Find Low-Cost St Matthews Auto Insurance

Finding lower rates for St Matthews auto insurance is challenging for people who are new to comparing rates online. You have so many companies to choose from that it can quickly become a ton of work to compare prices in St Matthews.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates before your policy renews since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best rates a few years ago you may be paying too much now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding auto insurance on the internet, so we're going to give you some great ways to slash your auto insurance rates.

Cheap St Matthews Auto Insurance Comparisons

There are several ways you can shop for auto insurance but one way is less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could spend your day talking about coverages with agents in St Matthews, or you could use online quotes to get the quickest rates.

All the larger companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each participating company can provide price quotes based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for quote requests to each individual auto insurance company. To submit your quote information now, click here (opens in new window).

The one disadvantage to comparing rates this way is you can't choose which companies you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers for rate comparison, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in South Carolina. Click here for list of insurance companies in South Carolina.

Whichever way you use, ensure you're using apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles on every quote you get. If each company quotes different liability limits you can't possibly determine which rate is truly the best in St Matthews. Just a small difference in coverages may cause a big price difference. And when price shopping your coverage, obtaining a wide range of quotes provides better odds of finding the best rates.

St Matthews Rates are Influenced by These Factors

It's important that you understand some of the elements that go into determining auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels enables informed choices that can help you get lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

Credit scores impact auto insurance rates - Your credit score is a big factor in your rate calculation. If your credit is lower than you'd like, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have poor credit.
An active claims history can cost you - Insurance companies in South Carolina provide discounts to insureds who are claim-free. If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Most companies give discounts to people who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount it's still a good idea to shop around to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
Battle of the sexes - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Women and men have accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage. Men also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure and thus pay the highest rates.
A clean driving record saves money - Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Even a single ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers get better rates than bad drivers. Drivers who get serious violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
Big city or small town - Being located in a rural area has it's advantages when buying auto insurance. City drivers have to deal with congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer people translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate.
Please use or commuting - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the higher your rates will be. Most insurance companies price each vehicle's coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles left parked in the garage get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your auto insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven.
Marriage pays dividends - Getting married can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. Marriage means you're more responsible and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always list every available discount very well, so the following is a list of some of the best known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings.

Passive Restraints - Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Employee of Federal Government - Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
Multi-policy Discount - When you have multiple policies with one company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
Senior Discount - Older drivers may qualify for better auto insurance rates.
Early Signing - Some companies give discounts for signing up before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like it's possible to get free car insurance, auto insurance companies aren't that generous.

For a list of providers offering auto insurance discounts in South Carolina, follow this link.

Even more information can be read at the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. South Carolina drivers can find out industry alerts, download brochures, and read consumer alerts.

Other useful links include NAIC.org's Understanding your Policy and this directory of St Matthews insurance agents.

Shop smart and save

Throughout this article, we presented many ways to lower your auto insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a small mutual company.

Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including poor customer service, extreme rates for teen drivers, policy cancellation and policy non-renewal. Regardless of your reason, finding a new auto insurance company is not as hard as you think.

When shopping online for auto insurance, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.