The easiest way to get cheaper car insurance rates in Durham is to do an annual price comparison from providers who sell insurance in North Carolina.
First, take a few minutes and learn about the different coverages in a policy and the modifications you can make to prevent rate increases. Many rating factors that result in higher prices such as accidents, traffic tickets, and a bad credit rating can be remedied by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
Second, request rate estimates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agents can give you price quotes for a wide range of insurance providers. Compare rates now
Third, compare the new quotes to your existing coverage and determine if there is any savings. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
The most important part of shopping around is that you’ll want to make sure you compare identical coverage information on each quote and and to get prices from as many companies as possible. This provides a fair rate comparison and the best price selection.
It’s easy to assume that car insurance companies don’t want their customers to go rate shopping. Insureds who shop for lower prices will, in all likelihood, switch insurance companies because there is a high probability of getting low-cost coverage. A recent insurance study revealed that people who compared rates regularly saved on average $865 a year compared to people who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.
If finding the best rates on auto insurance in Durham is why you’re reading this, then having an understanding of how to compare car insurance can help you succeed in saving money.
Finding and comparing the cheapest insurance in Durham is actually quite simple. Virtually anyone who has to buy insurance stands a good chance to be able to save money. But North Carolina vehicle owners do need to know the way companies set your policy premium and use it to find better rates.
Affordable companies for Chevy Sonic insurance
The companies in the list below are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in North Carolina. To buy the best cheap car insurance in Durham, it’s highly recommended you compare several of them in order to find the lowest rates.
Reduce your insurance rates with discounts
Auto insurance companies do not advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both the well known and also the more inconspicuous discounts that you may qualify for. If you do not check that you are getting every discount you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Homeowners Savings – Just owning your own home can save a few bucks because maintaining a house is proof of financial responsibility.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Buying a policy with several vehicles on the same insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Online Discount – A few larger online companies will give a small break get Durham auto insurance on the web.
- Cautious Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save up to 40% or more on their Durham auto insurance quote compared to accident prone drivers.
- Government Employee Discount – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could provide a small rate reduction with a few insurance companies.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Durham drivers who agree to allow their company to spy on their driving habits by using a telematics device like Allstate’s Drivewise might get better premium rates as long as they are good drivers.
It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it’s just not the way it works.
If you would like to see a list of insurance companies with discount rates in North Carolina, click here to view.
You Can Change Your Insurance Prices
A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing the rating factors that play a part in calculating your auto insurance rates. When consumers understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower premium levels.
Shown below are some of the items companies use to determine premiums.
More performance means more cost – The performance level of the car or truck you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in your auto insurance rates. Economy passenger cars usually are quite affordable to insure, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
Decrease prices by maintaining coverage – Going without insurance will be a sure-fire way to drive up your policy premiums. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage can result in fines and jail time.
Lower rates with a multi-policy discount – Most larger insurers allow a discount to insureds that purchase more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to ten or even fifteen percent. Even though this discount sounds good, consumers should still comparison shop to guarantee you are still saving the most. Drivers may still save even more by insuring with multiple companies.
High credit scores save money – Having a bad credit history can be an important factor in determining premium rates. If your credit history is lower than you’d like, you may save money insuring your Chevrolet Sonic by taking the time to improve your credit score. Consumers who have high credit scores tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with bad credit.
Theft deterrents save – Buying a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Theft deterrent systems such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
Tickets increase rates – Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single ticket can bump up the cost substantially. Drivers unfortunate enough to have serious citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
No claims equals lower prices – Insurance companies in North Carolina give the best rates to people who file claims infrequently. If you file claims often, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Insurance coverage is intended for claims that you cannot pay yourself.
Loss probability for a Chevy Sonic – Insurers use past loss statistics for each vehicle to calculate a price that offsets possible losses. Models that the statistics show to have increased losses will have higher rates for specific coverages. The data below shows the insurance loss data for Chevy Sonic vehicles.
For each policy coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles, regardless of make or model, is considered to be 100. Numbers that are below 100 suggest losses that are better than average, while percentage values above 100 indicate frequent claims or an increased probability of a larger loss.
| Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Sonic | 104 | 132 | 91 | 167 | 189 | 159 |
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
How do I know if I need professional advice?
Always remember that when buying a policy for your vehicles, there really is not a one-size-fits-all type of policy. Your needs are unique to you and your auto insurance should be unique as well.
Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight whether you would benefit from professional advice.
- Will filing a claim cost me more?
- Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- What are the liability requirements in my state?
- How can I get my company to pay me more for my totaled car?
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
What if I want to buy from local Durham auto insurance agents?
Many drivers still prefer to have an agent’s advice and doing that can be a smart decision A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is that you can obtain cheap insurance quotes and still have an agent to talk to. Supporting local insurance agents is definitely important in Durham.
After filling out this quick form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents that can give you free Durham auto insurance quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to leave your computer since price quotes are sent to you directly. You’ll get the best rates without requiring a lot of work. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote for a specific company, you would need to navigate to their website and fill out their quote form.
Picking an company should include more criteria than just the price. Before buying a policy in Durham, get answers to these questions.
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Does the company have a local claim office in Durham?
Once you have answers to your satisfaction to all your questions as well as a price you’re happy with, you may have found a company that is reputable and can service your policy. But keep in mind you can terminate your policy at any point so don’t feel you’re contractually obligated to your new company for the full term.
Auto insurance company ratings
Picking a highly-rated car insurance company can be rather challenging considering how many different companies sell coverage in North Carolina. The company ratings in the lists below may help you select which auto insurers to look at comparing price quotes from.
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies Overall
- Travelers
- USAA
- AAA Insurance
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- American Family
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- USAA – 91%
- AAA Insurance – 90%
- Esurance – 90%
- Nationwide – 89%
- Travelers – 88%
- Progressive – 88%
- Safeco Insurance – 88%
- State Farm – 88%
- Allstate – 88%
- The Hartford – 87%
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, drivers have reduced full coverage only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not skimp to save money.
Some insurance providers may not provide internet price quotes and these smaller providers sell through independent agents. Low-cost Chevy Sonic insurance in Durham is definitely available from both online companies and with local Durham insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to get a complete price analysis.
Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to reduce Chevy Sonic insurance premium rates online in Durham. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get prices for, the higher your chance of finding affordable Chevrolet Sonic insurance quotes. You may even find the best price on insurance is with a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive or GEICO.
More tips and info about insurance is located by following these links:
- State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Unemployed Drivers in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Durham Car Insurance Rates for Single Moms? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Dodge Ram in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for Used Cars in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Durham Auto Insurance for Hybrid Vehicles? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Teenagers in Durham? (FAQ)
- How Much is Car Insurance for Nurses in Durham? (FAQ)
- Should I Purchase an Umbrella Liability Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)
- All About Airbag Safety (State Farm)