It’s an obvious assumption that auto insurance companies don’t want you to look for cheaper rates. Drivers who shop for lower rates will most likely buy a different policy because they stand a good chance of finding a more affordable policy premium. A recent car insurance study revealed that people who routinely shopped for cheaper coverage saved as much as $865 a year compared to drivers who don’t regularly compare prices.
If saving money on car insurance in Durham is your ultimate target, then having an understanding of how to shop for insurance coverage can make it easier to find better rates.
If you want to save the most money, the best way to get affordable Saab 9-7X insurance is to compare prices at least once a year from insurance carriers that sell auto insurance in Durham. Drivers can shop around by following these guidelines.
- First, it will benefit you to learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the things you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that increase rates such as tickets, at-fault accidents, and an imperfect credit score can be rectified by being financially responsible and driving safely.
- Second, obtain price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes for many different companies.
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy to see if a cheaper rate is available in Durham. If you find a lower rate quote and change companies, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
The key aspect of shopping around is to make sure you enter similar coverage information on every quote and and to get prices from as many different insurance providers as possible. This enables a fair rate comparison and the best price selection.
Don’t overlook these Saab 9-7X insurance discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always publicize all discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both the well known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using when you buy Durham car insurance online.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a house in Durham can earn you a little savings because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
- Life Insurance Discount – If the company offers life insurance, you could get lower premium rates if you buy life insurance from them.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Putting insurance coverage on a new 9-7X can save you some money since new model year vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% with select insurance companies.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you can combine your auto and homeowners policy with the same insurance company they may give you a discount of over 10 percent off each policy depending on the company.
Don’t be shocked that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. Any qualifying discounts will reduce your insurance premiums.
A list of insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm offers discounts for multiple policy, driver’s education, good driver, multiple autos, and anti-theft.
- GEICO has discounts for five-year accident-free, defensive driver, multi-policy, emergency military deployment, and driver training.
- Allstate includes discounts for utility vehicle, premier plus, farm vehicle, senior citizen, and early signing.
- SAFECO has savings for multi-car, anti-lock brakes, accident prevention training, teen safe driver, homeowner, bundle discounts, and drive less.
- Farm Bureau offers discounts including renewal discount, 55 and retired, good student, multi-vehicle, driver training, and youthful driver.
- Progressive discounts include good student, continuous coverage, homeowner, multi-policy, online signing, online quote discount, and multi-vehicle.
- AAA may offer discounts for good driver, education and occupation, multi-car, AAA membership discount, good student, multi-policy, and anti-theft.
When quoting, ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be offered in your state. To view insurance companies with discount insurance rates in North Carolina, click this link.
The following companies provide quotes in North Carolina. If you wish to find cheap car insurance in Durham, NC, we suggest you visit two to three different companies in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Learn How to Quote Insurance More Affordably
Many different elements are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, although others are less apparent like your vehicle usage or how safe your car is.
Shown below are some of the most rate-impacting factors that factor into prices.
- Females pay lower rates – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Men and women get in auto accidents at a similar rate, but guys cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically receive more costly citations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Male teenagers are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
- Buy a safe car and pay less – Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. Highly rated vehicles protect occupants better and lower rates of occupant injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and lower rates for you. If your Saab 9-7X has at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may pay a lower rate.
- File insurance claims and pay more – Car insurance companies in North Carolina generally give better rates to policyholders who are not frequent claim filers. If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can expect increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Auto insurance is intended for claims that pose a financial burden.
- Limits of liability coverage – Your insurance policy’s liability coverage provides coverage in the event that you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Your liability coverage provides you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is relatively inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
- Alarm systems save money – Selecting a car model with advanced anti-theft systems can earn a premium discount. Theft deterrent systems like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
Shop online but buy locally
Some consumers still like to get advice from a local agent and doing that can be a smart decision Professional insurance agents can answer important questions and give you someone to call. One of the best bonuses of comparing rate quotes online is you may find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.
Upon completion of this short form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to insurance agents in Durham that can provide free Durham car insurance quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t need to find an agent since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. If you want to get a price quote from a specific company, don’t hesitate to navigate to their website and give them your coverage information.
Choosing a insurance company requires you to look at more than just a cheap quote. You should also get answers to these questions.
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- By raising physical damage deductibles, how much would you save?
- Is insurance their full-time profession?
- Will one accident increase rates?
Insurance just makes sense
Even though it can be expensive, insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means you are required to buy a specific level of liability insurance coverage if you don’t want to risk a ticket. In North Carolina these limits are 30/60/25 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you have a loan on your Saab, almost all lenders will stipulate that you buy insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank will be required to insure your Saab for a much higher rate and force you to pay the higher premium.
- Insurance preserves both your Saab 9-7X and your personal assets. It also can pay for medical expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having insurance greatly outweigh the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. Unknowingly, the average driver is overpaying over $825 a year so smart consumers compare quotes once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are inline.
How to find a good North Carolina auto insurance company
Ending up with a good quality car insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many choices drivers have in Durham. The company ratings in the next section can help you choose which auto insurance companies you want to consider when shopping your coverage around.
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 by A.M. Best Rank
- Travelers – A++
- USAA – A++
- GEICO – A++
- State Farm – A++
- Titan Insurance – A+
- Esurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- The Hartford – A+
- Allstate – A+
A conclusion for your auto insurance search
Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, lack of trust in their agent, denial of a claim and delays in responding to claim requests. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new company is actually quite simple.
When buying insurance coverage, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to discover later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage for the lowest cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to reduce Saab 9-7X insurance rates online in Durham. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier.
More tips and info about auto insurance is located in the articles below:
- Drunk Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for Inexperienced Drivers in Durham? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a 20 Year Old Female in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Dodge Ram in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in Durham? (FAQ)
- Front crash protection reduces rear-end crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Property Damage Coverage (Liberty Mutual)