It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get low-cost car insurance rates is to compare prices at least once a year from insurance carriers who provide auto insurance in Charlotte. You can compare prices by following these steps.
Step 1: Spend some time learning about individual coverages and the changes you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating factors that drive up the price like at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and a negative credit score can be rectified by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
Step 2: Request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can provide price quotes from multiple companies.
Step 3: Compare the quotes to your existing policy and see if you can save money. If you find a better price, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
Step 4: Tell your current agent or company to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit a down payment along with a signed application to the new insurer. Be sure to place your new certificate verifying coverage with your registration paperwork.
One key aspect when comparing rates is to compare similar deductibles and liability limits on each quote request and and to get prices from as many companies as possible. This helps ensure an apples-to-apples comparison and the best price selection.
It’s a fact that car insurance companies don’t want their customers to go rate shopping. People who shop for lower prices are likely to switch to a new company because they stand a good chance of finding lower rate quotes. A recent survey revealed that consumers who routinely compared quotes saved approximately $860 a year compared to policyholders who never shopped around.
If finding low prices for car insurance is why you’re reading this, then having an understanding of the best way to compare insurance can make it simple to find affordable coverage.
If you have a policy now or just want cheaper coverage, you can use these techniques to shop for the lowest rates and still get good coverage. Our objective in writing this article is to teach you a little about how to get online quotes and how to save the most money. Drivers just have to know the most efficient way to buy insurance online.
Lowering your Chevy Spark insurance rates can be quick and easy. You just need to spend a few minutes to compare rates from different insurance companies.
The following companies can provide free rate quotes in Charlotte, NC. If you want the best cheap car insurance in NC, we recommend you get prices from several of them to get the most affordable price.
Cheaper Charlotte car insurance rates with discounts
Car insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but you might find some hidden discounts that you may not even be aware of. Many discounts should be triggered at the time of purchase, but a few need to be specifically requested in order for you to get them.
- Professional Organizations – Belonging to qualifying clubs or civic groups is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
- Drive Less and Save – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for cheaper prices.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and the ABS can save up to 10%.
- Auto/Life Discount – Some companies give a small discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
- 55 and Retired – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like you could get a free car insurance policy, that’s just not realistic. But any discount should help reduce the cost of your policy.
The best car insurance companies and some of the discounts are:
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple autos, Drive Safe & Save, good student, multiple policy, passive restraint, and accident-free.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for alternative fuel, multi-car, homeowner, good student, early shopping, mature driver, and switch companies.
- Progressive may include discounts for good student, online signing, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and online quote discount.
- GEICO discounts include anti-theft, military active duty, federal employee, seat belt use, multi-vehicle, anti-lock brakes, and five-year accident-free.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has discounts for mature driver, anti-theft, company car, good student, and anti-lock brakes.
- The Hartford offers premium reductions for air bag, driver training, bundle, vehicle fuel type, and anti-theft.
- Farm Bureau may have discounts that include driver training, youthful driver, 55 and retired, safe driver, renewal discount, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
- USAA has savings for good student, loyalty savings, annual mileage, vehicle storage, family discount, and safe driver.
Before buying, ask every prospective company to give you their best rates. Some discounts listed above may not apply to policyholders in your state. If you would like to see a list of insurance companies who offer online Chevy Spark insurance quotes in Charlotte, click here.
What if I want to buy from local Charlotte car insurance agents?
Some consumers still prefer to talk to a local agent and often times that is recommended Experienced insurance agents will help you protect your assets and help you file claims. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that drivers can get the best rates but also keep your business local. And supporting neighborhood agents is definitely important in Charlotte.
After filling out this quick form, your coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents in Charlotte who can give free rate quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to find an agent since price quotes are sent directly to your email. If you want to get a comparison quote from a particular provider, just go to their quote page to submit a rate quote request.
If you need to find a reliable insurance agent, you should know the different types of agencies from which to choose. Auto insurance agencies can either be independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Both types of agents can write policy coverage, but it’s worth mentioning the difference in the companies they write for because it can impact buying decisions.
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
Independent agents do not work for one specific company so they can quote policies through many different auto insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, they can switch companies in-house and you can keep the same agent.
