If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to find discount car insurance rates in Raleigh is to compare quotes annually from insurance carriers in North Carolina.
First, take a few minutes and learn about what coverages are included in your policy and the things you can change to lower rates. Many rating criteria that cause high rates like careless driving and a negative credit score can be improved by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. This article gives ideas to get affordable coverage and find discounts that may have been missed.
Second, get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide prices from many different companies.
Third, compare the quotes to your existing rates to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save money and buy the policy, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
Fourth, notify your current company of your intention to cancel your existing policy and submit the required down payment along with the signed application to your new carrier. Once coverage is bound, safely store the certificate of insurance somewhere easily accessible.
A key point to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same level of coverage on every quote and and to get rates from all possible companies. This enables a fair rate comparison and a thorough selection of prices.
Sad but true, a large majority of consumers have been with the same company for more than four years, and nearly 40% of drivers have never even compared rates from other companies. North Carolina drivers could save up to $90 every year just by shopping around, but they don’t believe the rate savings if they bought a different policy.
This information will teach you the most effective ways to compare rates and some tricks to saving. If you have a policy now, you will most likely be able to find the best rates using the ideas presented in this article. But North Carolina car owners do need to learn how insurance companies compete online because it varies considerably.
Most major insurance companies make it easy to get insurance quotes directly from their websites. Comparing prices online for Scion iQ insurance in Raleigh is pretty painless as you simply type in the amount of coverage you want as requested by the quote form. Upon sending the form, their rating system orders credit information and your driving record and quotes a price based on these and other factors. Getting online rate quotes for Scion iQ insurance in Raleigh makes comparing rates easy, and it is important to perform this step if you are searching for the most affordable premium possible.
To find out what other companies charge, compare rates now from the companies shown below. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you replicate your coverages identical to your current policy. This ensures you will have a price comparison for similar coverage.
The providers in the list below have been selected to offer free quotes in North Carolina. To get cheaper car insurance in Raleigh, we suggest you compare several of them to get the cheapest price.
Discounts mean cheaper rates for Scion iQ insurance in Raleigh
Car insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but you might already qualify for some discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Some of these discounts will be visible at the time you complete a quote, but occasionally some discounts must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit.
- Renewal Discounts – A few insurance companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current iQ insurance policy expiration. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Claim-Free Discount – Claim-free drivers are rewarded with significantly better rates on Raleigh auto insurance quote in comparison with bad drivers.
- College Student Discount – Any of your kids who attend college more than 100 miles from Raleigh without a vehicle on campus could get you a discount.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company they may give you a discount of up to 20% off your total iQ insurance premium.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but a few companies such as Allstate, Progressive, and GEICO will allow you to have one accident before they charge you more for coverage as long as you don’t have any claims prior to being involved in the accident.
- Professional Organizations – Being in specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations could qualify you for a break on your policy.
Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky.
Some of the larger companies who may offer most of these discounts are:
It’s a good idea to ask every company which discounts can lower your rates. All car insurance discounts might not be offered on policies everywhere. For a list of car insurance companies that offer many of these discounts in North Carolina, click this link.
What if I want to buy from local Raleigh auto insurance agents?
Many drivers would rather go talk to an agent and we recommend doing that A good thing about comparing auto insurance online is that you can find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from neighborhood insurance agencies is important especially in Raleigh.
To find an agent, once you fill out this simple form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents in Raleigh who want to provide quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to contact any agents since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. You can find lower rates without requiring a lot of work. If you have a need to compare prices from a particular provider, feel free to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
When researching a local Raleigh insurance agency, there are a couple of types of insurance agents and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Agents in Raleigh can be categorized as either independent agents or exclusive agents.
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Agents that elect to be independent can quote rates with many companies so they have the ability to put coverage through lots of different companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If they find a cheaper price, your policy is moved internally and you don’t have to switch agencies. When searching for an agent, we recommend you include rate quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.
The following is a list of independent insurance agencies in Raleigh that can give you cheap rate quotes.
Superior Insurance of Raleigh
2431 Spring Forest Rd #123 – Raleigh, NC 27615 – (919) 261-6164 – View Map
Compare Insurance Agency LLC
6531 Creedmoor Rd # 206 – Raleigh, NC 27613 – (919) 863-0150 – View Map
G. Suggs Insurance Agency, Inc.
1025 Bullard Ct – Raleigh, NC 27615 – (919) 875-8889 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive insurance agents can only write with one company such as Farmers Insurance, State Farm, Allstate, and AAA. They generally cannot provide other company’s prices so keep that in mind. They receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.
Shown below is a list of exclusive insurance agents in Raleigh that are able to give comparison quotes.
Allstate Insurance: Jay Adkins
1033 Oberlin Rd Ste 200 – Raleigh, NC 27605 – (919) 755-1133 – View Map
Mary Wilson – State Farm Insurance – Raleigh
9660 Falls of Neuse Rd #165 – Raleigh, NC 27615 – (919) 872-1225 – View Map
Alex Burt – State Farm Insurance Agent
3021 Berks Way #102 – Raleigh, NC 27614 – (919) 435-1417 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price quote. Before buying a policy in Raleigh, get answers to these questions.
- Will high miles depreciate repair valuations?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- How long has their agency been open in Raleigh?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
Here’s why car insurance is not optional
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Scion in Raleigh, car insurance is required for several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to carry specific limits of liability insurance in order to be legal. 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.
- If your Scion has a loan, more than likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you carry insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may buy a policy for your Scion at a much higher premium rate and require you to fork over much more than you were paying before.
- Car insurance protects both your Scion iQ and your personal assets. It also can pay for medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability coverage will also pay attorney fees if you cause an accident and are sued. If your Scion gets damaged, your policy will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly for liability claims. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver is wasting up to $869 every year so smart consumers compare quotes each time the policy renews to save money.
Car insurance coverage basics
Knowing the specifics of a car insurance policy aids in choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. These are the normal coverages found on the average car insurance policy.
Coverage for liability
Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property. It protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 30/60/25 that translate to a limit of $30,000 per injured person, a limit of $60,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability insurance covers claims such as repair costs for stationary objects, court costs, legal defense fees, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and attorney fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. North Carolina state minimum liability requirements are 30/60/25 but you should consider buying higher limits.
The next chart demonstrates why the minimum limit may not be enough.
Collision insurance
This pays for damage to your iQ from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, damaging your car on a curb, sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with a tree and colliding with another moving vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also increase the deductible on your iQ to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive protection
Comprehensive insurance covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from a tornado or hurricane, falling objects, hitting a deer and hitting a bird. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Scion iQ.
Since many North Carolina drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (30/60/25), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Most of the time these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Medical expense coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for things like funeral costs, dental work and prosthetic devices. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers you and your occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Compare but don’t skimp
More affordable insurance in Raleigh is definitely available on the web in addition to many Raleigh insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not offer rates over the internet and many times these smaller companies provide coverage only through independent agents.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. Too many times, someone sacrificed collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your objective should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest cost, not the least amount of coverage.
For more information, feel free to browse the articles below:
- How Can I Save Money on Auto Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Raleigh Auto Insurance Rates for Low Income Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for 4×4 Vehicles in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Raleigh Auto Insurance Rates for Teachers? (FAQ)
- How Much are Raleigh Auto Insurance Quotes for Postal Workers? (FAQ)
- Front crash protection reduces rear-end crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Rollover Crash FAQ (iihs.org)
- State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)