rates by $350 a year.
To compare your rates to other South Carolina insurance companies, click here to start your free quote or quote rates from the companies below.
Remember that these prices are averages across all insureds and vehicles and and are not figured with a price discount for drivers over age 60. So the insurer that is best suited for you may not even be featured in the list of companies shown earlier. That is why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
The vehicle model you are trying to insure is a large consideration that determines whether or not you can buy the cheapest car insurance for drivers over age 60 in South Carolina. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, a lack of modern safety features, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost more to insure than more economical and safe models.
The table below ranks coverage rates for a handful of the most cost-effective automobiles to insure in South Carolina.
Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $898 |
Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $907 |
Chevrolet Traverse LS 2WD | $921 |
Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $986 |
Ford F-150 FX2 Super Cab 2WD | $999 |
Toyota Highlander 2WD | $1,004 |
Toyota Prius | $1,009 |
Subaru Forester X Limited Edition AWD | $1,029 |
Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,041 |
Honda Odyssey EX | $1,048 |
Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $1,041 |
Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $1,064 |
Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 4WD | $1,074 |
Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,064 |
Hyundai Tucson Limited 2WD | $1,071 |
Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $1,064 |
Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,071 |
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Islander Package 4WD 4-Dr | $1,066 |
Subaru Outback 3.6R | $1,086 |
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $1,095 |
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $1,086 |
Toyota Sienna XLE AWD | $1,129 |
Toyota Corolla XLE | $1,138 |
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Cost estimates assume single male driver age 60, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Premium costs do not factor in specific garaging location which can modify price quotes greatly.
Based on these rates, you can see that models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Chevrolet Traverse, Hyundai Elantra, and Ford F-150 are likely to be the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for older drivers.
The information below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can influence insurance costs when quoting cheap insurance for drivers over age 60. The costs are based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, and no additional discounts are factored in.
In the chart above, a 50-year-old driver could reduce rates by $334 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $506 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the 20-year-old category, could roll back prices as much as $1,106 each year just by choosing larger deductibles. If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it will be required to have enough in a savings account to allow you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one shortcoming of high deductibles.
When it comes to buying car insurance for older drivers in South Carolina, four good companies to start with are State Farm, Progressive, Geico, and Allstate. When combined, they make up over 45% of all car insurance policies in America. The next table breaks down ratings for price, service, and claims, in additional to some of the optional coverages that are available for customers.
State Farm | Progressive | Geico | Allstate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Client Satisfaction | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 2nd |
Overall Price | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 4th |
Claims Service | 2nd | 4th | 3rd | 1st |
Discounts Offered | 3rd | 4th | 2nd | 1st |
Mechanical breakdown insurance | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Coverage for ridesharing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Emergency roadside service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
New car replacement | No | No | No | Yes |
Accident forgiveness coverage | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Usage-based insurance | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Insurance Agents | Can only buy from State Farm agents | Indpendent agents or online | Both online and from Geico agents | Allstate exclusive agents |
Number of agents | 18,000+ | 30,000+ | 150+ | 11,000+ |
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The list below shows some thrifty ideas that can help you find cheap car insurance.
The last idea is extremely vital, as was pointed out in the prior article. Prices charged by auto insurers change frequently, so don’t be tentative to buy from a different company if a better deal can be had. Many drivers tend to have loyalty to a certain company, but it’s not a good idea if that dedication is costing thousands of dollars over the life of your policy. Take a couple minutes and compare prices and find cheaper auto insurance for drivers over age 60.
Drivers have many ways to quote cheap car insurance rates in South Carolina, but the most common are through an independent agent, an exclusive agency such as Liberty Mutual or State Farm, or from a direct company like Geico.
Each way has the same basic steps, but they are slightly different in how they price policies.
Independent agents work for many companies and can get policy pricing from every one. These types of agencies are not employed by one specific company and can get prices from more than one company, which may give you a better overall rate comparison. If prices rise, your policy can be easily switched to a new company which prevents you from having to switch agents.
An exclusive ageny is only able to quote rates from one company such as Allstate or State Farm agents. These agents are unable to quote prices from more than just one company, so it’s a good idea to get additional price quotes.
Buying from a direct company means forego local agents and instead shop direct online or over the phone from a company like Geico or Esurance. Buying car insurance direct is good for drivers who do not need high amounts of coverage and have a decent understanding of how their policy works.
So which way is best for finding the cheapest car insurance for drivers over age 60 in South Carolina? The majority of car insurance shoppers assume that shopping direct results in the best prices since that prevents the need to pay agent commissions, but that is not always the case. A valid argument could also be made that going through an independent agent is the best way due to more options, but that assumption is also not necessarily accurate. In many cases, exclusive agents have price quotes that are the lowest in South Carolina.
Since car insurance companies use so many rating factors, the best method to ensure the lowest rates is to compare lots of quotes. If you have the time, get quotes from all three types to get an idea of which is cheapest. To see some of the cheapest online companies available, click here to view.