If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to save money on Scion tC insurance is to start doing an annual price comparison from providers who can sell car insurance in Durham.
Step 1: Try to comprehend how companies price auto insurance and the measures you can control to drop your rates. Many rating factors that drive up the price like traffic citations and poor credit history can be remedied by being financially responsible and driving safely. Continue reading for the details to help prevent high rates and find discounts that you may qualify for.
Step 2: Request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct and exclusive agents can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes for many different companies.
Step 3: Compare the new rates to the premium of your current policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find a lower rate and change companies, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
Step 4: Tell your current company to cancel your existing policy and submit the completed application along with a down payment to the newly selected company. Immediately upon receiving it, keep your new certificate of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
One thing to remember is to make sure you enter the same amount of coverage on every quote and to quote with as many carriers as you can. This provides a level playing field and the best price selection.
Smart shoppers know that insurance companies don’t want you to compare rates. People who shop around once a year will presumably buy a different policy because there is a great chance of finding better rates. A survey found that consumers who did price comparisons regularly saved $3,500 over four years as compared to drivers who never compared prices.
If saving the most money on auto insurance is your target objective, knowing how to shop for car insurance can help you be more efficient.
The providers in the list below provide price quotes in North Carolina. If you want to find cheap auto insurance in Durham, NC, we recommend you visit several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Car insurance statistics and figures
The price information shown next covers detailed analysis of insurance prices for Scion tC models. Having a good grasp of how auto insurance policy rates are established can help you make smart choices when selecting a policy.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TC 2-Dr Hatchback | $178 | $354 | $408 | $24 | $122 | $1,086 | $91 |
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Table data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and claim-free. Estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can influence coverage prices noticeably.
Policy deductible comparison
One frequently asked question is what deductibles to buy. The figures shown below can help illustrate the difference in cost of buying low and high policy deductibles. The first rate quote example uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second rate chart uses a $500 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TC 2-Dr Hatchback | $214 | $524 | $312 | $18 | $94 | $1,187 | $99 |
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Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TC 2-Dr Hatchback | $156 | $354 | $312 | $18 | $94 | $934 | $78 |
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Data rating is based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Premium costs do not factor in your specific Durham location which can decrease or increase auto insurance rates substantially.
We can derive from the above data that using a $100 deductible costs about $21 more each month or $252 for a full year averaged for all tC models than quoting the higher $500 deductible. Since you would pay $400 more to settle a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you have more than 19 months between claim filings, you would probably come out ahead if you elect the higher deductible.
The illustration below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles and can raise or lower Scion tC insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The premiums assume a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are applied.
Safe drivers pay less for car insurance
The diagram below illustrates how violations and at-fault accidents influence Scion tC insurance premiums for different insured age categories. The rates are based on a single male driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Annual premiums for males compared to females
The diagram below compares Scion tC insurance rates for male and female drivers. The premiums assume no tickets, no at-fault accidents, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
Full coverage versus liability-only
The diagram below illustrates the comparison of Scion tC car insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The data assumes no claims or driving citations, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
When to drop full coverage
There is no exact formula to stop paying for comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of having full coverage is about 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Scion tC claim settlement value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, you would only receive $5,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If it’s costing you more than $500 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
There are some cases where buying only liability insurance is not a good idea. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Discounts for cheap auto insurance quotes
Auto insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but you may find discounts that many people don’t even know exist. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of quoting, but some discounts are required to be specifically requested prior to getting the savings. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some larger companies reward drivers for buying a new policy before your current expiration date. You can save around 10% with this discount.
- Driving Data Discount – Drivers that enable their insurance company to look at when and where they use their vehicle by installing a telematics device such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive could save a few bucks as long as they are good drivers.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed with a military unit could qualify you for better rates.
- Defensive Driving Course – Participating in a safe driver class can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
- Organization Discounts – Being in certain professional organizations could trigger savings on your next renewal.
Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the whole policy. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts should help lower the cost of coverage.
The illustration below compares Scion tC annual premium costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The rates are based on a male driver, no violations or accidents, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, safe-driver, claim-free, marriage, homeowner, and multi-policy discounts applied.
