Comparison shopping for cheaper Ford Freestyle insurance in Charlotte can seem to be nearly impossible for beginners to comparing rates online. With such a large number of agents and insurers to choose from, it can quickly become more work than you anticipated to compare rates in North Carolina on Ford Freestyle insurance.
It’s shocking but the vast majority of car insurance customers renewed their policy with the same company for well over three years, and practically 40% of car insurance customers have never shopped around. North Carolina consumers could save $94 every year by just comparing quotes, but they mistakenly think it’s difficult to shop around.
You should take the time to price shop coverage before your policy renews because car insurance rates change frequently. Even if you got the best deal on Ford Freestyle insurance in Charlotte a couple years back you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of wrong information about Freestyle insurance online, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some great ways to save money.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save money using these tips. This article’s goal is to instruct you on how insurance works and some money-saving tips. But North Carolina drivers benefit from understanding how companies compete online and use this information to your advantage.
How to Lower Your Insurance Rates
Many factors are part of the calculation when premium rates are determined. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, but other criteria are more transparent like your continuous coverage or your vehicle rating.
The items below are some of the most rate-impacting factors auto insurance companies consider when setting your premiums.
- Use credit responsibly and save – Your credit rating is a large factor in determining premium rates. If your credit history can be improved, you could potentially save money when insuring your Ford Freestyle by improving your rating. People that have high credit ratings tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
- Multiple policies with one company can save – Most major insurance companies provide lower prices to policyholders who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount applied, it’s in your best interest to check prices from other companies to help ensure you have the lowest rates.
- Never let your policy expire – Not maintaining insurance is against the law and companies may charge more for letting your coverage lapse. Not only will you pay higher rates, not being able to provide proof of insurance might get you a revoked license or a big fine.
- Influences performance influences auto insurance premiums – The performance of the car, truck or SUV you own makes a huge difference in your rates. The cheapest insurance rates are usually for low performance passenger vehicles, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
The quickest method we recommend to compare rates for Ford Freestyle insurance in Charlotte is to realize all the major auto insurance companies pay for the opportunity to provide you with free rate quotes. To get started, all you need to do is give them some information including what you do for a living, how many miles driven, driver ages, and your education level. Your rating data is submitted instantly to many different companies and they return rate quotes with very little delay.
To start a rate quote now, click here and see if a lower rate is available in Charlotte.
The providers in the list below are ready to provide free quotes in Charlotte, NC. If your goal is to find the best car insurance in North Carolina, we recommend you visit two to three different companies to find the most affordable car insurance rates.
Why you need to buy auto insurance
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Ford Freestyle in Charlotte, maintaining insurance is required by state law in North Carolina and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.
- The majority of states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require a minimum amount of liability protection in order to drive the car. 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 Ford, more than likely the lender will force you to have physical damage coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank may insure your Ford for a lot more money and require you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.
- Insurance safeguards both your vehicle and your assets. It will also cover most medical and hospital costs that are the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly for liability claims. According to a recent study, the average American driver is currently overpaying as much as $850 per year so compare rates each time the policy renews to make sure the price is not too high.
Determine discounts to get cheap Charlotte auto insurance quotes
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even be aware of. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but some discounts are required to be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you do not double check each discount possible, you are paying more than you should be.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Fewer annual miles on your Ford could be rewarded with discounted auto insurance rates on garaged vehicles.
- Club Memberships – Affiliation with a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates on your next auto insurance statement.
- Multi-line Discount – Larger auto insurance companies have better auto insurance rates if you take out life insurance from them.
- Save over 55 – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for reduced rates.
- Telematics Data Discounts – People who choose to allow companies to study driving habits by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate might get better premium rates if they are good drivers.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to wear their seat belts can save a little on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Sign Early and Save – A few insurance companies allow discounts for buying a policy prior to your current Freestyle insurance policy expiration. Ten percent is about the average savings.
- Multi-car Discount – Having multiple vehicles on a single policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Responsible Driver Discount – Accident-free drivers may receive a discount up to 45% than their less cautious counterparts.
- Federal Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
As a sidenote, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy. Any amount of discount should help reduce your policy premiums.
A list of auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.
- Progressive has discounts for online quote discount, good student, multi-policy, homeowner, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and online signing.
- AAA offers premium reductions for anti-theft, multi-car, good student, education and occupation, and good driver.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for early shopping, good student, teen driver, pay in full, distant student, homeowner, and multi-car.
