Follow These Proven Techniques for Cheaper Hickory, NC Car Insurance

Are you sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money to insure your vehicles every month? You are in the same boat as most other car owners in North Carolina. Since consumers have many insurance providers from which to choose, it’s nearly impossible to choose the best provider.

Finding affordable coverage in Hickory is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you have a policy now or are shopping for new coverage, you can learn to find better prices and possibly find even better coverage. North Carolina drivers only need to know the proper way to find the lowest price over the internet.

Save money by taking advantage of these discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don’t always list every discount very well, so we took the time to find both the well known and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
• Accident Waiver – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a set time period.
• Memberships – Participating in a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
• Resident Student – Any of your kids who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car may qualify for this discount.
• Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.

To choose insurers with the best car insurance discounts in North Carolina, click here to view.

Quote online but still have a local agent

Some people prefer to get advice from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Licensed agents can answer important questions and give you someone to call. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you may find better rates but still work with a licensed agent.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, your insurance data is emailed to agents in your area who will compete for your business. There is no reason to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier!

Choosing an provider requires more thought than just a cheap price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

• Who are their largest clients?
• Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
• How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
• Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
• Are they full-time agents?

Two types of Hickory auto insurance agents

When looking for a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of types of agencies from which to choose. Hickory agents are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive). Both types can insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know how they differ since it may influence the selection process.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents can only place business with one company like Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agents are trained well in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.

The following is a list of captive insurance agencies in Hickory willing to provide rate quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 324 Us Highway 70 SW – Hickory, NC 28602 – (828) 328-1787
State Farm Insurance – 1410 Old Lenoir Rd # A – Hickory, NC 28601 – (828) 431-2299

Independent Insurance Agents

These agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When searching for an agent, we recommend you include several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from.

Below are Hickory independent insurance agents that can give you price quotes.

Direct General Ins Agency – 332 Us Highway 70 SW – Hickory, NC 28602 – (828) 322-7002
Jeannie Pierce Insurance – 921 21st Ave NE – Hickory, NC 28601 – (828) 328-8472
Timmerman Insurance Svc Inc – 1224 19th Street Ln NW – Hickory, NC 28601 – (828) 322-4645

For a complete listing of car insurance agents in Hickory, please click here.

Once you have received reasonable responses to all your questions and a low price estimate, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that can insure your vehicles.

Misconceptions in car insurance advertisements

Consumers constantly see and hear ads for car insurance savings from the likes of State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all seem to say the same thing that you can save after switching your coverage to them.

How do they all make the same claim? It’s all in the numbers.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured could be over the age of 50, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. A propective insured who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and therefore will save a lot of money.

Drivers who are not a match for the requirements will be charged higher premiums which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s the way companies can truthfully claim big savings. That is why it’s extremely important to compare many company’s rates. It’s not possible to predict which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.

More detailed North Carolina car insurance information is located at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. North Carolina drivers can learn about insurance regulations, discover disciplinary actions, and download brochures.

Additional helpful sites include III.org’s auto insurance page and this page where you can research Hickory insurance agents.

Final thoughts

Budget-conscious car insurance can be purchased online and also from your neighborhood Hickory agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

When shopping online for car insurance, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed full coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

We covered some good ideas how you can get a better price on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the most savings is with a small local company. Smaller companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive or GEICO.