The best auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide are detailed below.
- Progressive may include discounts for multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, online signing, good student, online quote discount, and continuous coverage.
- The Hartford offers discounts for good student, bundle, defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, and anti-theft.
- Mercury Insurance may offer discounts for good student, type of vehicle, location of vehicle, good driver, age of vehicle, low natural disaster claims, and accident-free.
- GEICO discounts include federal employee, multi-policy, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, and emergency military deployment.
- AAA has discounts for good student, multi-policy, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, anti-theft, multi-car, and good driver.
- State Farm includes discounts for good student, defensive driving training, good driver, passive restraint, and anti-theft.
If you need affordable Scion tC insurance quotes, ask each company or agent how you can save money. Discounts might not apply in Durham. To find insurance companies with the best Scion tC insurance discounts in North Carolina, click here.
Here’s why insurance is not optional
Even though Durham tC insurance rates can get expensive, buying insurance is required in North Carolina but it also protects you in many ways.
- Just about all states have minimum liability requirements which means the state requires a specific minimum amount of liability coverage in order to license the vehicle. 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 bought your vehicle with a loan, it’s most likely the lender will make it mandatory that you buy full coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Scion at a significantly higher premium and force you to pay the higher price.
- Insurance protects both your assets and your car. It will also cover many types of medical costs for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability insurance also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If your Scion gets damaged, collision and comprehensive coverages will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having insurance outweigh the cost, especially if you ever need it. Unknowingly, the average driver is currently overpaying as much as $810 a year so compare rates once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are inline.
Which policy gives me the best coverage?
Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply.
These are some specific questions might point out whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.
- Should I buy more coverage than the required North Carolina minimum liability coverage?
- When should I not buy collision coverage?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in North Carolina?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
- What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?
- What does roadside assistance cover?
- Is my babysitter covered when using my vehicle?
- Am I covered if I have no license?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.
Insurance agents can help
Certain consumers just prefer to talk to an insurance agent and often times that is recommended Good insurance agents can help determine the best coverages and will help you if you have claims. A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is the fact that you can find lower prices and still have a local agent. Supporting local insurance agencies is still important in Durham.
Once you complete this quick form, your insurance coverage information gets sent to agents in your area that give free quotes to get your business. It makes it easy because there is no need to search for any insurance agencies since rate quotes are delivered to your email. If you want to get a rate quote from one company in particular, don’t hesitate to find their quoting web page and submit a quote form there.
Exclusive or Independent: There is a difference
If you want a reliable agent, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agencies and how they operate. Agents are classified as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Both can insure your vehicles, but it’s worth mentioning why they differ since it may influence buying decisions.
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies or Brokers
These type of agents can sell policies from many different companies and that allows them to write policies with an assortment of companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If you want to switch companies, the agent simply finds a different carrier which requires no work on your part.
When comparing rate quotes, you absolutely need to get some free quotes from a few independent agents to maximize your price options.
Listed below is a partial list of independent agencies in Durham who can help you get price quotes.
Marsh Dawson Insurance Agency
5410 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 484-8400 – View Map
Triangle Insurance Alliance
2530 Meridian Pkwy #300 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 322-3640 – View Map
The Insurance Pros, Inc.
1210 Cole Mill Rd Suite 101 – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 294-6613 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents of this type can only place business with one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot provide other company’s prices so keep that in mind. Exclusive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Shown below are exclusive agencies in Durham who can help you get price quotes.
Allstate Insurance Agent: Reginald Wright
2310 S Miami Blvd Ste 131 – Durham, NC 27703 – (919) 484-2493 – View Map
Allstate Insurance Agent: Michelle Riley
6015 Fayetteville Rd Ste 115 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 544-2155 – View Map
Allstate Insurance Agent: Tae Kim
4837 Hwy Nc 55 10B – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 560-9000 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agent is decision based upon more than just a cheap price quote. Any agent in Durham should have no problem answering these questions:
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Does the company have a local claim office in Durham?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
- How long has the business existed?
- Can you contact them at any time?