Buy Charleston, SC Car Insurance Like a Penny-pincher

Sick and tired of paying out the nose to insure your vehicles every month? You’re in the same situation as many other South Carolina drivers. Popular companies such as State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate all claim big savings, bombarding you with advertising and it can be hard to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and take the time to shop coverage around.

It’s a great practice to do rate comparisons before your policy renews because prices go up and down regularly. If you had the best deal a couple years back other companies may now be cheaper. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to learn the right way to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.

If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you can use these techniques to find better prices while maximizing coverage. Buying car insurance in Charleston is easy if you know what you’re doing. South Carolina drivers just need to understand the most efficient way to get comparison rates over the internet.

Finding Car Insurance in Charleston

Most major insurance companies such as State Farm, Allstate and GEICO quote price estimates directly from their websites. Getting quotes is quite simple as you simply enter the coverage amounts you desire into a form. Once you submit the form, their rating system automatically orders your credit score and driving record and returns a price based on these factors. Online quotes simplifies rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit each company’s website and repetitively type in the same information gets old quite quickly. But it is imperative to get many rate quotes if you are searching for the lowest possible prices on car insurance.

A less time-consuming method to lower your car insurance bill is to use a quote form that analyzes rates from multiple companies. It’s a real time-saver, requires less work, and makes comparison shopping a lot less work. After sending your information, it is rated and you are able to buy your choice of the quotes returned.

If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and buy the new coverage. The entire process just takes a couple of minutes and may save quite a bit of money.

To save time and use this form to compare rates, click here and input your coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you duplicate your coverages identical to your current policy. Doing this guarantees you will have comparison quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

South Carolina drivers can’t ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies make the same claim that you can save after switching to them.

But how can every company say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer they prefer to insure. A good example of a driver they prefer could possibly be over the age of 50, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-83.jpg" alt="Charleston South Carolina insurance quotes” />

Consumers who fall outside these standards will be quoted more money and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads say “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That is how companies can claim big savings.

This emphasizes why you absolutely need to get a wide range of price quotes. It’s impossible to know which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Lower rates by qualifying for discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may find discounts to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you complete an application, but some must be inquired about before being credited. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
Resident Student – Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car may be able to be covered for less.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Clubs and Organizations – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for car insurance.
Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.

Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.

For a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in South Carolina, click here.

Buying car insurance locally

Some consumers would rather buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local insurance agencies is important especially in Charleston.

For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your information is immediately sent to agents in your area who will battle to get your business. You never need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to your email. Now that’s easy!

If you want to select a specific agent in Charleston, please view this page.

Selecting a company requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Agents should be asked these questions:

Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?

After receiving answers to your satisfaction to any questions you have in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you have narrowed it down to an insurance company that can properly insure your vehicles.

Do I just need basic coverages?

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions can help discover if your situation may require specific advice.

Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
Should I buy only the required South Carolina minimum liability coverage?
What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.

More information is available on the website for the South Carolina Department of Insurance found here. South Carolina consumers can view agent and company licensing information, read state legal mandates and laws, learn about insurance regulations, and report car insurance fraud.

In conclusion

The cheapest car insurance can be sourced from both online companies in addition to many Charleston insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers do not provide online quoting and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, someone dropped full coverage only to regret at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.