Is Your Charlotte North Carolina Auto Insurance Too High? Here is How to Save Money

Have you had enough of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? You are no different than many other North Carolina drivers.

Companies like Allstate, Progressive and GEICO all claim big savings with catchy ads and it is difficult to separate fact from fiction and find the best price available.

If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Buying car insurance in Charlotte is not rocket science. Although North Carolina drivers can benefit by having an understanding of how the larger insurance companies determine prices and use this information to your advantage.

Save big with these discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but companies offer discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but some must be specifically requested before being credited.

• Federal Employees – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out life insurance.
• Clubs and Organizations – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount when shopping for auto insurance.
• Good Students Pay Less – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
• Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with one insurance company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
• Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than less cautious drivers.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt can save 10% or more off your medical payments premium.

Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way. But all discounts will help reduce your premiums.

Tips to Get Lower Charlotte Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that can help you get big savings.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

• Special features that cut premiums – Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
• Battle of the sexes – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. Men and women are in accidents in similar percentages, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving.
• What type of vehicle do you drive? – The performance of the vehicle you own makes a significant difference in determining your rates. The lowest base rates are usually for lower performance four cylinder passenger cars, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
• Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are many add-on coverages that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Things like rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. They may seem good at first, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
• Liability coverage is peace of mind – The liability section of your policy provides coverage when a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.

But I don’t know anything about car insurance

When buying the best auto insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions can aid in determining if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.

• Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
• What are North Carolina no-fault laws?
• When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
• Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
• Should I buy only the required North Carolina minimum liability coverage?
• Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
• Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
• Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
• What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Do drivers who switch really save?

Auto insurance providers like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise that you’ll save big if you change your policy. How do they all claim to save you money?

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who don’t meet these standards will be charged higher rates and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That’s why companies can claim big savings.

That is why you need to get as many quotes as possible. Because you never know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

More information can be read on the website for the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Click here for link. North Carolina consumers can find disaster information, download brochures, and report car insurance fraud.

Also read more on this site for auto insurance rates in North Carolina and this page where you can also get Charlotte auto insurance quotes.

Do the work, save more money

The cheapest auto insurance can be found from both online companies in addition to many Charlotte insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We covered a lot of ways to save on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like Progressive and GEICO.