Tightwads Tips for Saving on Myrtle Beach Car Insurance

Overpriced car insurance can overdraw your checking account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to lower your monthly bill. Drivers have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance don't list every discount very clearly, so we break down both the well known and also the lesser-known car insurance savings. If you're not getting every credit you deserve, you're paying more than you need to.

  • Government Employees - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% with a few car insurance companies.
  • Senior Citizens - Mature drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
  • Distant Student - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
  • Own a Home - Simply owning a home may trigger a car insurance policy discount because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Passive Restraints - Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts up to 30%.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like you could get a free car insurance policy, it just doesn't work that way.

To see a list of insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts in South Carolina, follow this link.

Free Myrtle Beach Car Insurance Quotes

Most companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO allow you to get price estimates directly from their websites. Obtaining pricing is quite simple as you simply type in your coverage information as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the system will obtain reports for credit and driving violations and generates pricing information based on these factors. Being able to quote online streamlines rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit multiple sites and type in the same information is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it's very important to perform this step in order to find the best price on car insurance.

The preferred way to locate the lowest prices makes use of a single form to obtain quotes from a bunch of companies at once. The form is fast, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes online shopping much more enjoyable and efficient. Immediately after you send the form, it is rated and you are able to buy any one of the price quotes you receive. If you find a better price you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes and may save quite a bit of money.

In order to find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend that you enter the limits and deductibles as shown on your current policy. This makes sure you will be getting a rate comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate prices.

  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Careers like lawyers, architects and financial analysts have higher average rates due to high stress and long work hours. Conversely, occupations such as pilots, engineers and the unemployed get better rates.
  • Men fork out a little more - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. However, don't assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women are in accidents in similar percentages, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
  • Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in South Carolina tend to be careless and easily distracted when driving so they pay higher car insurance rates. Adding a youthful driver onto a policy can really hurt. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
  • Increase deductibles and save - Your deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, or theft. The higher the amount you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
  • Bad driving skills means higher rates - Drivers who don't get tickets get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Just one speeding ticket can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. If you have severe violations like DUI or reckless driving may find they need to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.

Tailor your coverage to you

When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a perfect coverage plan. Every situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you would benefit from an agent's advice.

  • Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
  • Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
  • Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Myrtle Beach?
  • When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
  • Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
  • Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?
  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.

How can Progressive, Allstate and GEICO save drivers who switch?

Consumers in South Carolina can't get away from ads for car insurance savings from the likes of Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing that you can save if you move your coverage to them.

How does each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a driver they prefer might be between 25 and 40, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Drivers who are not a match for these standards will be quoted higher premiums which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. This is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This emphasizes why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

In the end, you save

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

Affordable car insurance is definitely available both online as well as from independent agents in Myrtle Beach, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some car insurance companies don't offer the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

Myrtle Beach car insurance comparison

Additional detailed information can be found at the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, learn about insurance regulations, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and report car insurance fraud.