If you want to save money, the best way to find low-cost car insurance rates is to start comparing prices yearly from insurance carriers who provide car insurance in Raleigh.
- First, get a basic knowledge of the different coverages in a policy and the steps you can take to drop your rates. Many rating criteria that cause high rates like at-fault accidents, careless driving, and your credit history can be controlled by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
- Second, quote rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes for a wide range of insurance providers.
- Third, compare the quotes to your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
A good tip to remember is to make sure you enter similar coverage information on each price quote and and to compare as many companies as you can. This provides a level playing field and a good representation of prices.
A recent survey discovered that the vast majority of consumers renewed their policy with the same company for four years or more, and 38% of customers have never taken the time to shop around. North Carolina drivers could save almost 10% each year just by getting comparison quotes, but most undervalue the large savings they would see if they switch to a new company.
Our objective is to familiarize you with how insurance works and some money-saving tips. If you have auto insurance now, you should be able to save money using the ideas presented in this article. Nevertheless, North Carolina vehicle owners benefit from understanding the way insurance companies price insurance differently.
Companies offering competitive Buick Rendezvous rate quotes in Raleigh, NC
The following companies can provide comparison quotes in Raleigh, NC. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you compare several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Affordable Raleigh car insurance rates with discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you might already qualify for some discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain reductions will be credited at the time of purchase, but a few need to be specifically requested prior to getting the savings.
- Defensive Driving Course – Participating in a class that teaches safe driver techniques could earn you a small percentage discount if you qualify.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
- Telematics Data – Drivers that enable driving data collection to study when and where they use their vehicle by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system may get a rate reduction if they show good driving skills.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for lower prices on the low mileage vehicles.
- Accident Free – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims are rewarded with significantly better rates on Raleigh auto insurance quote when compared with frequent claim filers.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This one is not really a discount per se, but a few companies such as GEICO and Liberty Mutual may permit one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you have no claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, that’s just not realistic. Any qualifying discounts should definitely cut your policy premium.
Popular car insurance companies and their possible discounts include:
- GEICO includes discounts for anti-theft, federal employee, air bags, multi-vehicle, daytime running lights, and defensive driver.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for homeowner, anti-lock brakes, accident prevention training, multi-car, and teen safety rewards.
- State Farm has discounts for defensive driving training, student away at school, accident-free, multiple autos, Drive Safe & Save, good driver, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- MetLife offers premium reductions for defensive driver, good driver, accident-free, claim-free, multi-policy, good student
- 21st Century may have discounts that include automatic seat belts, early bird, good student, homeowners, anti-lock brakes, and theft prevention.
- Progressive offers discounts for good student, multi-vehicle, homeowner, online signing, and multi-policy.
Before buying, ask each insurance company what discounts are available to you. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not be offered on policies in your area.
Neighborhood agents and auto insurance
A small number of people still like to visit with an insurance agent and doing that can be a smart decision One of the benefits of comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get cheap rate quotes and still choose a local agent. Supporting neighborhood insurance agencies is important especially in Raleigh.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the quote information is submitted to companies in Raleigh who can give free rate quotes for your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent immediately to your email address. You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent. If you want to compare prices from a specific auto insurance provider, you can always visit that company’s website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Finding the right company shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. Any agent in Raleigh should have no problem answering these questions:
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
- Where would glass claims be handled in Raleigh?
- Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- What company holds the largest book of business for them?
Car insurance coverages and their meanings
Understanding the coverages of your policy helps when choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. These are typical coverage types offered by car insurance companies.
Comprehensive car insurance – Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as hitting a bird, damage from flooding, hitting a deer, damage from a tornado or hurricane and rock chips in glass. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This coverage provides protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Buick Rendezvous.
Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law (North Carolina limits are 30/60/25), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Coverage for medical expenses – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for short-term medical expenses for surgery, doctor visits and X-ray expenses. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Liability auto insurance – Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have values of 30/60/25 which stand for $30,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $60,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability can pay for things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, loss of income, court costs, repair costs for stationary objects and medical expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. North Carolina requires drivers to carry at least 30/60/25 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
The illustration below demonstrates why the minimum limit may not be adequate.
Collision – This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Rendezvous resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers claims like driving through your garage door, scraping a guard rail and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible on your Rendezvous in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Quote more and you will save more
Budget-friendly car insurance in Raleigh can be bought both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so get free Raleigh auto insurance quotes from both of them to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and usually these smaller companies sell through independent agencies.
We just showed you a lot of information how to shop for Buick Rendezvous insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your auto insurance rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from some of the lesser-known companies. They may have significantly lower auto insurance rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and GEICO.
Helpful information
- Rental Reimbursement Coverage (Allstate)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for a Nissan Sentra in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- How Much is Raleigh Auto Insurance for a Toyota Highlander? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for Teenage Males in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Institute)
- Older Drivers FAQ (iihs.org)
- Young Drivers: The High Risk Years Video (iihs.org)