Is Your Greenville South Carolina Car Insurance Breaking the Bank?

Finding lower premiums on Greenville car insurance is always hard for people who are new to comparison shopping online. People have so many choices that it can be a big hassle to locate the lowest price in Greenville.

Greenville Car Insurance Comparisons

Getting better car insurance pricing can be surprisingly simple. You just need to invest a few minutes getting comparison quotes from different insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in several different ways.

The first (and easiest) way to compare a lot of rates at once would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This type of form saves time by eliminating multiple quote forms for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes from all major companies. This is by far the quickest method.
A harder way to get quotes online is spending the time to visit the website for each individual company to request a price quote. For examples sake, we’ll assume you want rates from Progressive, State Farm and Allstate. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.
To view a list of companies in Greenville, click here.
The most time-consuming method to get comparison rates is to spend time driving to insurance agents’ offices. Shopping for car insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you want the professional guidance that only a license agent can provide. However, consumers can obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.

It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you are comparing the exact same deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If your comparisons have unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s not possible to determine the lowest rate in Greenville.

Cut your car insurance rates with discounts

Companies don’t necessarily list every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both the well known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
Memberships – Being a member of a qualifying organization may earn a discount when buying car insurance.
Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
Distant Student – Kids in college living away from home attending college and don’t have a car may qualify for this discount.
Safety Course Discount – Completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Anti-theft System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
Seat Belts Save – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.

A little note about advertised discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To choose providers who offer car insurance discounts in South Carolina, follow this link.

Don’t I need to talk to an agent?

Some consumers would rather visit with an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. Insurance agents can help determine the best coverages and help you file claims. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is you can get the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.

Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), the quote information is sent to insurance agents in Greenville who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to visit any agencies as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. It doesn’t get any easier!

Choosing an insurer needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Here are some questions to ask:

Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?

Captive or Independent: There is a difference

If you’re trying to find a local agent, there are a couple of types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Greenville can either be captive or independent. Both write coverage properly, but it’s worth mentioning how they differ because it can influence the selection process.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agencies can only write with one company such as American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives are trained well in insurance sales which can be an advantage. Some people will only choose to use a captive agent mostly because of the brand legacy and solid financial strength.

Listed below is a short list of captive agents in Greenville that can give you price quote information.

Allstate Insurance – 2096 Woodruff Rd – Greenville, SC 29607 – (864) 234-4923
State Farm Insurance – 2503 Wade Hampton Blvd – Greenville, SC 29615 – (864) 268-0311

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agencies do not work for one specific company but rather can write business amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to contact at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection. Most have the option of insuring with different regional companies which may provide better rates.

Below is a list of independent insurance agents in Greenville willing to provide comparison quotes.

William K Hightower Agency Inc – 320 W Stone Ave – Greenville, SC 29609 – (864) 232-8861
Insurance Adjusting and Consltng – 50 Rocky Creek Rd – Greenville, SC 29615 – (864) 329-0283
Brown and Brown Insurance – 403 Woods Lake Rd – Greenville, SC 29607 – (864) 232-7040
James E Lipscomb III Agency – 20 Mcpherson Ln – Greenville, SC 29605 – (864) 370-0065
Brad Hughes Agency Inc – 3880 E North St – Greenville, SC 29615 – (864) 292-3001

To view a full list of licensed insurance agents in Greenville, simply jump to this page.

Once you have positive responses to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, you may have just found a car insurance agent that can provide car insurance coverage.

How much car insurance do I need?

When buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Everyone’s needs are different.

For example, these questions can aid in determining whether or not you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

Where can I get insurance after a DUI in South Carolina?
Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
Do I need higher deductibles?
Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
Do I need rental car coverage?
Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Greenville?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.

Why you might pay higher rates in Greenville

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine car insurance rates. Understanding what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Your location affects your rates – Residing in less populated areas has it’s advantages when buying car insurance. Lower population translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. City drivers tend to have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Longer commute distances means higher likelihood of an accident.
Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates.
How credit affects car insurance rates – A driver’s credit score is a big factor in calculating your car insurance rates. If your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your by improving your credit score. Drivers with good credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with poor credit.
Drive less and save money – Driving more miles in a year’s time the higher your rate. Almost all companies rate vehicles determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. Double check that your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Your car insurance rates can be influenced by your job – Occupations such as judges, business owners and financial analysts tend to have higher average rates because of stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, occupations like pilots, engineers and retirees receive lower rates.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

South Carolina consumers constantly see and hear ads for cheaper car insurance by companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the ads say the same thing of big savings if you move to them.

How do they all make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the right customer they prefer to insure. For example, a preferred risk might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will be quoted higher rates and this can result in business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently state the savings. This emphasizes why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

And the best car insurance company is…

Cost effective car insurance is possible on the web and also from your neighborhood Greenville agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

Insureds leave their current company for a variety of reasons including questionable increases in premium, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, extreme rates for teen drivers and even denial of a claim. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.

We just presented some good ideas how to reduce car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from the smaller companies.

More consumer information in South Carolina

Additional detailed information is available at the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. Consumers can read industry bulletins, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find a variety of consumer forms, and view agent and company licensing information.