How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Auto Insurance in Bamberg

Sick and tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than many other drivers in South Carolina.

You have multiple to pick from, and even though it's nice to have a choice, having more makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to do rate comparisons before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest price six months ago you may be paying too much now. Don't believe everything you read about auto insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to slash your auto insurance rates.

Finding affordable coverage in Bamberg is quite easy. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using this information. Nevertheless, South Carolina consumers do need to know the way companies sell online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Cheap Bamberg Auto Insurance Comparisons

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates and find the best price. The recommended way to find competitive insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

The first (and easiest) way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This method prevents you from having to do boring form submissions for every auto insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes from all major companies.

A slightly less efficient method to shop for auto insurance online requires a trip to each individual company website to request a price quote. For example, we'll assume you want rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Bamberg, click here.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you're using identical quote information for each price quote. If you compare mixed coverages it will be impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Bamberg. Just a small difference in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when price shopping your coverage, more quotes helps you find a better price.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Bamberg

It's important that you understand some of the elements that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine rates.

Bump up deductibles to save - Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, or theft. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more you're willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Do you work long hours in a high stress job? - Jobs such as judges, architects and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates because of job stress and lengthy work days. Conversely, occupations like farmers, engineers and retirees have the lowest average rates.
Pleasure use saves money - The higher the mileage driven every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most companies charge to insure your cars determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles left parked in the garage receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your auto insurance declarations sheet shows the correct usage for each vehicle, because improper ratings can cost you money.
Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Some companies will give a discount to insureds who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, you still need to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. Drivers may still find better rates by buying auto insurance from a different company.
High crash test scores lower rates - Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
Marriage brings a discount - Having a wife or husband helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. It is viewed as being more mature and responsible and it's proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Policy add-ons can waste money - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and motor club memberships are examples of these. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but if you don't need them eliminate them to save money.
Older drivers save more - Youthful drivers in South Carolina have a tendency to be more careless in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies don't list all their discounts very clearly, so we researched both the well known as well as the least known auto insurance savings.

Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Bamberg may trigger a auto insurance policy discount because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
Accident Free - Claim-free drivers pay much less as compared to frequent claim filers.
Multiple Cars - Buying insurance for all your vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Discount for Life Insurance - Larger companies have a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies will forgive one accident without raising rates as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
Bundle and Save - When you have multiple policies with one company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Sign Online - Certain companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing over the internet.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies don't profit that way.

For a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in South Carolina, follow this link.

More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to report car insurance fraud, read industry bulletins, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and read consumer alerts.

Other useful links include this page for South Carolina auto insurance and this page for help finding agents in Bamberg, SC.

Shop smart and save

Cost effective auto insurance can be sourced both online and with local Bamberg insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, make sure you don't reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, an accident victim reduced collision coverage and learned later that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford.