Learn How to Buy Asheville Auto Insurance Like a Pro

Nobody likes having to buy auto insurance, especially when the cost is way too high. Big-name insurance companies like GEICO, Progressive and Allstate all claim big savings with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and find the best price available.

Smart consumers take time to shop coverage around on a regular basis because insurance rates tend to go up over time. If you had the best deal last year there may be better deals available now. There is a lot of wrong information about auto insurance online but we’re going to give you some excellent ideas to slash your auto insurance rates.

How insurance companies determine rates

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are some of the items that factor into premiums.

Marriage brings a discount – Having a wife or husband can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. Having a significant other translates into being more mature it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Men fork out a little more – Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. They both cause accidents in similar numbers, but the males cause more damage. They also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Save money with special equipment – Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all hinder auto theft.
Performance makes a difference – The performance of the car you are insuring makes a big difference in your rates. The most favorable rates tend to be for lower performance four cylinder passenger vehicles, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
A clean driving record saves money – Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Good drivers get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Even one ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers with flagrant tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.

Cut your auto insurance rates with discounts

Companies don’t always advertise all available discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

Multiple Vehicles – Having multiple vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Keeping the miles down could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
Save over 55 – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for reduced rates.
Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.

Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

To see a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in Asheville, click here to view.

Won’t my local insurance agent miss me?

A small number of people would rather sit down with an agent and that is just fine! Educated insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and help in the event of a claim. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.

For easy comparison, once you complete this simple form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to participating agents in Asheville who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy!

Picking a company needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Ask your prospective agent these questions:<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-47.jpg" alt="Asheville North Carolina car insurance“/>

Do they assist clients in filing claims?
Do they make recommendations based only on price?
How often do they review policy coverages?
Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
Are they full-time agents?

Do you need an independent or captive insurance agent?

If you’re trying to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two different types of agents from which to choose. Asheville agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive). Both types can do a good job, but it’s worth learning how they differ because it can impact your selection of an agent.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents write business for a single company and examples are AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents are very knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Shown below is a short list of captive agents in Asheville who can help you get price quote information.

Farmers Insurance Group – 4 Hickory Dr – Asheville, NC 28806 – (828) 252-0022
State Farm Insurance – 1270 Hendersonville Rd – Asheville, NC 28803 – (828) 274-2420
Farm Bureau Insurance – 4 Pine Ln – Asheville, NC 28806 – (828) 665-8086
Allstate Insurance Co – 34 New Leicester Hwy # E – Asheville, NC 28806 – (828) 225-2990

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency.

When comparing rates, you should always get quotes from at least one independent agent to get the best comparison.

Shown below are Asheville independent agents willing to provide price quote information.

Vaillancourt Agency – 1 Hansel Ave # B – Asheville, NC 28806 – (828) 252-9391
R Stanford WEBB Agency Inc – 216 Asheland Ave – Asheville, NC 28801 – (828) 258-2663
Prudential Insurance Co – 1200 Ridgefield Blvd # 150 – Asheville, NC 28806 – (828) 667-5558
James R Smith Agency – 70 Woodfin Pl # 320 – Asheville, NC 28801 – (828) 254-3742
Allcar Insurance – 88 Westgate Pkwy # A – Asheville, NC 28806 – (828) 251-0790

To view a full list of auto insurance agents in Asheville, click here to link.

After receiving positive responses to all your questions and locked in a price quote, you’ve probably found a car insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

North Carolina consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings by Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make an identical promise of big savings if you switch to their company.

How does each company make almost identical claims?

Different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” gets the lowest rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Drivers who are not a match for this ideal profile must pay a more expensive rate which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do. This illustrates why you absolutely need to compare many company’s rates. It’s not possible to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

More detailed North Carolina auto insurance information can be found at the North Carolina Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read consumer alerts, file complaints about a company, and report car insurance fraud.

Other useful links include Auto Insurance 101 and this page where you can research Asheville insurance agents.

Affordable insurance is out there

We covered a lot of tips how to get a better price on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or GEICO.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford.