Top Ways to Save on Hampton Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you there are lots of people in the same boat. With consumers having so many auto insurance companies to choose from, it can be diffult for consumers to find the lowest price company.

It's important to compare prices every six months since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the lowest price a few years ago you can probably find a better price now. There is a lot of wrong information about auto insurance online, so I'm going to show you some great ways to quit paying high auto insurance rates.

Shopping for affordable auto insurance in Hampton is easy if you know what you're doing. If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you will benefit by learning to find the best rates while maximizing coverage. South Carolina vehicle owners just need to know the most effective way to compare company rates on the web.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Pay less if you're married - Having a wife or husband helps lower the price on your policy. It translates into being more mature than a single person and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.
Liability coverage is peace of mind - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage if ever a jury decides you are liable for personal injury or accident damage. It provides legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not cut corners here.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are quite a few extra coverages that you can buy if you aren't careful. Things like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so remove them from your policy.
Do you know you're credit rating? - Credit score is a important factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than drivers who have lower ratings. If your credit is low, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system can thwart car theft.
Do you know your deductibles? - Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, or theft. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The more you have to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but a few must be manually applied in order for you to get them. If you don't get every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

Sign Online - Certain companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
Organization Discounts - Affiliation with a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
Safety Course Discount - Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of more than 20%.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
Multiple Cars - Buying insurance for all your vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Anti-theft Discount - Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more.
Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Driver's Ed - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course if offered at their school.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears it's possible to get free car insurance, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

To choose companies with discount auto insurance rates in South Carolina, click here to view.

Is there truth in advertising?

South Carolina drivers can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings from the likes of State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to make an identical promise that you'll save big if you change your coverage to them.

But how can every company say the same thing?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as a mature driver, has no driving citations, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to this ideal profile will have to pay more money and ends up with business not being written. The ad wording is "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's the way companies can advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, you should compare as many rates as you can. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Much more information about auto insurance in South Carolina is located on the website for the South Carolina Department of Insurance located here. South Carolina drivers can get help finding coverage, find out which companies have the most complaints, discover disciplinary actions, and find out industry alerts.

Other informative sites include this site for South Carolina auto insurance information and see this list of insurance agents in Hampton.

Best coverage at the best price

Discount auto insurance is attainable on the web as well as from independent agents in Hampton, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some auto insurance companies don't offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how you can save on auto insurance. It's most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Drivers may discover the best price on auto insurance is with a small local company. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like .

When shopping online for auto insurance, don't be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, someone sacrificed collision coverage and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.