- GEICO may include discounts for anti-lock brakes, federal employee, multi-vehicle, good student, and anti-theft.
- Esurance discounts include claim free, DriveSense, online shopper, Switch & Save, good student, emergency road assistance, and safety device.
- SAFECO has savings for safe driver, teen safe driver, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, and accident prevention training.
- State Farm offers discounts including defensive driving training, good student, anti-theft, Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, and student away at school.
If you are trying to find affordable Charlotte car insurance quotes, ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. A few discounts might not be offered in Charlotte. If you would like to see a list of insurers that offer the discounts shown above in Charlotte, click this link.
Compare rates but buy from a neighborhood Charlotte auto insurance agent
Some people still prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is you may find lower auto insurance rates and still have an agent to talk to.
To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, your insurance coverage information is sent to local insurance agents in Charlotte that give free quotes for your business. There is no need to contact an agency because prices are sent directly to you. Get lower rates AND an agent nearby. If you want to get a comparison quote from a particular provider, you can always search and find their rate quote page and give them your coverage information.
Choosing an insurance company shouldn’t rely on just a low price. Any agent in Charlotte should have no problem answering these questions:
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- How long has the business existed?
- Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?
- How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
- Can glass claims be handled at your home?
- What company holds the largest book of business for them?
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
How to choose the best car insurance agent in Charlotte
When finding a reliable insurance agency, there are a couple of types of agencies and how they can write your policy. Car insurance agents are considered either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Exclusive insurance agents can only write with one company such as State Farm, Allstate, and Farm Bureau. They generally cannot compare rates from other companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Many people choose to use a exclusive agent mostly because of the brand name rather than having low rates.
The following are exclusive agents in Charlotte that are able to give price quotes.
- Joe Pomykacz – State Farm Insurance Agent
2730 E W.T. Harris Blvd #202 – Charlotte, NC 28213 – (704) 535-3700 – View Map - Michael Pritchard – State Farm Insurance Agent
8633 Monroe Rd d – Charlotte, NC 28212 – (704) 535-2292 – View Map - GEICO Insurance Agent
4651 South Blvd Suite B – Charlotte, NC 28209 – (704) 523-2886 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Agents of this type often have affiliation with several companies and that enables them to quote your coverage amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your premiums go up, they can switch companies in-house without you having to go to a different agency.
If you need cheaper car insurance rates, you need to contact a few independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. Many write coverage with mutual insurance companies that many times have cheaper rates.
Listed below is a short list of independent agents in Charlotte who can help you get price quotes.
- A1 Insurance
537 W Sugar Creek Rd # 104B – Charlotte, NC 28213 – (704) 598-4442 – View Map - Craig and Preston Insurance Agency
2210 Coronation Blvd Suite A – Charlotte, NC 28227 – (704) 321-2900 – View Map - The Jordan Insurance Agency,LLC
13860 Ballantyne Corporate Pl #120 – Charlotte, NC 28277 – (704) 926-7565 – View Map
Find cheaper car insurance rates by comparing often
When searching for affordable Ford Freestyle insurance quotes, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at the best cost and still be able to protect your assets.
We’ve covered a lot of techniques to lower your Ford Freestyle insurance premium rates in Charlotte. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from the smaller companies.
Discount Ford Freestyle insurance in Charlotte can be bought on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies don’t offer online rate quotes and many times these small insurance companies work with local independent agents.
Steps to finding more affordable Ford Freestyle insurance in Charlotte
If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get cheaper car insurance rates in Charlotte is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from providers who sell insurance in North Carolina.
- Get an understanding of how your policy works and the modifications you can make to drop your rates. Many policy risk factors that cause rate increases like tickets, at-fault accidents, and bad credit can be remedied by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
- Request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes from multiple insurance companies. Begin your rate comparison
- Compare the quotes to your current policy premium and determine if cheaper Freestyle coverage is available. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
- Provide notification to your current agent or company to cancel your existing policy and submit payment and a signed application to the new company. As soon as coverage is bound, keep your new proof of insurance paperwork with the vehicle registration.
A key point to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same amount of coverage on each quote and and to look at every insurance company. This helps ensure the most accurate price comparison and the best price selection.
To learn more, feel free to visit the resources below:
- Determining Auto Insurance Rates (GEICO)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for a Ford Escape in Charlotte? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for High School Students in Charlotte? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Learners Permit in Charlotte? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Toyota Camry in Charlotte? (FAQ)
- Protect Yourself Against Auto Theft (Insurance Information Institute)
- No-Fault Auto Insurance Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)