7 Shopping Tips Shown to Save Money on Auto Insurance Costs in Jacksonville

Overpriced auto insurance can dwindle your checking account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparing price quotes is a smart way to make sure you’re not throwing money away. Numerous insurers battle for your insurance dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every provider to find the best rate

If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you can follow these tips to get lower rates while maximizing coverage. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Jacksonville is easy if you know what you’re doing. North Carolina consumers just need to understand the proper methods to shop for auto insurance online.

Low Cost Jacksonville Auto Insurance

Most major insurance companies give insurance quotes on their websites. Getting online rates is quite easy as you just enter the coverage amounts you desire into a form. Behind the scenes, their system sends out for your driving record and credit report and returns a price based on many factors. This makes comparing rates easy, but the process of having to visit several different sites and type in the same information can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s very important to perform this step if you are searching for the best price on auto insurance.

Rate comparisons made easy

The easiest way to find lower prices requires only one form that gets prices from more than one company. The form is fast, eliminates form submissions, and makes online price comparison much more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is quoted with multiple companies and you can pick any of the quotes returned. If a lower price is quoted, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. The whole process takes 15 minutes at the most and you will know how your current rates stack up.

In order to compare rates now, click here to open in a new tab and enter your information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with deductibles and limits just like they are on your policy. This guarantees you will get a price comparison using the same coverage and limits.

Don’t pay full price with these seven discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize all their discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using. If you aren’t receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.

Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down can qualify you for better rates on cars that stay parked.
Theft Prevention Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Defensive Driver – Completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
Club Memberships – Belonging to a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.
E-sign – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing digitally online.
Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
Multi-policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.

Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.

But I want to work with a local agent

Some consumers just want to visit with an insurance agent. Insurance agents can help determine the best coverages and help submit paperwork. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain lower rates but also keep your business local.

After filling out this quick form, your insurance data is submitted to companies in Jacksonville who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to even leave your home since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox.

Choosing a company shouldn’t rely on just the price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
Can they give you a list of client referrals?
Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?

Two types of insurance agents

When researching a good Jacksonville insurance agent, there are a couple of types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive). Both types can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning the differences since it may influence your agent selection.

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents can only write with one company like AAA, Allstate and State Farm. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agents receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents.

Below is a short list of captive insurance agencies in Jacksonville that are able to give price quotes.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-109.jpg" alt="lower rates in Jacksonville North Carolina” />

State Farm Insurance – 2440 Commerce Rd – Jacksonville, NC 28546 – (910) 346-3009
Allstate Insurance Co – 468 Western Blvd # C – Jacksonville, NC 28546 – (910) 347-1248
Farm Bureau Insurance – 2869 Richlands Hwy – Jacksonville, NC 28540 – (910) 346-9812

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies.

When searching for an agent, you should always include several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.

Shown below are Jacksonville independent insurance agents that are able to give comparison quotes.

Foy’s Insurance – 218 Wilmington Hwy – Jacksonville, NC 28540 – (910) 455-4115
Direct General Ins Agency – 230 Wilmington Hwy – Jacksonville, NC 28540 – (910) 938-4668
Mc Laughlin Insurance Svc – 2444 Commerce Rd – Jacksonville, NC 28546 – (910) 938-0930
Helene Lawson Agency – 207 Western Blvd – Jacksonville, NC 28546 – (910) 455-0785
Protective Agency Inc – 1203 Hargett St # D – Jacksonville, NC 28540 – (910) 346-4814

For a full directory of insurance agents in Jacksonville, simply jump to this page.

After getting satisfactory answers to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, you’ve probably found an insurance agency that meets your needs to service your policy. Just keep in mind policyholders can cancel your policy any time you want so don’t assume that you are obligated to any particular company for the full term.

Which insurance is the “right” coverage?

When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions may help highlight if you might need an agent’s assistance.

Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?
How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Jacksonville?
Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
Should I buy additional glass protection?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.

More detailed North Carolina auto insurance information can be found at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. North Carolina drivers can learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and learn about specific coverages.

The articles below may also help you learn more about auto insurance in Jacksonville

Specific coverage details

Having a good grasp of your policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are typical coverage types found on the average auto insurance policy.

Insurance for medical payments

Med pay and PIP coverage pay for expenses for surgery, EMT expenses, hospital visits and rehabilitation expenses. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Due to the fact that many North Carolina drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (North Carolina limits are 30/60/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Coverage for liability

Liability coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property by causing an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability coverage pays for claims like attorney fees, medical services and bail bonds. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but buy higher limits if possible. North Carolina requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should consider buying higher limits.

Collision coverage

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision can pay for things such as colliding with another moving vehicle, scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as damage from getting keyed, a broken windshield, fire damage and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Smart consumers save more

When shopping online for auto insurance, never reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

The cheapest auto insurance is definitely available on the web as well as from independent agents in Jacksonville, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

We just showed you some good ideas how to get a better price on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a small local company. Smaller companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than their larger competitors like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.