When comparing rates, you absolutely need to compare quotes from several independent insurance agents to have the best price comparison. Many write coverage with companies you’ve never heard of that may provide cheaper auto insurance rates.
The following are Charlotte independent agencies who can help you get free price quotes.
- Charlotte Insurance
5113 Piper Station Dr #207 – Charlotte, NC 28277 – (704) 536-0995 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: Ed Cantey Insurance Agency Inc
5534 Albemarle Rd Ste 105 – Charlotte, NC 28212 – (704) 563-7777 – View Map - The Tillman Agency – Nationwide Insurance
8440 Rea Rd STE P – Charlotte, NC 28277 – (704) 960-1860 – View Map
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents
Agents of this type can only provide pricing for a single company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive agents are usually quite knowledgeable on sales techniques and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from exclusives partially due to high brand loyalty rather than low price.
Shown below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in Charlotte that are able to give price quote information.
- Michael Pritchard – State Farm Insurance Agent
8633 Monroe Rd d – Charlotte, NC 28212 – (704) 535-2292 – View Map - Daniela Hernandez – State Farm Insurance Agent
5811 Fairview Rd Ste 102 – Charlotte, NC 28209 – (704) 733-9022 – View Map - Sarah Highfill – State Farm Insurance Agent
7845 Colony Rd – Charlotte, NC 28226 – (704) 541-9999 – View Map
Picking a insurance agency should include more criteria than just the bottom line cost. These are some questions you should get answers to.
- What is the financial rating for the quoted company?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Where would your vehicle be repaired?
- Is there a local claims center in Charlotte?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
How Your Spark Insurance Rates are Determined
Many factors are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, but others are less obvious such as your marital status or your commute time.
- An active car insurance claims history can cost you more – If you file a lot of claims you can look forward to higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Insurance companies in North Carolina award the lowest premiums to people who only file infrequent claims. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for claims that you cannot pay yourself.
- Location can affect price – Residing in small towns and rural areas is a good thing if you are looking for the lowest rates. Drivers in populated areas tend to have more auto accidents and higher rates of accident claims. Fewer drivers means less chance of accidents and lower theft and vandalism rates.
- Drive a safer car and pay less – Vehicles that have high safety ratings tend to be cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
- Your career may increase rates – Did you know your car insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Careers like fire fighters, police officers, and dentists are shown to have higher rates than the rest of us due to high stress and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, professions such as professors, engineers and homemakers pay lower than average rates.
- Influences performance influences auto insurance premiums – The make and model of the car you own makes a huge difference in your rates. The cheapest rates are usually for the lowest performance passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
- Youthful drivers pay high costs – Older, more experienced drivers are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims, and usually have better credit. Inexperience drivers are proven to get distracted easily when driving so car insurance rates are higher.
- Men drivers tend to cost more – Over the last 30 years, statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. It does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes cause auto accidents at a similar rate, but the men cause more damage. They also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Teenage male drivers have the highest risk to insure and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
Why you need quality insurance for your Spark
Even though it can be expensive, insuring your vehicle is a good idea for several reasons.
- Almost all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires a minimum amount of liability insurance 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 your Chevy has a loan, most lenders will require you to have comprehensive coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Chevy at a much higher premium rate and make you pay the higher premium.
- Insurance protects not only your car but also your assets. Insurance will pay for medical expenses for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you have damage to your Chevy as the result of the weather or an accident, your auto insurance policy will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of buying enough insurance are definitely more than the cost, especially if you ever need it. Today the average American driver is wasting up to $865 each year so it’s very important to do a rate comparison at least once a year to be sure current rates are still competitive.
You can find cheaper coverage
There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and usually these smaller companies sell through independent agents. Cost effective Chevy Spark insurance can be purchased both online and from local agencies, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates.
You just read many ideas to compare Chevy Spark insurance rates in Charlotte. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company.
Insureds leave their current company for any number of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, unfair underwriting practices, poor customer service and questionable increases in premium. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a great new company is actually quite simple.
To learn more, feel free to browse the articles below:
- Dangers of fake or stolen airbags (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for State Employees in Charlotte? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with Good Credit in Charlotte? (FAQ)
- How to Avoid Buying a Flooded Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- Front crash protection reduces rear-end crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Auto Insurance for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- Auto Insurance Facts and Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)