Easy Ways to Save Money on High Point North Carolina Auto Insurance

If you’re new to shopping for auto insurance online, you can be overwhelmed by the vast number of online auto insurance companies and websites offering coverage in High Point.

It’s smart to compare prices yearly since insurance rates are variable and change quite frequently. If you had the best rates a year ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting right now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to learn one of the best ways to find better rates and still maintain coverage.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

Car insurance is not cheap, but there are discounts available that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be applied when you quote, but a few need to be inquired about before they will apply.

Defensive Driving Course – Taking a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
No Accidents – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less compared to accident-prone drivers.
Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
Own a Home – Being a homeowner can save you money because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
Save with a New Car – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.
Military Rewards – Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Organization Discounts – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount when buying auto insurance.
Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.

Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in North Carolina, click here to view.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that go into determining your auto insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

Poor credit can mean higher rates – A driver’s credit rating is a important factor in determining your rates. Drivers with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have poor credit. If your credit score can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your by improving your rating.
Small claims can cost you – Auto insurance companies in North Carolina award lower rates to insureds who do not file claims often. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
Lower rates with optional equipment – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent your car from being stolen.
Do you work long hours in a high stress job? – Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations such as lawyers, executives and accountants tend to have higher rates than average in part from job stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, professions such as scientists, athletes and performers receive lower rates.
Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are a ton of extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, accidental death and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment at first, but if you don’t need them eliminate them to save money.

How do I know if I need professional advice?

When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

These are some specific questions may help highlight if you could use an agent’s help.

Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
When would I need additional glass coverage?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in North Carolina?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

What if I want to buy from a local High Point agent?

Some people just want to talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you may find the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local businesses is definitely important in High Point.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy! You can find the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with.

If you wish to view a list of agents in High Point to contact, visit this link.

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

Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in North Carolina?
Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?

Upon receiving satisfactory answers and an acceptable price quote, you’ve probably found a company that will insure your vehicles.

Save $457 a year? Really?

Auto insurance providers like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all have a common claim of big savings if you move to them. How does each company make the same claim?

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the driver they prefer to insure. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.

Potential insureds who don’t measure up to these standards will be quoted higher rates and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That’s why companies can make the claims of big savings.

This emphasizes why drivers must compare many company’s rates. It’s just too difficult to predict which company will have the lowest rates.

Additional auto insurance information is available on the North Carolina Department of Insurance website through this link. Consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, read consumer alerts, and get help finding coverage.

Shop smart and save

When trying to cut insurance costs, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced collision coverage only to regret at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how you can shop for auto insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies.

Cheap auto insurance is available from both online companies and with local High Point insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.