Things You Must Know Before Finding Concord, NC Car Insurance Online

Expensive car insurance can empty your personal savings and force you to make sacrifices. Doing a price comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to help make ends meet.

Big-name insurance companies like GEICO, Progressive and Allstate persitently shower you with TV and radio ads and it can be hard to ignore the flashy ads and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

Car Insurance Comparison Rates in Concord, North Carolina

There are a variety of methods to compare car insurance prices but there is one way that is easier and takes less work. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking to insurance agencies in Concord, or you could use online quotes for quick rates.

Many companies are enrolled in a marketplace where prospective buyers send in one quote, and each participating company returns a rated price for coverage. This saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for every car insurance company.

To find out what other companies charge click here (opens in new window).

The one disadvantage to using this type of form is you are unable to specify which providers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to pick specific insurance companies to compare prices, we have assembled a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina. Click to view list.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using apples-to-apples coverage limits on every quote. If you compare unequal deductibles or liability limits you can’t possibly determine the lowest rate in Concord. Just a small difference in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when quoting car insurance, remember that comparing more company’s prices gives you a better chance of getting the best rates. Concord North Carolina car insurance

More discounts equal less premium

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you can get discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be specifically requested prior to receiving the credit.

Defensive Driver – Taking a course in driver safety could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
Homeowners Discount – Owning a house in Concord may trigger a car insurance policy discount because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
One Accident Forgiven – A few companies permit an accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
Clubs and Organizations – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
Resident Student – Kids in college who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car may qualify for this discount.
Student Driver Training – Have your child take driver’s ed class in school.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will cut your overall premium however.

To see a list of insurance companies with discount car insurance rates in Concord, follow this link.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in better car insurance rates.

The list below includes some of the items that factor into premiums.

Equipment add-ons that lower car insurance rates – Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention devices such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent your car from being stolen.
Discounts for married couples – Being married can get you a discount when buying car insurance. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature and responsible and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
With age comes lower rates – Teenage drivers in North Carolina tend to get distracted easily behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. Parents adding a teenage driver onto your car insurance can be quite pricey. Older drivers are more responsible, file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
Proper usage rating affects rates – Driving more miles in a year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most companies price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
Extra coverages can waste money – There are many add-on coverages that you can buy on your car insurance policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
One company can mean more discounts – The majority of insurers will give a discount to insureds who carry more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to compare other company rates to ensure the best deal. Consumers may find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
Lower deductibles cost more – Insurance for physical damage to your car, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, vandalism, or theft. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend before your car insurance pays a claim. The more you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the bigger discount you will receive.
Drive a safer car and pay less – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and lower rates for you.

It’s not one size fits all

When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there really is not a “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is a little different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether you will benefit from professional help.

How high should my medical payments coverage be?
Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
Am I covered when driving a rental car?
Where can I get insurance after a DUI in North Carolina?
Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

More information can be found on the website for the North Carolina Department of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to download brochures, report car insurance fraud, read consumer alerts, and view agent and company licensing information.

In Summary

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

We covered a lot of techniques to lower your car insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company. These companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.