Unimaginable but true, most drivers renewed their policy with the same company for at least the last four years, and 38% of customers have never compared quotes from other companies. North Carolina consumers could save an average of 10% each year, but they won’t spend time to compare rate quotes.
Truthfully, the best way to get more affordable car insurance rates is to annually compare prices from different companies who provide auto insurance in Raleigh. Price quotes can be compared by completing these steps.
- First, get a basic knowledge of coverages and the measures you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that cause rate increases such as at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and your credit history can be amended by being financially responsible and driving safely.
- Second, compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can quote rates for many different companies.
- Third, compare the new rates to your existing coverage to see if a cheaper price is available in Raleigh. If you can save some money and change companies, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
- Fourth, provide notification to your current company of your decision to cancel the current policy. Submit a signed application and payment to the newly selected company. Once the application is submitted, place the new proof of insurance paperwork in your vehicle.
An important note is to try to compare identical coverage information on every quote request and and to get price estimates from as many companies as feasibly possible. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a good representation of prices.
Lower Your Raleigh Insurance Rates
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the elements that play a part in calculating your policy premiums. If you understand what determines base rates, this enables informed choices that could help you find cheaper rates.
The following are some of the most rate-impacting factors companies use to determine rates.
Men are more aggressive – Statistics show that females tend to be a little less risky than males. It does not mean males are worse at driving than females. Both sexes cause at-fault accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species have accidents that have higher claims. Men also statistically get more serious tickets such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Male teenagers are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Lower rates by increasing physical damage deductibles – The deductibles are the amount of money you are required to pay if you file a covered claim. Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are colliding with a stationary object, animal collisions, and damage from wind. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the better rate you will receive.
With age comes lower prices – Teenage drivers in North Carolina are proven to be careless and easily distracted when at the wheel of a vehicle and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher. If you’ve ever had to add a young driver onto a policy can be quite pricey. More experienced drivers are viewed as being more responsible, cost insurance companies less in claims, and receive fewer citations.
Only buy incidental coverages you need – There are quite a few optional add-on coverages that may not really be needed on your Sky policy. Insurance for things like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage, and membership fees are probably not needed. These coverages may sound good when discussing your needs, but if you don’t need them get rid of them and save.
Get cheaper Saturn Sky insurance in Raleigh with discounts
Companies do not advertise the entire discount list very well, so the list below contains both well-publicized as well as some of the hidden credits available to you.
- Onboard Data Collection – Insureds who allow driving data submission to study driving manner by using a telematics device such as State Farm’s In-Drive may see discounts if they have good driving habits.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims have much lower rates as opposed to drivers who are more careless.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a defensive driving course could earn you a small percentage discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Life Insurance – Some insurance carriers give a discount if you purchase some life insurance too.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Drivers who insure multiple vehicles on one policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with a few car insurance companies.
A quick disclaimer, most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
A list of companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include multi-car, bundle discounts, teen driver, alternative fuel, early shopping, and homeowner.
- State Farm discounts include defensive driving training, driver’s education, good student, accident-free, Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, and anti-theft.
- Liberty Mutual may include discounts for hybrid vehicle, safety features, new vehicle discount, good student, newly married, and preferred payment discount.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driver, claim-free, good driver, multi-policy, and good student.
- Progressive offers discounts including online signing, multi-policy, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, good student, continuous coverage, and homeowner.
When quoting, ask each insurance company the best way to save money. Discounts may not apply in your area. To see insurance companies that offer discounts in Raleigh, click this link.
Be persistent to save money
While you’re price shopping online, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best cost while still protecting your assets.
Discount Saturn Sky insurance in Raleigh is definitely available both online and also from your neighborhood Raleigh agents, so you need to shop Raleigh car insurance with both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through independent insurance agents.
We just showed you a lot of tips how to save on Saturn Sky insurance in Raleigh. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get prices for, the better your chances of lowering your prices. You may even be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. Smaller companies can often provide lower prices in certain areas than their larger competitors like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
Even more information can be read by following these links:
- Prepare your Teens for Safe Driving (InsureUonline.org)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers with Bad Credit in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Low Credit Scores in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Raleigh Car Insurance for Nurses? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Raleigh Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Tacoma? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for a School Permit in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Good Drivers in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers with Accidents in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- Parking Tips to Reduce Door Dings (State Farm)
- Child Safety FAQ (iihs.org)
- Safety Belts FAQ (iihs.org)