To save the most money, the best way to find cheaper prices for auto insurance rates in Raleigh is to start comparing rates regularly from companies who can sell car insurance in North Carolina. Price quotes can be compared by completing these steps.
- Step 1: Get a basic knowledge of how car insurance works and the measures you can take to keep rates in check. Many factors that result in higher prices like traffic violations and bad credit can be eliminated by paying attention to minor details.
- Step 2: Compare rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can provide rates from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agencies can give you price quotes for a wide range of insurance providers.
- Step 3: Compare the new quotes to your current policy premium to see if a cheaper rate is available in Raleigh. If you can save some money and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Step 4: Give notification to your current company of your intent to cancel your existing policy. Submit the application along with any required down payment to the new company. Immediately upon receiving it, keep your new proof of insurance paperwork in your vehicle’s glove compartment or console.
The key thing to know about shopping around is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote and to quote with every insurance company. This guarantees a fair price comparison and the best rate selection.
It’s safe to conclude that car insurance companies want to prevent you from shopping around. Consumers who shop around for cheaper prices are likely to buy a new policy because they stand a good chance of finding a cheaper policy. A recent survey found that people who regularly compared price quotes saved on average $860 a year compared to drivers who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.
If finding the best rates on car insurance is your objective, then having some insight into how to find and compare insurance rates can save money and time.
If you have a current car insurance policy or are looking for a new policy, you can use these tips to buy cheaper car insurance while maximizing coverage. Choosing the most cost-effective car insurance policy in Raleigh is much easier if you have a good place to start. Consumers just have to use the most efficient way to compare rates from many different companies online.
The quickest method we recommend to compare rate quotes for Pontiac Grand Prix insurance in Raleigh is to realize almost all companies provide online access to provide you with free rate quotes. The only thing you need to do is take a few minutes to give details like distance driven, how much education you have, deductibles desired, and whether you are married. The data is then submitted to multiple auto insurance providers and you will get price comparisons instantly to find the best rate.
To compare rates for your car now, click here and enter your coverage details.
The car insurance companies shown below offer quotes in North Carolina. In order to find the best cheap car insurance in NC, we recommend you visit two to three different companies to find the most affordable car insurance rates.
Three good reasons to insure your vehicle
Despite the high cost, buying insurance may be required for several reasons.
- Most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability insurance if you drive a 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.
- If you have a loan on your Grand Prix, more than likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you have comprehensive coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank will be required to insure your Pontiac at a much higher rate and force you to pay for the expensive policy.
- Insurance safeguards not only your Pontiac but also your financial assets. It will also reimburse you for medical expenses incurred in an accident. Liability coverage also covers legal expenses if you cause an accident and are sued. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, your insurance policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. But the average driver in North Carolina overpays more than $810 a year so we recommend shopping around at every policy renewal to make sure the price is not too high.
Four Things That Influence Your Insurance Prices
Part of the auto insurance buying process is learning a few of the rating criteria that come into play when calculating the level of your policy premiums. When consumers understand what determines base rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that can earn you much lower annual insurance costs. Many things are part of the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some factors are common sense like an MVR report, although some other factors are more transparent like your continuous coverage or your vehicle rating.
The following are some of the major factors used by companies to determine rates.
- Avoid traffic tickets – Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. Getting just one chargeable violation can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Drivers who have received careless citations like DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding are required to file a SR-22 with their state in order to legally drive.
- Do thieves like your car? – Driving a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems can thwart auto theft and help lower rates.
- Performance impacts rates – The performance level of the car you own makes a big difference in determining your rates. The lowest base rates are generally reserved for small economy passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- No policy claims equals cheap prices – If you file claims often, you shouldn’t be surprised to get either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in North Carolina generally give better rates to people who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is designed for more catastrophic claims.
Insurance policy discounts you can’t miss
Some providers do not advertise all available discounts very clearly, so the below list has both the well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts you could be receiving when you buy Raleigh car insurance online.
- Auto/Life Discount – Not all insurance carriers offer life insurance, but some may give you a discounted price on car insurance if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Raleigh can get you a discount because it is proof that your finances are in order.
- Discount for Passive Restraints – Factory air bags can qualify for discounts of 25 to 30%.
- Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Accident Waiver – Not necessarily a discount, but certain companies may permit one accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear prior to the accident.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than paying in monthly installments you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Online Discount – Some of the larger companies may give you up to $50 for completing your application on the internet.
- Distant College Student Discount – College-age children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and won’t have access to an insured vehicle could qualify for this discount.
- Theft Deterrent System – Cars and trucks with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will qualify for a discount on a Raleigh car insurance quote.
One last thing about discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think all the discounts add up to a free policy, insurance companies aren’t that generous.
If you would like to see a list of providers who offer discounts in North Carolina, click this link.
Get rate quotes but work with a neighborhood Raleigh auto insurance agent
Some people prefer to go talk to an agent and that is OK! Insurance agents can help you build your policy and help in the event of a claim. A nice benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Once you complete this short form, your insurance data is emailed to agents in your area that provide free Raleigh car insurance quotes for your car insurance coverage. You don’t have to search for any insurance agencies since price quotes are sent to you instantly. If you wish to get a price quote from a specific car insurance provider, you just need to visit that company’s website and submit a quote form there.
Finding a good provider should include more criteria than just a cheap quote. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Will the agent help in case of a claim?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in North Carolina?
- Do they prorate repair cost based on vehicle mileage?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
When researching a reliable agent, there are a couple of different types of agencies and how they work. Car insurance agents are categorized either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Both types can handle car insurance, but it’s worth mentioning the subtle differences since it can affect your agent selection.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be exclusive normally can only provide a single company’s rates like Allstate and State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so they really need to provide good service. Exclusive agents are usually quite knowledgeable on sales techniques which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
The following are Raleigh exclusive agencies who can help you get comparison quotes.
John Hill – State Farm Insurance Agent
7320 Six Forks Rd #200 – Raleigh, NC 27615 – (919) 848-0644 – View Map
GEICO Insurance Agent
5011 Falls of Neuse Rd A – Raleigh, NC 27609 – (919) 862-1300 – View Map
Carmen Ritz – State Farm Insurance Agent
1814 Oberlin Rd #101 – Raleigh, NC 27608 – (919) 783-8722 – View Map
Independent Agents
Independent agencies are not locked into one company so they can quote policies with multiple insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they find a lower price, they simply move your policy to a different company and that require little work on your part. If you need cheaper car insurance rates, we recommend you get quotes from multiple independent agents to have the best price comparison.
Shown below are Raleigh independent agents that are able to give comparison quotes.
Carolina Capital Insurance Group
1100 Logger Ct., Bldg. D-101 – Raleigh, NC 27609 – (919) 747-9002 – View Map
IGO Insurance Agency Inc.
8117 Ebenezer Church Rd – Raleigh, NC 27612 – (919) 782-1560 – View Map
David White Insurance Agency
6512 Six Forks Rd #102c – Raleigh, NC 27615 – (919) 870-9191 – View Map
If you get reasonable responses as well as a affordable price, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to properly service your car insurance policy.
Best car insurance in North Carolina
Ending up with a high-quality insurance provider is difficult considering how many companies there are in North Carolina. The company ratings listed below may help you decide which companies you want to consider purchasing from.
Top 10 Raleigh Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value
- Mercury Insurance
- Travelers
- American Family
- AAA Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- The Hartford
- The General
- 21st Century
- Esurance
Top 10 Raleigh Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Claims Service
- Travelers
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- American Family
- Esurance
- Titan Insurance
- AAA Insurance
Find affordable rates by being thorough
As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice collision coverage and learned later that they should have had better coverage. Your objective should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
We just showed you some good ideas how you can reduce Pontiac Grand Prix insurance premium rates online in Raleigh. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may even discover the best premium rates are with the least-expected company. They often have lower prices on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.
Additional learning opportunities
- What is a Telematics Device? (Allstate)
- Who Has Cheap Raleigh Auto Insurance Rates for Welfare Recipients? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Corolla in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Raleigh Car Insurance for Nurses? (FAQ)
- How Much are Raleigh Car Insurance Rates for Homeowners? (FAQ)
- Think You’re a Safe Driver? (State Farm)
- Determining Auto Insurance Rates (GEICO)
- Understanding Your Insurance Deductible (Insurance Information Institute)
- Medical Payments Coverage (Liberty Mutual)