5 Ways You Can Buy Car Insurance for Less in Charlotte

Searching for low-cost Charlotte car insurance online can seem to be difficult for consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online. Since there are so many online companies available, how can anyone even start to compare every one to find the lowest price available?

You should take the time to shop coverage around on a regular basis since rates change quite often. Even if you got the best price a few years ago you will most likely find a better rate today. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about car insurance on the internet, so I’m going to show you some guaranteed methods to find affordable car insurance.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways of comparing rates and find the best price. The simplest method to find competitive insurance rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

• The best way to get the best comparison quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating separate quotes for each company you want a rate for. Just one form will return quotes from multiple low-cost companies. This is by far the quickest method.
• Another way to shop for car insurance online requires visiting the website for every company you want to comare to complete a price quote. For example, let’s assume you want rates from Allstate, Esurance and American Family. To find out each rate you need to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to insurance companies in Charlotte, click here.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you are comparing identical information for each comparison quote. If you are comparing different liability limits it will be next to impossible to determine the best price in Charlotte. Having just a slight variation in limits may result in a large different in cost. Keep in mind that comparing more company’s prices will increase your chances of finding the best rates.

Save $388 a year? Really?

Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings if you switch your coverage to them. How can each company claim to save you money?

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and chooses high deductibles. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters receives the best rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who don’t measure up to the requirements must pay higher premiums and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can truthfully advertise the savings.

This illustrates why you should quote coverage with many companies. It’s not possible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Verify you’re getting all your discounts

Car insurance can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don’t even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you purchase, but a few must be inquired about prior to getting the savings.

• Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more than drivers with accident claims.
• Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
• Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new car can save up to 30% because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
• Early Switch Discount – A few companies offer discounts for signing up before your current policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.

It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free car insurance policy, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your premiums.

For a list of companies with the best car insurance discounts in North Carolina, click this link.

When should I talk to an agent?

When choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s needs are different.

For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you would benefit from professional advice.

• What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
• Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
• Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
• Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
• Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
• Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Charlotte?
• Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?

If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Car insurance coverage information

Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Collision protection

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage pays for things such as rolling your car, damaging your car on a curb, colliding with another moving vehicle and sideswiping another vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Medical costs insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for immediate expenses like prosthetic devices, EMT expenses and doctor visits. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This coverage 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 claims such as vandalism, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and hitting a deer. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Liability insurance

This coverage will cover damage that occurs to people or other property that is your fault. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see values of 25/50/25 that translate to a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage protects against things like legal defense fees, funeral expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, attorney fees and loss of income. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but buy as large an amount as possible. North Carolina state minimum liability requirements are 30,000/60,000/25,000 but drivers should carry more coverage.

UM/UIM Coverage

This gives you protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your vehicle.

Since many North Carolina drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (30/60/25 in North Carolina), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Frequently these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.

More information can be read on the North Carolina Department of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, find disaster information, download brochures, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Other useful links include this page for North Carolina car insurance and this page where you can research Charlotte insurance agents.

One last thing about your coverage

As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

In this article, we presented many tips how you can reduce car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company.

Insureds change insurance companies for any number of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, delays in responding to claim requests, poor customer service and even unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new car insurance company can be easier than you think.