Would you like to stop wasting money and find low-cost car insurance rates in Durham, NC? Comparing and finding cheap rates for car insurance is always challenging for beginners to quoting and comparing prices online. People have so many agents and companies to choose from that it can easily be a difficult mission to find cheaper rates on car insurance.
A recent car insurance study discovered that the vast majority of drivers kept their coverage with the same car insurance company for at least four years, and just short of a majority have never compared rates with other companies. Durham drivers can save hundreds of dollars each year just by getting comparison quotes, but they assume it’s a waste of time to compare rates and save money.
It’s a good habit to get comparison quotes quite often due to the fact that insurance prices fluctuate regularly. Even if you got the best price on car insurance a year ago you can probably find a better rate now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in one of the quickest ways to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
If you are already insured, you will definitely be able to get lower rates using the ideas covered in this article. This information will help you learn the best way to quote coverages and how you can save the most money. But North Carolina car owners need to learn the way companies calculate their prices and take advantage of how the system works.
Auto insurance policy discounts
Buying auto insurance is not cheap, but you can get discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Some trigger automatically when you get a quote, but a few need to be requested specifically in order for you to get them.
- No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers pay less when compared to drivers with a long claim history.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Teen drivers should complete a driver education course in school.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save you some money since newer vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Mature Driver Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 could receive reduced rates.
- Defensive Driver – Taking time to complete a course that instructs on driving safety may get you a small discount and make you a better driver.
- Good Students Pay Less – This discount may save you up to 25%. You can use this discount normally up to age 25.
- Distant Student Discount – College-age children who live away from home at college without a vehicle on campus may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- ABS Braking Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are much safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
A quick disclaimer, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you aren’t that lucky.
If you would like to see a list of providers that offer some of these discounts in North Carolina, follow this link.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Policy Premium | 6-month Policy Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $866 | $433 | $72 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Extended Cab 4WD | $886 | $443 | $74 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $832 | $416 | $69 |
| Dodge Ram Quad Cab ST 4WD | $964 | $482 | $80 |
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $746 | $373 | $62 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 2WD | $812 | $406 | $68 |
| Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $918 | $459 | $77 |
| Honda Accord LX-S 2-Dr Coupe | $996 | $498 | $83 |
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $746 | $373 | $62 |
| Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $918 | $459 | $77 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $938 | $469 | $78 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $958 | $479 | $80 |
| Kia Optima SX | $1,016 | $508 | $85 |
| Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 2-Dr Coupe | $1,068 | $534 | $89 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $886 | $443 | $74 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $938 | $469 | $78 |
| Toyota Prius | $840 | $420 | $70 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $832 | $416 | $69 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $886 | $443 | $74 |
| Get Rate Quotes for Your Vehicle Go | |||
Data assumes single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can modify coverage prices greatly.
The quickest method we recommend to get policy rate comparisons is to know the trick almost all companies allow for online access to compare rate quotes. The only thing you need to do is provide information including if you’re married, how much you drive, whether or not you need a SR-22, and if you lease or own. Your insurance information is sent automatically to many highly-rated insurers and they return rate quotes very quickly.
To compare rates for your car now, click here and complete the form.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in Durham, NC. If your goal is to find cheaper auto insurance in Durham, NC, we recommend you visit as many as you can to get the best price comparison.
Quote lower-cost car insurance with these tips
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help calculate car insurance rates. If you know what determines premiums, this enables you to make decisions that could help you find lower rates.
- Deter vehicle theft – Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help lower your premiums. Theft prevention features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems help track and prevent auto theft and help lower rates.
- Location can affect price – Having an address in areas with lower population has it’s advantages when it comes to car insurance. Fewer drivers and short commutes means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate. City drivers have to deal with much more traffic and higher rates of accident claims. Longer commute distances can result in more accidents.
- Never let your policy lapse – Driving your car without having proper coverage can get you a ticket and any future policy may cost more because you let your insurance expire. And not only will your rates increase, getting caught without coverage may result in fines and jail time. You may then have to file a SR-22 with the North Carolina DMV.
- Bad drivers pay high costs – Careful drivers pay less for auto insurance than bad drivers. Having just one moving violation may cause rates to rise twenty percent or more. Drivers who have severe citations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
- Gender and insurance coverage – Over time, data shows that females tend to be a little less risky than males. Now that doesn’t mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men cause at-fault accidents in similar numbers, but males have costlier accidents. In addition to higher claims, males also get cited for more serious violations like driving under the influence (DUI). Male drivers age 16 to 19 generally have the highest accident percentage so it costs more to insure them.
- Safeguard your assets with liability insurance – Your car insurance policy’s liability coverage kicks in when you are determined to be liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides for a legal defense to defend your case. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to other policy coverages, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
- Infrequent drivers can save – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers calculate prices based upon how much you drive. Autos that are left in the garage qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your car insurance coverage properly reflects the right rating data.
