Unimaginable but true, the majority of drivers kept their coverage with the same auto insurance company for at least four years, and almost 40% of drivers have never compared rates from other carriers. Many drivers in the United States can save about $860 each year by just comparing quotes, but they don’t understand how simple it is to find cheaper insurance by shopping around.
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get cheaper car insurance rates is to compare prices at least once a year from providers in Durham.
- Get an understanding of how insurance companies determine prices and the steps you can take to prevent rate increases. Many factors that result in higher rates like high-risk driving behaviors and poor credit can be controlled by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Obtain price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes for many different companies. Compare rates
- Compare the price quotes to your current policy and determine if there is any savings. If you find better rates and change companies, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
- Tell your current agent or company to cancel your current policy and submit a completed application and payment to your new company or agent. Make sure you place the new certificate of insurance along with your vehicle registration.
A good tip to remember is that you use identical limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to get rates from as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough selection of prices.
If you’re already insured, you will be able to lower your rates using this strategy. The purpose of this article is to introduce you to how to effectively get price quotes and also save some money in the process Although North Carolina car owners must understand how big insurance companies determine prices because rates are impacted by many factors.
Companies offering low-cost Toyota Corolla iM rates in Durham, NC
The following companies are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in North Carolina. To find cheap car insurance in Durham, NC, we recommend you visit as many as you can to get the best price comparison.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Car insurance can cost a lot, but there could be available discounts that may help make it more affordable. Some of these discounts will be visible at the time you complete a quote, but occasionally some discounts must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.
- Drivers Education – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Senior Citizen Rates – Seniors are able to get a discount up to 10%.
- Professional Organizations – Participating in a qualifying organization may earn a discount on your next car insurance statement.
- Paper-free Discount – Some of the larger companies give back up to $50 for completing your application online.
- Government Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government can earn a discount up to 10% but check with your company.
- Multi-line Discount – Larger insurance carriers have a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
- Claim-Free Discount – Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts in comparison with frequent claim filers.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you can bundle your auto and home insurance with one company they may give you a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
- Own a Home – Just owning your own home can help you save on car insurance since home ownership means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Even though the math looks like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
Large car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are included below.
- Progressive discounts include multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, multi-policy, homeowner, good student, and online signing.
- AAA may include discounts for multi-car, anti-theft, AAA membership discount, good student, pay-in-full, multi-policy, and education and occupation.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for youthful driver, business and professional, good student, electronic funds transfer, and multi-car.
- GEICO has savings for daytime running lights, membership and employees, anti-theft, defensive driver, and driver training.
- Esurance may have discounts that include online shopper, DriveSense, anti-theft, good student, and paid-in-full.
- SAFECO has discounts for anti-theft, accident prevention training, anti-lock brakes, multi-car, homeowner, and safe driver.
- State Farm offers discounts for driver’s education, defensive driving training, safe vehicle, anti-theft, and passive restraint.
When getting a coverage quote, ask every prospective company which credits you are entitled to. All car insurance discounts may not be offered in Durham. To see a list of providers that offer discounts in Durham, follow this link.
Durham Insurance Prices are Influenced by These Factors
Lots of factors are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, although others are more obscure like where you live or your commute time. Smart consumers have a good feel for a few of the rating criteria that are used to determine your policy premiums. When consumers understand what impacts premium levels, this helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to lower premium levels.
- Buy as much liability insurance as you can afford – Liability insurance kicks in when a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. This coverage provides you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Vehicle options impact auto insurance rates – Buying a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Theft deterrent systems such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder car theft.
- Extra coverages push up costs – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that can waste your money if you aren’t careful. Add-on coverages like rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage, and extra life insurance coverage may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when deciding what coverages you need, but if you have no use for them think about removing them and cutting costs.
- Do safer cars cost less to insure? – Vehicles that have high safety ratings tend to be cheaper to insure. These vehicles reduce occupant injuries and any reduction in injury severity means less money paid by your insurance company and lower rates for you. If the Toyota Corolla iM is rated at a minimum four stars on Safercar.gov it is probably cheaper to insure.
- Accidents drive up prices – Having a clean driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Just one moving violation could increase your next policy renewal to the point where it’s not affordable. Attentive drivers pay lower auto insurance prices than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with multiple citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may face state-mandated requirements to maintain a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive a vehicle.
You may require the services of an insurance agent
Some consumers prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and doing that can be a smart decision A good thing about comparing rates online is you can get lower premium rates and also buy local. And supporting neighborhood agents is still important in Durham.
To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area who want to provide quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to search for an agent as quotes are delivered instantly to you. You can find better rates and a licensed agent to talk to. In the event you want to get a price quote from a particular provider, just search and find their rate quote page and submit a quote form there.
When searching for a local agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies that you can choose from. Agents in Durham are either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents in the independent channel are appointed with more than one company and that gives them the ability to insure through many different insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they quote lower rates, the business is moved internally which requires no work on your part.
When comparing rates, you should always include independent agents so that you can do a thorough price comparison. Most also have access to small regional insurance companies that may provide cheaper insurance rates.
Featured below are Durham independent insurance agencies that may be able to provide free rate quotes.
- George Stevens Insurance Inc
1320 Hill St – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 403-3611 – View Map - Around The Corner Insurance Agency, Inc.
1431 Broad St – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 286-9500 – View Map - Marsh Dawson Insurance Agency
5410 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 484-8400 – View Map
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive agents are contracted to one company like State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they really need to provide good service. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell on service rather than price. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from exclusives mainly due to the brand and solid financial strength.
Below are exclusive agents in Durham that are able to give comparison quotes.
- Allstate Insurance Agent: Tae Kim
4837 Hwy Nc 55 10B – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 560-9000 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: M A Mansour
1209 University Dr – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 797-0135 – View Map - Farm Bureau Insurance
4021 Stirrup Creek Dr #220a – Durham, NC 27703 – (919) 469-3191 – View Map
Picking the best insurance agent requires you to look at more than just the quoted price. You should also get answers to these questions.
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
- Does the agent help file claims?
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
- Has the agent ever had any license suspensions?
Quote more and you will save more
While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. The goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
There are still a few companies who may not have online quoting and these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agencies. Budget-conscious Toyota Corolla iM insurance is definitely available both online and with local Durham insurance agents, so you need to compare both to have the best rate selection.
We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to save on Toyota Corolla iM insurance in Durham. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheaper Durham auto insurance quotes. You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier.
For more information, feel free to visit the following helpful articles:
- Frontal Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a School Permit in Durham? (FAQ)
- How Much is Durham Car Insurance for Young Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Durham Car Insurance Rates for a Ford F-150? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Veterans in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for a Hyundai Sonata in Durham? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Drivers with Good Credit in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for a Honda Accord in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Durham Car Insurance Rates for Felons? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Rates for Real Estate Agents in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Durham Auto Insurance for Business Use? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Male in Durham? (FAQ)
- Rental Car Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
- Avoiding Deer Collisions (Insurance Information Institute)