It takes a few minutes, but the best way to find the cheapest price for car insurance rates is to regularly compare quotes from providers who can sell car insurance in Durham.
First, try to learn a little about how companies set rates and the changes you can make to keep rates down. Many rating criteria that cause high rates like high-risk driving behaviors and a low credit score can be rectified by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. Keep reading for more information to get affordable coverage and find more discounts that you may not know about.
Second, request price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes for a wide range of companies. Get quotes now
Third, compare the new rate quotes to your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate in Durham. If you can save money and change companies, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
Fourth, provide notification to your current company of your intention to cancel the current policy. Submit a signed application and payment to your new carrier. As soon as coverage is bound, put the new certificate verifying proof of insurance with your registration paperwork.
One thing to point out is that you use the same coverage limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to get prices from as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this enables a fair price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
It’s an obvious conclusion that car insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. People who shop around once a year will most likely move their business because there is a good probability of finding a policy with more affordable rates. A recent study showed that drivers who made a habit of comparing rate quotes saved approximately $850 each year compared to people who never shopped for cheaper rates.
If finding budget-friendly auto insurance in Durham is your target objective, then having an understanding of the best ways to shop for insurance premiums can help simplify the task of finding more affordable coverage.
If you have a current car insurance policy or are shopping for new coverage, you can use these tips to cut your premiums and still have adequate protection. Locating the best rates in Durham is actually quite easy if you know where to start. Smart buyers just need to use how to compare different rates online.
How to Lower Your Insurance Premiums
The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at some of the things that aid in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When consumers understand what determines premiums, this enables informed choices that will entitle you to lower premium levels.
See if your company offers a multi-policy discount – Lots of auto insurance companies will award better rates to insureds who carry more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount you still need to check prices from other companies to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still save money even if you have your coverage with different companies
Your job may affect rates – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Careers like fire fighters, architects, and stock brokers usually pay higher average rates because of high stress levels and lengthy work days. Conversely, jobs like professors, historians and homemakers pay the least.
Being married can save on auto insurance – Having a spouse can actually save you money on auto insurance. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature than a single person and insurance companies reward insureds because drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
Lower rates for safer cars – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have lower insurance rates. Safe vehicles reduce the chance of injuries and fewer injuries means your insurance company pays less and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Lexus NX 300h earned at least four stars on Safercar.gov you may be receiving a better rate.
Insurance costs are higher for high performance vehicles – The performance level of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in your premium level. The cheapest rates will normally be found when insuring small economy passenger cars, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
Battle of the sexes – Over time, data shows females are less aggressive when driving. However, this does not mean males are worse at driving than females. They both cause at-fault accidents at a similar rate, but males get into accidents with more damage. In addition to higher claims, males also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI.
Do you really need roadside assistance? – Policies have extra bells and whistles that may not really be needed on your NX 300h policy. Coverage for things like rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage, and term life insurance may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you have no use for them remove them and pocket the money.
The car insurance companies shown below offer free quotes in North Carolina. If you wish to find cheap car insurance in Durham, it’s highly recommended you click on several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Car insurance is an important decision
Even though it can be expensive, insuring your vehicle may be required for several reasons.
- Almost all states have minimum liability requirements which means state laws require a minimum amount of liability protection in order to be legal. 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 your Lexus NX 300h has a lienholder, most banks will have a requirement that you have comprehensive coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you let the policy lapse, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Lexus at a more expensive rate and force you to pay the higher premium.
- Car insurance preserves both your assets and your vehicle. It will also cover medical bills for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. As part of your policy, liability insurance also pays expenses related to your legal defense in the event you are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of insuring your NX 300h more than offset the price you pay, especially for larger claims. But the average driver in North Carolina overpays more than $810 a year so shop around at every policy renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.
You may qualify for discounts for Lexus NX 300h insurance in Durham
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you might already qualify for some discounts to cut the cost considerably. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you get a quote, but some must be specially asked for before you get the savings.
- Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully take a driver’s education course if offered at their school.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles may enable drivers to earn discounted prices on garaged vehicles.
- Waiver for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a few companies such as State Farm and Progressive will turn a blind eye to one accident before your rates go up so long as you are claim-free before the accident.
