It’s an obvious statement that auto insurance companies don’t want you quoting rates from other companies. Consumers who compare other rates are highly likely to switch car insurance companies because there are good odds of finding a more affordable policy. A recent survey revealed that people who made a habit of comparing rates saved over $72 a month as compared to drivers who never compared prices.
If finding discount rates on Ford Freestyle insurance is the reason you’re here, then having an understanding of how to get price quotes and compare insurance premiums can help you be more efficient.
If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get more affordable Ford Freestyle insurance in Durham is to annually compare prices from insurers who sell insurance in North Carolina. Price quotes can be compared by completing these steps.
First, take a few minutes and learn about policy coverages and the modifications you can make to keep rates down. Many rating criteria that cause rate increases like traffic violations and a poor credit rating can be remedied by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. Later in this article we will cover the details to get lower rates and find discounts that may have been missed.
Second, get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote prices from multiple insurance companies.
Third, compare the price quotes to your existing coverage to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate quote and buy the policy, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
A good tip to remember is that you use the same deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to get prices from as many different companies as possible. This provides a fair price comparison and a good representation of prices.
All the larger insurance companies provide coverage price quotes online. Getting online quotes for Ford Freestyle insurance in Durham doesn’t take a lot of time as all you need to do is type in your personal and coverage information on the page. After you submit the form the system will order reports for credit and driving violations and provides a quote based on many factors.
This makes it simple to compare prices and it’s necessary to have as many quotes as possible in order to find a lower rate.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now, compare quotes from the companies shown below. To compare your current rates, we recommend you duplicate the limits and deductibles exactly as they are listed on your policy. Doing this guarantees you will receive a price comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.
The companies in the list below can provide free rate quotes in Durham, NC. If you want to find the cheapest auto insurance in Durham, NC, we recommend you compare several of them in order to find the most affordable rates.
You may qualify for discounts for Ford Freestyle insurance in Durham
Car insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. A few discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but some discounts are required to be asked about before they will apply.
- Smart Student Discounts – Maintaining excellent grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students well after school through age 25.
- Telematics Data Discounts – People who choose to allow their insurance company to look at vehicle usage by using a telematics device such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system could see a rate decrease if they have good driving habits.
- Low Miles Discount – Low annual miles can earn slightly better rates than normal.
- No Claims – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less in comparison to policyholders that have many claims.
- One Accident Forgiven – Not a discount per se, but companies like State Farm and Progressive may permit one accident without raising rates with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Defensive Driving Course – Participating in a safe driver course could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
- Military Deployment Discount – Being deployed in the military could be rewarded with lower premium rates.
- E-sign – A few larger online companies provide a small discount for completing your application on your computer.
Please keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it’s just not the way it works.
A list of companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are shown below.
- State Farm discounts include multiple policy, accident-free, multiple autos, driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, and student away at school.
- GEICO has savings for five-year accident-free, defensive driver, federal employee, emergency military deployment, membership and employees, multi-policy, and anti-lock brakes.
- Progressive has discounts for multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online quote discount, online signing, homeowner, good student, and multi-policy.
- 21st Century offers discounts including automatic seat belts, defensive driver, teen driver, student driver, and 55 and older.
- American Family may offer discounts for good student, TimeAway discount, Steer into Savings, good driver, and early bird.
- The Hartford may have discounts that include good student, air bag, driver training, defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, and bundle.
- AAA may include discounts for education and occupation, good driver, pay-in-full, anti-theft, multi-car, multi-policy, and AAA membership discount.
If you need low cost Durham auto insurance quotes, ask all the companies the best way to save money. Some discounts may not apply to policyholders in Durham. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers that have a full spectrum of discounts in North Carolina, click here.
Car insurance is not optional in North Carolina
Despite the high insurance cost for a Ford Freestyle in Durham, maintaining insurance is required in North Carolina but it also protects you in many ways.
First, just about all states have minimum liability requirements which means the state requires specific limits of liability in order to drive the car legally. 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.
Second, if you took out a loan on your car, almost all lenders will require that you have full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank may insure your Ford at a much higher premium rate and force you to reimburse them the higher premium.
Third, car insurance protects your Ford and your assets. Insurance will pay for hospital and medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance also covers legal expenses if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive coverages will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of buying enough insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. Today the average American driver overpays as much as $850 per year so you should quote your policy with other companies at every policy renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
You may need specialized insurance coverage
When choosing insurance from an agent or online for your personal vehicles, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Every situation is different so your insurance should reflect that
For instance, these questions could help you determine whether you may require specific advice.
- How much will a speeding ticket raise my rates?
- Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Durham?
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
- Which companies will insure me after a DUI?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- Should I pay a claim out-of-pocket?
- Do I have ACV or replacement cost coverage?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Compare rate quotes but still have a local Durham insurance agency
Some people still like to get advice from a local agent and that is not a bad decision One of the great benefits of comparing rate quotes online is that you can obtain lower premium rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), the quote information is sent to participating agents in Durham who will gladly provide quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to search for an agent because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. You can find lower rates without requiring a lot of work. If you want to get a comparison quote from one company in particular, you just need to visit that company’s website and submit a quote form there.
Deciding on an company needs to be determined by more than just a cheap quote. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Is there a local claims center in Durham?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- Are they in the agency full-time?
- How are they compensated?
- Does the agent help file claims?
When searching for a reliable agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies and how they can quote your rates. Insurance agents are categorized either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Exclusive Agencies
These agents can only quote rates from one company such as State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot provide other company’s prices so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive agents are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Consumers often buy from the same agent for years mainly due to the brand legacy rather than low price.
Listed below is a list of exclusive insurance agents in Durham who may provide you with price quotes.
- Nationwide Insurance: Andrew F Jones
5242 Roxboro Rd Ste C – Durham, NC 27712 – (919) 477-7666 – View Map - Debbie Leonard – State Farm Insurance Agent
3702 Hillsborough Rd #2b – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 383-3887 – View Map - Ashley Manuel – State Farm Insurance Agent
5842 Fayetteville Rd #112 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 544-8101 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies do not sell for just one brand and that enables them to quote your coverage with multiple insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move your policy to a different company and that require little work on your part. If you need lower rates, you will want to compare quotes from a few independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. Most have the option of insuring with smaller regional carriers that may provide cheaper insurance rates.
Below are independent agencies in Durham that are able to give price quote information.
- Bull City Insurance
121 Sherron Rd #302 – Durham, NC 27703 – (919) 596-0671 – View Map - Joshua E. Matthews Insurance Agency, Inc.
2144 Page Rd Suite 106 – Durham, NC 27703 – (919) 598-6800 – View Map - Reliable Insurance Agency of North Carolina Inc.
3325 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd #200 – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 864-9048 – View Map
Car insurance coverage information
Knowing the specifics of your insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Insurance terms can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find the usual coverages available from insurance companies.
Comprehensive protection – This coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like vandalism, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and damage from getting keyed. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision – Collision coverage pays for damage to your Freestyle caused by collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers claims such as hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a mailbox and scraping a guard rail. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible on your Freestyle to bring the cost down.
Liability car insurance – Liability coverage protects you from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 30/60/25 which stand for $30,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $60,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage protects against claims like court costs, medical services and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford. North Carolina state minimum liability requirements are 30/60/25 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.
The illustration below shows why buying minimum limits may not be adequate coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Ford Freestyle.
Due to the fact that many North Carolina drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (30/60/25 in North Carolina), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Medical expense coverage – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like ambulance fees, doctor visits, funeral costs and surgery. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible