Best 5 Tricks to Save on Car Insurance in Greenwood

Are you overwhelmed by the dozens of car insurance options in Greenwood? Lot’s of other consumers are too. People have so many options available that it can turn into a real hassle to find the best price.

Finding the best rates in Greenwood is not that difficult. If you have insurance now or are shopping for new coverage, you can follow these tips to shop for the lowest rates and still get good coverage. South Carolina vehicle owners just need to understand the proper methods to get comparison quotes online.

How to Get Car Insurance in Greenwood

Most major insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm give coverage price quotes on their websites. The process is pretty easy as you simply enter your coverage preferences into a form. After you submit the form the company’s rating system sends out for reports for credit and driving violations and gives you a price quote based on many factors.

Being able to quote online simplifies rate comparisons, but the time required to go to multiple sites and complete many quote forms can get tiresome after awhile. But it is imperative to compare as many rates as possible in order to find the lowest possible prices on car insurance.

The easy way to compare rates

The easiest way to lower your rates utilizes a single form that analyzes rates from more than one company. It saves time, reduces the work, and makes online quotes much more enjoyable and efficient. After your information is entered, your coverage is rated and you can select any or none of the price quotes you receive. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can click and sign and buy the policy. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and you will know how your current rates stack up.

To find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and enter your information. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you type in the limits and deductibles exactly as they are listed on your policy. This way, you’re receiving a rate comparison using the exact same coverages.

Misconceptions in car insurance advertisements

South Carolina consumers constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make an identical promise that you can save if you change your policy.

How does each company make almost identical claims?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a preferred risk might be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. Any driver who fits that profile receives the best rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who do not match this ideal profile will be charged higher premiums and ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s why companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings. That is why you need to get quotes from several different companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Don’t overlook these 5 discounts

Companies don’t always list every discount very clearly, so here is a list both the well known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using. If you’re not getting every credit available, you are throwing money away.

• Anti-lock Brakes – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
• No Accidents – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
• New Vehicle Savings – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
• Use Seat Belts – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To choose insurers offering car insurance discounts in Greenwood, follow this link.

What about using a local agent?

Some people just want to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! Professional agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help you file claims. The best thing about comparing rates online is that you can obtain the best rates and still choose a local agent.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, the quote information is instantly submitted to insurance agents in Greenwood who will compete for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox.

Deciding on an insurance company needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in South Carolina?
• What insurance company do they write the most business with?
• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
• Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
• Is working in the agency their full-time job?

Greenwood insurance agents are either independent or captive

When looking for a reliable agent, there are a couple of different agency structures to choose from. Insurance agencies in Greenwood can either be captive or independent. Both types can write coverage properly, but it’s good to learn the difference between them since it can impact your agent selection.

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents are contracted to one company like American Family, Liberty Mutual and AAA. Captives cannot shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. They are trained well on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers often buy insurance from these agents partially due to loyalty to the company and strong financial ratings.

Shown below are captive insurance agents in Greenwood who can help you get price quotes.

• State Farm Insurance – 674 Bypass 72 NW – Greenwood, SC 29649 – (864) 229-2222
• Allstate Insurance – 1428 Bypass 72 NE # A – Greenwood, SC 29649 – (864) 223-5090
• Farm Bureau Insurance – 211 Montague Ave – Greenwood, SC 29649 – (864) 223-3798

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents do not work for one specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you get quotes from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.Most can insure with different regional companies which may provide better rates.

Shown below are Greenwood independent agencies that are able to give rate quotes.

• Irvin Hurt Insurance – 339 Grace St – Greenwood, SC 29649 – (864) 229-4925
• Direct General Ins Agency – 716 Montague Ave # A – Greenwood, SC 29649 – (864) 388-2760
• Mike Meredith Agency – 410 Main St – Greenwood, SC 29646 – (864) 229-4699
• May and Dyer Agency – 1144 Reynolds Ave – Greenwood, SC 29649 – (864) 229-2314
• Palmetto Insurance Assoc – 202 Montague Ave – Greenwood, SC 29649 – (864) 227-0002

For a full directory of licensed insurance agents in Greenwood, please view this page.

Upon getting reasonable responses to these questions and a low price estimate, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that will properly service your car insurance policy. Keep in mind consumers can terminate your policy at any time so don’t assume you are locked into the car insurance policy for the full term.

The coverage is in the details

Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

UM/UIM Coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your vehicle.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/25), their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Medical costs insurance – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for immediate expenses such as nursing services, surgery, ambulance fees, EMT expenses and pain medications. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers all vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Collision – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your vehicle caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision can pay for claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, backing into a parked car, crashing into a building and driving through your garage door. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Auto liability insurance – This provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage pays for things like medical expenses, emergency aid and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. South Carolina requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – Comprehensive insurance covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hitting a bird, a broken windshield, fire damage and vandalism. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

More detailed South Carolina car insurance information is located at the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. South Carolina consumers can read consumer alerts, read industry bulletins, and view a list of available companies.

Final considerations

When trying to cut insurance costs, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Drivers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including policy cancellation, poor customer service, lack of trust in their agent or even denial of a claim. Regardless of your reason, switching car insurance companies can be easier than you think.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of tips how to save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the biggest savings come from an unexpected company.