Easy Methods to Save Money on Westminster Auto Insurance

Are you intimidated by the wide range of auto insurance company choices in Westminster? Lot's of other consumers are too. People have so many choices that it can turn into a ton of work to locate the lowest price.

It's important to shop coverage around every six months because prices are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best rates last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. There is a lot of bad advice regarding auto insurance on the web, but we're going to give you some great ways to reduce your auto insurance bill.

Tips to Get Lower Westminster Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get better auto insurance rates.

Bundling policies can get discounts - Some companies give discounts to customers who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even with this discount, you still need to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. Drivers may still find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
Do you have enough liability coverage? - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage in the event that a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Safer cars are cheaper to insure. Safer cars protect occupants better and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Car features impact rates - Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system can thwart your car from being stolen.
Add-on coverages can add up - There are quite a few extra coverages you can purchase on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Careful drivers pay lower rates - Your driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Even a single ticket can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don't get tickets have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who get dangerous violations such as DUI or reckless driving may be required to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to prevent a license revocation.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Westminster, South Carolina

All major auto insurance companies allow you to get coverage price quotes directly from their websites. This process is fairly simple as you simply enter the coverages you want as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the company's rating system will obtain your driving record and credit report and returns a price.

Online quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but having to visit different websites and complete many quote forms can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. But it's very important to do this in order to find the best price on auto insurance.

There is a better way!

The preferred way to lower your rates uses one form to return rates from many companies. The form is fast, requires less work, and makes comparison shopping a little more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick your choice of the resulting price quotes. If a lower price is quoted, it's easy to complete the application and buy the new coverage. The entire process can be completed in a matter of minutes and may save quite a bit of money.

To find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend that you enter coverages and limits as shown on your current policy. This makes sure you are getting an apples-to-apples comparison for the exact same coverage.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every available discount in a way that's easy to find, so the following is a list of both well-publicized as well as the least known auto insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount possible, you are paying more than you should be.

Anti-theft System - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
Organization Discounts - Participating in a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.
Low Mileage - Low mileage vehicles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
Safety Course Discount - Taking a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it just doesn't work that way.

To choose providers with discount auto insurance rates in Westminster, follow this link.

How can Allstate and Progressive save drivers who switch?

South Carolina consumers can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings from the likes of Allstate and Progressive. All the ads say the same thing that you can save if you change your coverage to them.

How can each company make almost identical claims?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. A good example of a preferred risk could possibly be over the age of 50, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get very good rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Consumers who are not a match for the requirements will be charged higher rates which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the savings. That is why you need to get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Additional detailed information can be read at the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. South Carolina consumers can read consumer alerts, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find disaster information.

And the best car insurance company is...

As you prepare to switch companies, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, someone sacrificed collision coverage and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

Affordable auto insurance is attainable online as well as from independent agents in Westminster, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who don't offer online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Consumers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as policy cancellation, questionable increases in premium, delays in responding to claim requests or even extreme rates for teen drivers. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is easier than you think.