It goes without saying that auto insurance companies don’t want their customers to go rate shopping. Insureds who shop around for better prices will most likely buy a new policy because of the good chance of finding good coverage at a lower price. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that people who routinely compared rates saved on average $72 a month as compared to drivers who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding the best rates on car insurance in Charlotte is the reason for your visit, then learning about how to find companies and compare car insurance can make it easier to find better rates.
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get more affordable auto insurance rates is to start doing a yearly price comparison from insurers who provide car insurance in Charlotte.
- Step 1: Get an understanding of how companies price auto insurance and the modifications you can make to keep rates in check. Many rating factors that drive up the price such as traffic violations, accidents, and a negative credit rating can be improved by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
- Step 2: Request rate estimates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agencies can give you price quotes for many different companies. Click to view companies
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available in Charlotte. If you can save some money and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Step 4: Give proper notification to your current agent or company of your intent to cancel your current coverage. Submit the required down payment along with the signed application to the new company. Once received, store the certificate verifying coverage somewhere easily accessible.
The most important part of this process is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to get rates from as many different insurance providers as possible. This ensures a level playing field and a complete price analysis.
The majority of larger companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive allow consumers to get prices for coverage direct online. This process is fairly simple as you just type in your coverage preferences into the form. Upon sending the form, the system makes automated requests for your credit score and driving record and generates a price determined by many factors. This makes it a lot easier to compare rates and it is important to do this if you are searching for the lowest payment on insurance.
To save time and compare rates now, compare rates now from the companies shown below. If you currently have coverage, we recommend that you enter coverages and limits exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you will be getting a rate comparison for similar insurance coverage.
The companies in the list below provide comparison quotes in North Carolina. If you wish to find the best cheap auto insurance in Charlotte, NC, we recommend you visit several of them in order to find the lowest rates.
Discounts can help save money on Volvo V50 insurance in Charlotte
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you can get discounts to help offset the cost. Some of these discounts will be visible when you purchase, but some discounts are required to be requested specifically in order for you to get them.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you can bundle your auto and home insurance with one insurance company you may save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper because new vehicles are generally safer.
- Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles with one company can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Home Ownership Discount – Owning a home in Charlotte can save a few bucks because it demonstrates responsibility.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Drivers that enable their auto insurance company to monitor where and when they drive by using a telematics device in their vehicle like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm could see a rate decrease if their driving habits are good.
A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
The chart below illustrates the difference between Volvo V50 yearly insurance costs with and without policy discounts. The price estimates are based on a female driver, no accidents, no driving violations, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, claim-free, marriage, multi-policy, multi-car, and homeowner discounts applied.
Larger auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide include:
- Esurance offers discounts for multi-car, anti-theft, multi-policy, good student, anti-lock brakes, and safety device.
- The Hartford policyholders can earn discounts including anti-theft, vehicle fuel type, driver training, defensive driver, and air bag.
- AAA may offer discounts for anti-theft, multi-policy, multi-car, good student, good driver, and pay-in-full.
- GEICO may have discounts that include anti-theft, emergency military deployment, five-year accident-free, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, daytime running lights, and good student.
- State Farm discounts include anti-theft, Steer Clear safe driver discount, driver’s education, safe vehicle, good student, and good driver.
Before you buy a policy, ask each insurance company to apply every possible discount. All car insurance discounts may not be offered in Charlotte. If you would like to view companies with discount auto insurance rates in North Carolina, click here to view.
Volvo V50 coverage analysis
The table displayed below covers a range of coverage prices for Volvo V50 models. Learning a little about how auto insurance premiums are figured can help drivers make decisions on which insurance to purchase.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
V50 2.4I | $152 | $302 | $262 | $16 | $78 | $810 | $68 |
V50 AWD T5 R-Design | $152 | $348 | $262 | $16 | $78 | $856 | $71 |
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Data rating is based on married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in specific garaging location which can influence coverage prices substantially.
Policy deductible comparison
When comparing auto insurance rates, the most common question is which deductible level should you buy. The rates below outline the differences in price of buying low and high deductibles. The first rate comparisons uses a $250 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second pricing table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
V50 2.4I | $218 | $382 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $963 | $80 |
V50 AWD T5 R-Design | $218 | $440 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $1,021 | $85 |
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Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
V50 2.4I | $134 | $240 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $712 | $59 |
V50 AWD T5 R-Design | $134 | $276 | $250 | $14 | $74 | $748 | $62 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free. Rate information does not factor in specific zip code location which can impact premiums significantly.
Based on these figures, using a $250 deductible will cost you approximately $22 more each month or $264 for a full year than buying the higher $1,000 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $750 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you tend to have at least 34 months between claims, you would more than likely save some money if you choose a higher deductible.
The illustration below shows how different deductible levels and can impact Volvo V50 insurance prices for different categories of driver ages. The price estimates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Impact of citations and accidents on insurance rates
The chart below highlights how traffic violations and at-fault claims impact Volvo V50 insurance prices for different age categories. The premium estimates are based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
Do you need full coverage?
The example below illustrates the difference between Volvo V50 auto insurance costs with and without full coverage. The rates are based on no violations or accidents, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.
When to eliminate full coverage
There is no exact rule of when to stop paying for comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than around 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Volvo V50 replacement cost is $3,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, you would only receive $2,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If it’s costing you more than $200 annually for your policy with full coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
There are a few situations where only buying liability is not a good idea. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should keep full coverage.
Smart Choices Result in Lower Insurance Premiums
Multiple criteria are part of the equation when quoting car insurance. Some factors are common sense like an MVR report, but some are more obscure like your continuous coverage or how financially stable you are.
Safety first – Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. Vehicles engineered for safety reduce the chance of injuries and reduced instances of injuries means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
Location can affect price – Having an address in smaller towns and rural areas of the country has it’s advantages when shopping for auto insurance. Fewer drivers on the road means less chance of accidents in addition to fewer liability claims. Residents of big cities have to deal with congested traffic and higher rates of accident claims. More time on the road can result in more accidents.
Gender and insurance rates – The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. The data does not necessarily mean that females are better at driving than males. Both genders have auto accidents in similar numbers, but men have accidents that have higher claims. Not only are claims higher, but men get higher numbers of serious violations such as reckless driving.
The information below illustrates the difference between Volvo V50 auto insurance rates for male and female drivers. The rate quotes are based on no violations or accidents, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied.
Deter theft and reduce rates – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Theft deterrent systems such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your car from being stolen.
Do you need those incidental coverages? – There are many extra coverages that can add up if you don’t pay attention. Coverages for rental car coverage, death and dismemberment, and term life insurance are probably not needed. The coverages may be enticing when discussing your needs, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
Credit rating impact car insurance costs – Having a bad credit score is likely to be a major factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. Drivers who have very good credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with poor credit scores. If your credit score is low, you could pay less to insure your Volvo V50 by improving your credit score.
Annual mileage and car insurance prices – Driving more miles each year the higher your rates will be. A lot of companies rate vehicles based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use receive better premium rates compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your car insurance policy is showing the correct usage for each vehicle, because improper ratings can cost you money. An improperly rated V50 may be costing you higher rates.
Adjust deductibles and save – Insurance for physical damage to your car, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your Volvo from damage. Some coverage claims are a dented fender, flood damage, and rolling your vehicle. Your deductibles are the amount of money the insured will be required to pay before your car insurance pays a claim. The more money you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the better rate you will receive.