Cheap Car Insurance for Unemployed Drivers in South Carolina

One of the more important criteria that aid in calculating the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is your address in South Carolina. Larger areas like North Charleston, Charleston, and Goose Creek will most likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion benefit from lower rates.

The following table lists the most expensive areas in South Carolina for unemployed drivers to buy car insurance in.

Annual rates are approximated as the garaging address in South Carolina can lower or raise insurance rates greatly.

The car, truck, or SUV requiring insurance is a large consideration when shopping around for cheap auto insurance for unemployed drivers in South Carolina. Vehicles with higher performance characteristics, a lack of advanced safety features, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost much more to insure than more modest models. The list below ranks auto insurance prices for a selection of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure in South Carolina.

Price data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in specific location information which can revise coverage prices significantly.

Looking at the numbers, we can tell that makes and models like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape are most likely going to be some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for the unemployed.

Full coverage rates compared to liability-only

Finding cheap auto insurance for unemployed drivers in South Carolina should be important to most people, and a great way to find cheap insurance is to only pay for liability coverage. The example below compares yearly insurance costs with and without full coverage. The information is based on no claims, a clean driving record, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

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Averaged for all age groups, full coverage on your policy costs $1,610 per year more than just buying liability insurance. That is a large expense which might make you wonder when is the right time to remove full coverage. There is no set rule of when to eliminate comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than about 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

Which auto insurance company is best?

If you want the best car insurance for the unemployed in South Carolina, probably the best companies to start with are Progressive, Allstate, Geico, and State Farm. The data below shows ratings for price and service, as well as some optional coverages offered by each company.

How to find cheap auto insurance for unemployed drivers in South Carolina

The list below shows some thrifty ideas that can help you buy cheap car insurance.

• Full coverage is expensive so only insure older vehicles for liability only
• Drive attentively and avoid accidents
• Increase your comprehensive and collision deductibles
• Tickets and violations raise rates
• Pay for smaller claims out-of-pocket
• Compare rates often to find the best deal

The last tip in the list is particularly necessary, as was pointed out in this article. Insurance prices adjust frequently, so don’t be hesitant to buy from a new company if you find a cheaper price.

Loyalty to a specific company is fine, but we do not recommend it if your bullheadedness ends up costing you potentially thousands of dollars a year. It only takes a couple minutes to compare prices to find cheaper car insurance for unemployed drivers.

Best cheap insurance quotes for the unemployed

Thanks to technology, drivers have a lot of ways to find lower-cost insurance in South Carolina, but the most popular ways are through an independent or non-exclusive agent, an exclusive agency such as Auto-Owners or State Farm, or from a direct company like Geico. Each way has the same basic process, but buyers should know the differences in how they give price quotes.

Independent agencies are appointed by several companies and can get policy pricing from each one. These types of agents have the option to provide you with more rates, which can help you get the best chance of finding a lower price. If they quote lower rates, it’s simple to move the policy and you can remain with the same agent.

A captive, or exclusive, agent is only able to give prices for one insurance company, two examples are a Farmers or Allstate agent. Exclusive agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies, which requires you to shop around.

The third way to buy insurance is direct which means you do not use local agents and buy direct either online or via phone. This option is a good choice for consumers who do not need advice for asset protection and have a decent understanding of what is covered and what is not.

Out of those three methods, which one works best to buy cheap auto insurance for unemployed drivers in South Carolina? It would be simple to say buying direct saves the most money since there isn’t an agent involved, but unfortunately, it’s not that cut and dried. We could also say that going through an independent agent is the best way to go due to more options, but again, that’s not a true statement. In some circumstances, exclusive agents may have very competitive prices that are impossible to beat.

Since insurance rates vary so much, the only real way to not overpay for insurance is to get as many comparison quotes as possible. Be sure to get quotes from all three to give yourself enough choices. For a list of companies with some of the cheapest South Carolina insurance rates, click here to view.