- Know your credit rating – A driver’s credit rating is likely to be a major factor in determining what you pay. If your credit score leaves room for improvement, you could save money insuring your vehicle by improving your rating. Consumers who have very good credit scores tend to be more responsible than drivers with worse credit.
Local Durham car insurance agents and auto insurance
Many people still like to get advice from a local agent and that is a personal choice. A nice benefit of comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get the best rates and still choose a local agent.
Upon completion of this quick form, your insurance data is submitted to insurance agents in Durham that can provide free Durham car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t even need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. You can most likely find cheaper rates without a big time investment. If you have a need to compare prices from a specific company, you just need to navigate to their website and submit a quote form there.
Picking an insurance company is decision based upon more than just a cheap price quote. These questions are important to ask:
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Is there a 24/7 contact number?
- Does the company have a local claim office in Durham?
- How will an accident affect your rates?
- Is the agency active in community causes in Durham?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
If you want to use a reliable insurance agent, it’s important to understand the types of agencies that you can select. Auto insurance policy providers are considered either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Exclusive Agencies
Agents that choose to be exclusive normally can only provide a single company’s rates and examples are State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. These agents are not able to compare other company’s rates so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive agents are well schooled on what they offer which helps them sell on service rather than price. Some consumers prefer to buy from exclusive agents mainly due to the brand name rather than having the cheapest rates.
Shown below are Durham exclusive agents that can give you rate quotes.
- Ken Carver – State Farm Insurance Agent
2905 Guess Rd #2 – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 471-0011 – View Map - Allstate Insurance Agent: Tae Kim
4837 Hwy Nc 55 10B – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 560-9000 – View Map - Farm Bureau Insurance
4021 Stirrup Creek Dr #220a – Durham, NC 27703 – (919) 469-3191 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
These agents do not write with just one company so as a result can place your coverage with any number of different companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you can keep the same agent.
If you need lower rates, you will want to get some free quotes from a few independent agents to get the best comparison. A lot of them also have access to small mutual carriers that many times have cheaper rates.
The following is a list of independent agents in Durham that can give you price quote information.
- Tyson Insurance
3814 N Duke St # A – Durham, NC 27704 – (919) 471-8222 – View Map - Insurance People-N Carolina
1920 Front St # 750 – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 383-0442 – View Map - Bowen Agency, Inc.
4905 Pine Cone Dr Suite 5 – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 929-4222 – View Map
Here’s why insurance is not optional
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a vehicle in Durham, buying insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means state laws require a specific minimum amount of liability coverage if you don’t want to risk a ticket. In North Carolina these limits are 30/60/25 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you took out a loan on your vehicle, more than likely the lender will force you to buy full coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If you default on your policy, the lender will be forced to insure your vehicle for a lot more money and require you to fork over for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance safeguards not only your car but also your assets. Insurance will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your policy will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of insuring your vehicle more than offset the price you pay, especially when you need to use it. According to a recent study, the average American driver is overpaying over $850 per year so compare rates at every policy renewal to ensure rates are competitive.
Auto insurance company ratings
Selecting a high-quality car insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many choices you have in North Carolina. The company information displayed below could help you choose which auto insurers to look at comparing rates from.
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies Overall
- Travelers
- USAA
- AAA Insurance
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- American Family
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value
- Travelers
- American Family
- AAA Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- The Hartford
- The General
- 21st Century
- Esurance
- Titan Insurance
You can find cheap coverage
The cheapest insurance in Durham is attainable from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, so you need to quote Durham car insurance with both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies don’t offer rates over the internet and most of the time these smaller providers only sell coverage through local independent agencies.
In this article, we covered a lot of information how to find cheaper coverage online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding the cheapest Durham car insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the best rates are with a small mutual company.
Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, questionable increases in premium, delays in responding to claim requests or even unfair underwriting practices. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding the right insurance provider is less work than it seems.
Steps to finding low-cost car insurance in Durham
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to find better pricing on car insurance rates in Durham is to start comparing prices regularly from insurance carriers in North Carolina. You can shop around by following these steps.
- Try to comprehend coverages and the measures you can control to keep rates low. Many factors that drive up the price like at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a substandard credit score can be rectified by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Compare rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agents can quote prices from multiple sources.
- Compare the new rates to your existing coverage to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find better rates, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
- Give notification to your agent or company to cancel the current policy and submit payment and a signed application to your new company or agent. When you receive it, place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance somewhere easily accessible.
One bit of advice is that you’ll want to make sure you compare similar coverage information on each quote and and to compare all possible companies. Doing this helps ensure the most accurate price comparison and a complete selection of prices.
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