Unbelievable but true, over 70% of consumers kept their coverage with the same insurance company for more than four years, and almost half have never even shopped around for cheaper coverage. Many consumers in Raleigh could pocket roughly $90 a year by just comparing quotes, but most undervalue the rate savings if they moved their coverage to a different company.
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to get affordable Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Raleigh is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from companies who provide car insurance in North Carolina.
- Try to learn about how car insurance works and the measures you can take to keep rates down. Many policy risk factors that result in higher prices such as speeding tickets, accidents and poor credit can be remedied by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. This article provides additional ideas to help reduce premium rates and get discounts that may be overlooked.
- Compare prices from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can give you price quotes from multiple sources.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage to see if a cheaper price is available in Raleigh. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Tell your current company of your intention to cancel your current coverage. Submit a down payment along with a signed application to the new company. Don’t forget to keep your new proof of insurance certificate in an easily accessible location.
One bit of advice is to make sure you’re comparing the same coverage limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to compare every insurance company. Doing this guarantees the most accurate price comparison and a complete price analysis.
Comparing rates for more affordable coverage in Raleigh is not that difficult. If you already have coverage or just want to reduce your rates, use these money-saving tips to find better prices without sacrificing coverage. Drivers just have to know the proper methods to quote multiple rates online from multiple companies.
The following companies offer free quotes in North Carolina. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Best reasons to buy auto insurance in North Carolina
Despite the high cost, insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.
- Just about all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a minimum amount of liability protection 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.
- If your Ford has a lienholder, almost all lenders will stipulate that you have insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the lender may insure your Ford at a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them the higher premium.
- Insurance protects not only your Ford C-Max Hybrid but also your assets. It will also reimburse you for hospital and medical expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are sued as the result of an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of insuring your car definitely exceed the price paid, especially if you ever need it. The average driver in America is overpaying more than $810 a year so it’s recommended you shop around every year to ensure rates are competitive.
Lower the Price of Auto Insurance with These Tips
Many different elements are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are pretty understandable like your driving record, but others are less obvious such as your credit history or your commute time. Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating the level of your policy premiums. When consumers understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables informed choices that may result in lower premium levels.
The factors shown below are a partial list of the pieces auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.
Cheaper prices using alarms and GPS tracking – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can help prevent auto theft.
Only buy what you need – There are quite a few additional extra coverages that can waste your money if you aren’t careful. Coverages for personal injury protection, accidental death, and extra equipment coverage could be just wasting money. These coverages may sound good when buying your policy, but if they’re wasting money get rid of them and save.
When should you file policy claims? – Companies in North Carolina give better rates to drivers who are not frequent claim filers. If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Auto insurance is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Know your credit rating – Credit rating can be an important factor in determining premium rates. If your credit is lower than you’d like, you could be paying less to insure your Ford C-Max Hybrid by improving your rating. Drivers with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims than drivers who have lower ratings.
Age of drivers impacts rates – More experienced drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents, and usually have better credit. Beginning drivers are statistically shown to be more careless behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Safety first – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims which can result in lower premiums.
High stress job may mean higher prices – Do you work in a high-stress field? Occupational choices like real estate brokers, police officers, and financial analysts usually pay higher rates than the rest of us due to intense work situations and lengthy work days. Conversely, occupations like scientists, students and performers pay the least.
Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance loss data – Insurance companies use claims history when setting rates for each model. Models that the statistics show to have increased losses will cost more for coverage.
The next table illustrates the insurance loss data used by companies for Ford C-Max Hybrid vehicles. For each coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles, as a total average, is considered to be 100. Values that are below 100 suggest a positive loss record, while numbers shown that are more than 100 indicate more frequent losses or tendency to have larger claims.
| Vehicle Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford C-Max Hybrid | 99 | 92 | 95 | 94 | 89 | 100 |
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
When in doubt talk to an agent
When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique and your auto insurance should unique, too.
For instance, these questions can help discover whether you might need an agent’s assistance.
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Is there a penalty for late payment?
- Are my custom wheels covered?
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- Am I covered if I hit a deer?
- If my car is totaled with they pay enough to replace it?
- Are combined or split liability limits better?
If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.
Raleigh car insurance company ratings
Insuring your vehicle with the best car insurance company can be a challenge considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in Raleigh. The ranking information in the lists below could help you select which car insurance providers to look at shopping prices with.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| Mercury Insurance | 97 | 96 | 88 | 89% | A+ | 93.4 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
| 21st Century | 86 | 82 | 90 | 84% | A | 86.4 |
| Liberty Mutual | 79 | 87 | 95 | 78% | A | 85.3 |
| Farmers Insurance | 77 | 80 | 80 | 84% | A | 80.3 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
In the end, you can save money
When trying to cut insurance costs, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost while still protecting your assets.
You just read some good ideas how you can find cheap Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Raleigh. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding affordable Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the best price on insurance is with the least-expected company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.
More tips and info about insurance is available in these articles:
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
- How Much is Raleigh Auto Insurance for Safe Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Raleigh Car Insurance for Veterans? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Raleigh Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Tacoma? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Raleigh Auto Insurance Rates for a Ford Escape? (FAQ)
- Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Institute)
- Distracted Driving (Insurance Information Institute)