8 Discounts Goldsboro Drivers Miss when Buying Car Insurance Online

No one likes having to buy car insurance, especially when their premiums are through the roof.

Because there are so many companies and agents to choose from, it can be diffult for consumers to locate the lowest cost provider.

Finding the best rates in Goldsboro is quite easy. If you have car insurance now, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. But North Carolina drivers benefit from understanding how the larger insurance companies price online insurance because it can help you find the best coverage.

Comprehensive Goldsboro Car Insurance Comparison

All major car insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive give pricing online. Getting online rates doesn’t take a lot of time as you just enter the coverages you want into a form. Upon sending the form, the company’s rating system gets reports for credit and driving violations and returns pricing information determined by many factors. This helps simplify price comparisons, but the time it takes to visit each company’s website and repetitively enter the same data into a form gets old quite quickly. Unfortunately, it is important to get many rate quotes in order to find the lowest possible prices on car insurance.

The preferred way to compare car insurance pricing requires only one form that obtains quotes from several different companies. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes online shopping much simpler. As soon as you send your information, it is quoted and you can choose any of the price quotes you receive. If the quotes result in lower rates, you can click and sign and buy the new coverage. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and may save quite a bit of money.

If you want to find out what other companies charge, click here and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you duplicate as shown on your current policy. This ensures you will have rate quotes based on similar coverages.

Drivers who switch save $468 a year? Really?

Companies like Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the ads say the same thing that you’ll save big if you switch to their company. How does each company say the same thing?

Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured might be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A driver that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Drivers who do not match the “perfect” profile will be charged higher premiums and ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the savings. That is why it is so important to quote coverage with many companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Discounts are basically free money

Companies do not advertise all their discounts very clearly, so we break down some of the best known and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving.

• New Vehicle Savings – Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
• Paperless Signup – A few companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Senior Discount – Older drivers may receive a discount up to 10%.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
• Driver’s Ed – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Seat Belts Save – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.

Consumers should know that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you’re out of luck.

But I prefer to buy car insurance from an agent

Some consumers would prefer to sit down with an agent and that is OK! The best thing about getting online price quotes is you can get better rates and still choose a local agent.

To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, the quote information is submitted to insurance agents in Goldsboro who will give you bids for your business. There is no need to drive around since price quotes are sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! Get lower rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

Selecting an insurer requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
• Is assistance available after office hours?
• What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
• Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
• If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?

Captive and independent Goldsboro auto insurance agents

When looking for a local agent, there are two types of agencies that you can select. Insurance agencies in Goldsboro are categorized either independent or captive.

Captive Agents

Captive insurance agents are contracted to one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. They generally cannot give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. These agents are trained well on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.

Shown below is a list of captive agencies in Goldsboro that can give you comparison quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 908 E Ash St – Goldsboro, NC 27530 – (919) 735-9122
Nc Farm Bureau Insurance – 1314 W Grantham St # B – Goldsboro, NC 27530 – (919) 734-2370
Allstate Insurance – 2701 Cashwell Dr # A – Goldsboro, NC 27534 – (919) 778-1965

Independent Agencies or Brokers

These agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When comparison shopping, you should always include several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from.

Below is a short list of independent insurance agents in Goldsboro who can help you get price quotes.

Lewis Insurance – 1700 E Ash St # 100 – Goldsboro, NC 27530 – (919) 736-9595
Peterson Agency – 511 N William St # A – Goldsboro, NC 27530 – (919) 580-0079
Direct General Ins Agency – 706 E Ash St # 5 – Goldsboro, NC 27530 – (919) 736-0067
Quality Insurance Svc – 1206 N Berkeley Blvd # I – Goldsboro, NC 27534 – (919) 751-5660

To view a full list of licensed insurance agents in Goldsboro, click here to link.

Once you have received acceptable answers to your questions and a low price estimate, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to service your policy.

Your coverage should be tailored to you

When buying proper insurance coverage, there is no one size fits all plan. Every situation is different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if your insurance needs may require specific advice.

• Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
• Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
• Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
• What discounts do I qualify for?
• Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Goldsboro?
• When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
• Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?
• What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
• Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?

If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.

More tips and info about car insurance is available at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. Consumers can learn about insurance regulations, learn about specific coverages, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and view a list of available companies.

Other useful links include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.

Car insurance coverage information

Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.

Collision protection

Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your vehicle from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision insurance covers claims like hitting a mailbox, sustaining damage from a pot hole, colliding with a tree, crashing into a ditch and damaging your car on a curb. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. You can also increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Auto liability

This provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability insurance covers claims like court costs, bail bonds, medical services and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford. North Carolina requires drivers to carry at least 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many North Carolina drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (30/60/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Comprehensive auto coverage

This pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like hitting a bird, hail damage, theft and fire damage. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Medical payments and PIP coverage

Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for surgery, rehabilitation expenses and prosthetic devices. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you do not have health 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 coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Better coverage you can count on

Discount car insurance can be purchased online in addition to many Goldsboro insurance agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured dropped full coverage and learned later that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.