Lower Online Piedmont Car Insurance Prices With These Methods

If you are a novice to online car insurance shopping, it's easy to get confused by the sheer number of car insurance companies offering insurance in Piedmont.

It's important to price shop coverage occasionally due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best price last year you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because we're going to demonstrate the tricks you need to know to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Automobile Insurance Quotes in Piedmont, SC

There are multiple methods to shop for car insurance, and some are easier and takes less work. You could spend your day talking to insurance agencies in Piedmont, or you can stay home and use the web to get prices fast.

All the larger companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to enter their coverage request one time, and each company then gives them pricing. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms to each individual car insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

One minor caviat to comparing rates this way is you are unable to specify which companies to receive prices from. If you would rather choose specific providers to compare rates, we put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in South Carolina. Click to view list.

Whichever method you choose, make absolute certain that you use identical information on every quote you get. If you are comparing higher or lower deductibles it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Piedmont. Slightly different coverages may result in large price differences. And when quoting car insurance, remember that comparing more company's prices helps you find the best price.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

It's important that you understand the factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" that factor into rates.

Older drivers save more - Youthful drivers in South Carolina are known to be more careless behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. If you've ever had to add a youthful driver onto your car insurance can break the bank. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel.
Better credit scores mean better rates - Credit history is a huge factor in determining your rates. Therefore, if your credit score is not that good, you could be paying less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Consumers who have high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit scores.
Where you live can impact rates - Living in a rural area can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. Urban drivers have to deal with much more traffic and longer commute times. Lower population means reduced accidents.
Do men or women drive better? - Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men cause accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and thus pay the highest rates.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to reduce the price significantly. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you quote, but less common discounts must be asked for prior to getting the savings.

College Student - Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
Anti-lock Brakes - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Life Insurance Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
Senior Citizens - Older drivers may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
Payment Method - By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
Save with a New Car - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don't apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like it's possible to get free car insurance, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down your premiums.

For a list of companies who offer car insurance discounts in South Carolina, click here.

Your personal situation dictates your coverage

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a perfect coverage plan. Everyone's situation is unique.

Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.

What are South Carolina no-fault laws?
Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Should I buy additional glass protection?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?

If you can't answer these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Additional information can be found on the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out industry alerts, and view agent and company licensing information.

Other useful links include Auto Insurance 101 and this page of insurance agents in Piedmont.

Affordable insurance is out there

As you prepare to switch companies, make sure you don't reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where an insured cut physical damage coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price.

Drivers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including not issuing a premium refund, policy cancellation, delays in paying claims and denial of a claim. Regardless of your reason, switching car insurance companies is not as hard as you think.

We just presented a lot of ways to lower your car insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the best price on car insurance is with a smaller regional carrier.