- Discount for Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20 to 30 percent.
- Good Grades Discount – This discount may save you up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
- Driver Training Discounts – Completing a class that teaches safe driver techniques could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Onboard Data Collection – Drivers that enable their car insurance company to analyze vehicle usage by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could see a rate decrease as long as they are good drivers.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Putting insurance coverage on a new NX 300h can cost up to 25% less because newer models are generally safer.
- Bundled Policy Discount – If you can bundle your home and auto insurance and insure them both with the same insurance company you will save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy. But all discounts will cut the premium cost.
A list of car insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts can be read below.
- GEICO offers discounts including daytime running lights, seat belt use, defensive driver, anti-theft, emergency military deployment, and military active duty.
- MetLife may include discounts for good driver, accident-free, good student, multi-policy, claim-free, and defensive driver.
- State Farm has savings for Drive Safe & Save, good student, passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, driver’s education, student away at school, and multiple policy.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for continuous coverage, homeowner, online quote discount, online signing, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and good student.
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include type of vehicle, professional/association, multi-policy, multi-car, good driver, and low natural disaster claims.
- 21st Century policyholders can earn discounts including teen driver, air bags, early bird, driver training, student driver, homeowners, and 55 and older.
- Allstate has discounts for utility vehicle, new car, anti-lock brakes, EZ pay plan discount, eSmart discount, and multi-policy.
Before you buy a policy, ask every company which credits you are entitled to. All car insurance discounts might not apply everywhere.
Local neighborhood agents and auto insurance
A lot of people prefer to talk to an insurance agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Experienced insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and help in the event of a claim. One of the benefits of getting online price quotes is that drivers can save money and get cheap auto insurance rates and still buy from a local agent.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information is sent to participating agents in Durham who will return price quotes for your business. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact an agency since rate quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. If you need to compare rates from a specific company, just search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
Picking the best insurance company should depend on more than just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- How long has their agency been in business in Durham?
- Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
When narrowing the list to find a local agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Auto insurance policy providers are classified as either independent or exclusive. Both can properly insure your vehicles, but it is important to understand why they differ because it can influence buying decisions.
Exclusive Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive can usually just insure with one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. These agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agents are trained well in insurance sales which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive agents in Durham that can give you price quote information.
Allstate Insurance Agent: Michael D. Maffeo
2705 N Duke St Ste 203 – Durham, NC 27704 – (919) 479-5085 – View Map
Allstate Insurance Agent: Caufield Agency
4845 Industry Ln Ste D – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 493-7471 – View Map
Leslie Robinson State Farm Insurance
105 W North Carolina 54 #263 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 206-5096 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be independent are not locked into one company so they can write business with multiple insurance companies and find you cheaper rates. If they find a cheaper price, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don’t have to find a new agent.
If you need lower rates, you definitely need to contact at a minimum one independent agency so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
Below are Durham independent agencies who can help you get comparison quotes.
Superior Insurance of Durham
3825 S Roxboro St #118 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 224-8034 – View Map
The Sorgi Insurance Agency
16 Consultant Pl Suite 102 – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 682-4814 – View Map
Bull City Insurance
121 Sherron Rd #302 – Durham, NC 27703 – (919) 596-0671 – View Map
Do I need special coverages?
When choosing the right insurance coverage, there is no one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different.
Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.
- If my car is totaled with they pay enough to replace it?
- How long can I keep a teen driver on my policy?
- Should I rate my vehicle as business use?
- Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
- Why do I only qualify for high-risk insurance?
- Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
A little work can save a LOT of money
We just covered some good ideas how to save on Lexus NX 300h insurance in Durham. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get auto insurance rates for, the better your chances of lowering your auto insurance rates. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest rates are with a smaller regional carrier.
Cheaper car insurance in Durham is definitely available from both online companies in addition to many Durham insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies do not provide price quotes online and usually these small insurance companies only sell through local independent agents.
When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
More information
- State Car Insurance Guides (GEICO)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for First-time Drivers in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota 4Runner in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for High Mileage Drivers in Durham? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for 4×4 Vehicles in Durham? (FAQ)
- Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)
- Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Institute)