Astonishing but true according to a recent study, almost 70% of drivers have bought insurance from the same company for four years or more, and nearly the majority have never taken the time to shop around. The average driver in North Carolina could save an average of as much as $90 each year by just shopping around, but most just don’t grasp how much money they would save if they swap their current policy for a cheaper one.
The best way to find lower priced auto insurance rates is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from companies who provide auto insurance in Raleigh.
- Step 1: Try to comprehend how companies price auto insurance and the measures you can control to keep rates low. Many rating criteria that are responsible for high rates such as accidents, traffic tickets, and a low credit score can be amended by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. This article provides information to prevent high prices and earn a bigger discount.
- Step 2: Get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide prices for a wide range of companies. Click to view companies
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy and determine if cheaper Rainier coverage is available in Raleigh. If you can save money and switch companies, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Step 4: Provide proper notification to your current company to cancel your current coverage. Submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application to your new carrier. Immediately upon receiving it, safely store the certificate verifying coverage in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
A tip to remember is to make sure you’re comparing identical coverage information on every quote and and to get quotes from as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this ensures a level playing field and the best price quote selection.
Locating the best rates in Raleigh is much easier if you know where to start. If you have a current car insurance policy or are looking for a new policy, you will benefit by learning to cut your premiums without reducing coverage. Consumers only need to know the best way to get comparison quotes online.
Finding a lower price on insurance is pretty simple and can save money. Drivers just need to spend a few minutes comparing price quotes online from several insurance companies.
The providers in the list below are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in North Carolina. To get cheap car insurance in North Carolina, we recommend you visit several of them in order to find the lowest rates.
Why car insurance is not optional
Despite the fact that car insurance is not cheap in Raleigh, paying for car insurance is required by state law in North Carolina and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.
First, just about all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires a specific level of liability in order to license the vehicle. In North Carolina these limits are 30/60/25 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if you took out a loan on your vehicle, most banks will make it mandatory that you buy insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the lender will be forced to insure your Buick at a significantly higher premium and require you to reimburse them a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, insurance safeguards your Buick and your assets. It also can pay for medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability insurance also pays expenses related to your legal defense in the event you are sued. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of having car insurance greatly outweigh the cost, especially for larger claims. As of last year, the average driver in North Carolina is overpaying more than $810 a year so smart consumers compare quotes at every renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Raleigh insurance discounts for a Buick Rainier
Car insurance companies do not list the complete list of policy discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both well-publicized and also the more inconspicuous credits available to lower your premiums when you buy Raleigh car insurance online. If you don’t get every credit possible, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment could qualify for a slight premium decrease depending on your insurance provider.
- Student in College – Any of your kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not take a car to college may be able to be covered for less.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles can earn substantially lower prices.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Simply owning a home can save you money because it requires personal responsibility.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Purchasing coverage when you have several vehicles on the same insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Military Discounts – Being on active deployment in the military could qualify you for better prices.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Safety Course Discount – Completing a course in defensive driver could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
As is typical with insurance, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.
Large insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are:
- GEICO has discounts for five-year accident-free, air bags, seat belt use, good student, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
- USAA may include discounts for safe driver, vehicle storage, new vehicle, driver training, family discount, multi-policy, and good student.
- Progressive may have discounts that include multi-policy, online signing, continuous coverage, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, good student, and homeowner.
- American Family offers discounts including multi-vehicle, TimeAway discount, good driver, good student, accident-free, and early bird.
- Esurance offers premium reductions for anti-theft, good driver, defensive driver, DriveSense, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for business and professional, mature driver, multi-car, switch companies, teen driver, and homeowner.
- State Farm discounts include good driver, student away at school, passive restraint, safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and Drive Safe & Save.
Check with every insurance company how you can save money. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not be available in Raleigh.
Do I need an agent?
Many people just want to talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. Professional insurance agents will help you protect your assets and will help you if you have claims. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain lower premium rates but also keep your business local.
Upon completion of this simple form, the coverage information gets sent to insurance agents in Raleigh who can give free rate quotes for your coverage. You won’t even need to search for any insurance agencies since rate quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. If you want to compare prices from a specific insurance company, just visit that company’s website to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing an company shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. You should also get answers to these questions.
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Do you need full coverage on every vehicle?
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
If you want to buy car insurance from a local insurance agency, there are two different agency structures and how they are slightly different. Agents in Raleigh are either exclusive agents or independent agents. Both provide car insurance policies, but it’s worth learning why they differ because it can impact the kind of agent you use.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive can only provide one company’s prices such as Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. Exclusive agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive agents are well trained on what they offer which can be an advantage. Consumers sometimes use the same agent partially due to the brand rather than having the cheapest rates.
Shown below are Raleigh exclusive agencies who may provide you with comparison quotes.
- Danny Newton – State Farm Insurance Agent
6021 Poyner Village Pkwy #109 – Raleigh, NC 27616 – (919) 875-1955 – View Map - Cecil Burt – State Farm Insurance Agent
6837 Falls of Neuse Rd #104 – Raleigh, NC 27615 – (919) 846-8006 – View Map - David Brown – State Farm Insurance Agent
9380 Falls of Neuse Rd #105 – Raleigh, NC 27615 – (919) 846-1819 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agents
These agents can quote rates with many companies so they have the ability to put coverage through lots of different companies and find the cheapest rate. If they find a cheaper price, your agent can switch companies which is easy for the insured. If you are comparing rate quotes, you need to include rate quotes from a couple of independent agencies to have the best price comparison. A lot of them also have access to companies that do not advertise much that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
The following is a short list of independent agencies in Raleigh that are able to give rate quotes.
- Superior Insurance of Raleigh
2431 Spring Forest Rd #123 – Raleigh, NC 27615 – (919) 261-6164 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: Snotherly Ins Agency Inc
2308 Wake Forest Rd – Raleigh, NC 27608 – (919) 832-5832 – View Map - ACF Insurance Services, Inc.
4634 Capital Blvd – Raleigh, NC 27604 – (919) 878-7786 – View Map
How to know if you need help
When quoting and choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s needs are different and your insurance should unique, too.
For example, these questions may help you determine if your situation will benefit from professional help.
- Should I have a commercial auto policy?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
- Can I use my car for my catering business?
- Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
- Is my ex-spouse still covered by my policy?
- Which companies will insure me after a DUI?
- Am I covered if my car is in a flood?
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.
Be persistent to save money
Discount Buick Rainier insurance in Raleigh is attainable both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies may not offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agencies.
You just learned many ways to find cheaper Buick Rainier insurance in Raleigh. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding inexpensive Raleigh car insurance quotes. You may even be surprised to find that the most savings is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower car insurance rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
When you buy Raleigh car insurance online, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice full coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest cost and still be able to protect your assets.
Additional insurance information can be found at these links:
- Parking Tips to Reduce Door Dings (State Farm)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for Government Employees in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- Avoiding Deer Collisions (Insurance Information Institute)
- Frontal Crash Tests (iihs.org)