It’s safe to assume that auto insurance companies don’t want you shop around. Insureds who perform rate comparisons will presumably switch to a new company because there is a good probability of finding a lower-priced company. A study showed that people who made a habit of comparing rates saved over $70 a month as compared to drivers who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.
If finding the lowest rates on insurance is your ultimate target, then learning a little about how to get free comparison quotes and analyze cheaper coverage can help you be more efficient.
If you want to save the most money, the best way to find cheaper car insurance rates is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from insurers who provide car insurance in Durham. Rates can be compared by following these guidelines.
- First, try to comprehend the coverage provided by your policy and the things you can change to drop your rates. Many rating criteria that drive up the price like speeding and your credit history can be eliminated by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Continue reading for more information to prevent expensive rate increases and find possible discounts that are available.
- Second, request price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while agents who are independent can quote prices from multiple companies.
- Third, compare the quotes to the price on your current policy and see if you can save money. If you find a better price, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
- Fourth, notify your agent or company to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit a down payment and signed policy application to the new company. Don’t forget to put the certificate verifying coverage in an easily accessible location in your vehicle.
A good tip to remember is to use the same level of coverage on each quote request and and to get rates from every company you can. This guarantees a level playing field and many rates to choose from.
If you have a current insurance policy, you will most likely be able to find the best rates using the tips covered below. Finding the cheapest insurance policy in Durham is quite easy. But North Carolina consumers can benefit by having an understanding of how big insurance companies calculate your policy premium.
Get Toyota Yaris iA Insurance More Affordably
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that help calculate your insurance rates. When you understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make good choices that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.
Save money by raising comp and collision deductibles – Deductibles for physical damage state the amount of money the insured will be required to pay if the claim is covered. Insurance for physical damage, also called ‘full coverage’, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims could be collision with another vehicle, fire damage, and having a roll-over accident. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
You might pay higher costs if you are single – Getting married may earn you lower rates on your policy. Marriage translates into being more mature than a single person and insurance companies like that married couples file fewer claims.
Liability insurance risk factors – Your insurance policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if ever you are determined to be liable for damages caused by your negligence. This coverage provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
Gender as a rate factor – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that females are better at driving than males. Men and women are responsible for fender benders at about the same rate, but men tend to have higher claims. Not only are claims higher, but men have more aggressive citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
Lower rates with a multi-policy discount – Lots of insurance companies apply better rates to insureds who consolidate policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even if you qualify for this discount already, it’s always a smart idea to compare Toyota Yaris iA rates in Durham to help guarantee you have the best rates.There is a good possibility that you can save money by buying from different companies
Eliminate extra coverages – There are a lot of additional extra coverages that sound like a good idea at the time when buying insurance. Coverages like roadside assistance, death and dismemberment, and motor club memberships are examples of these. The coverages may be enticing at first, but if you’ve never needed them in the past consider taking them off your policy.
Your address can impact price – Being located in smaller towns and rural areas of the country has it’s advantages when insuring your vehicles. Drivers who live in large cities have to deal with more auto accidents and longer commutes to work. Less people means a lower chance of having an accident and lower theft and vandalism rates.
All major car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive allow consumers to get coverage prices on their websites. Doing online price comparisons for Toyota Yaris iA insurance in Durham is easy for anyone as you simply enter your coverage information into the quote form. After the form is submitted, the system will order your driving and credit reports and generates a price based on the information you submitted.
Using the web to get rates for Toyota Yaris iA insurance in Durham helps simplify price comparisons, and it’s absolutely necessary to do this if you want to find a lower rate.
In order to get comparison pricing now, compare rates from the companies below. If you currently have coverage, we recommend that you enter your coverages identical to your current policy. This guarantees you will have a rate comparison based on similar coverages.
The car insurance companies shown below offer free rate quotes in Durham, NC. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you get rate quotes from several of them to get the best price comparison.
Auto insurance is an important decision
Despite the potentially high cost of Toyota Yaris iA insurance, insuring your vehicle is required by state law in North Carolina and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.
First, the majority of states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires a specific level of liability coverage if you want to drive 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 your Yaris iA has a lienholder, almost every bank will require that you have insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may insure your Toyota at a significantly higher premium and require you to fork over the higher price.
Third, insurance protects both your car and your assets. Insurance will pay for hospital and medical expenses incurred in an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance will also pay for a defense attorney if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your Toyota gets damaged, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, especially with large liability claims. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is overpaying more than $865 each year so you should quote your policy with other companies at every policy renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Cut your auto insurance rates with discounts
Companies do not list every possible discount in a way that’s easy to find, so below is a list both the well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts that you can inquire about if you buy Durham car insurance online.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down on your Toyota may allow you to get slightly better rates than normal.
- Durham Homeowners Discount – Owning a house in Durham can help you save on auto insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
- Accident Waiver – Not really a discount, but a handful of insurance companies allow you one accident without getting socked with a rate hike if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Save with a New Car – Insuring a new Yaris iA is cheaper because new model year vehicles keep occupants safer.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the medical payments premium.
Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to the whole policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though the math looks like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you aren’t that lucky.
To view companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in Durham, click this link.
Insurance agent or online?
Many drivers would rather talk to a local agent and that can be a great decision The best thing about comparing rate quotes online is that you can find cheap insurance quotes but also keep your business local.
To find an agent, once you fill out this simple form, the coverage information is emailed to companies in Durham who will gladly provide quotes for your business. You don’t have to do any legwork due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. Get lower rates AND an agent nearby. In the event you want to compare prices from a specific company, you would need to navigate to their website to submit a rate quote request.
Selecting an insurance company is decision based upon more than just the price. Any agent in Durham should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Does the company have a local claim office in Durham?
- Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
- Will the agent help in case of a claim?
- By raising physical damage deductibles, how much would you save?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in North Carolina?
Independent or Exclusive: It’s your choice
If you are searching for a local agent, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agents that you can select. Insurance agents in Durham can be categorized as either exclusive or independent.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
These agents write business for a single company and some examples include Farmers Insurance, State Farm, Allstate, and AAA. They generally cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive agencies receive a lot of sales training on their products and sales techniques which aids in selling service over price. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from exclusives mainly due to the brand instead of buying on price only.
Below is a list of exclusive agents in Durham who may provide you with comparison quotes.
- Nationwide Insurance: Sizsiz L Wong
105 W North Carolina 54 Ste 279 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 544-7000 – View Map - Andy Jones – State Farm Insurance Agent
4519 N Roxboro St – Durham, NC 27704 – (919) 477-0054 – View Map - Marty Lindsey – State Farm Insurance Agent
1852 Hillandale Rd – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 479-9671 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
These type of agents often have affiliation with several companies so they have the ability to put coverage through lots of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to do anything. If you are comparing rate quotes, it’s recommended you get quotes from a couple of independent agencies to ensure the widest selection of prices. Most also write with additional companies that you may not be familiar with that may provide cheaper insurance rates.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agents in Durham who can help you get price quotes.
- Knox Insurance Agency
200 Meredith Dr Suite 104 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 313-6411 – View Map - Hix Insurance Center
1533 Glenn School Road, Building C Unit A-14 – Durham, NC 27704 – (919) 220-3031 – View Map - Superior Insurance of Durham
3825 S Roxboro St #118 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 224-8034 – View Map
One last note
A few companies may not offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers work with independent insurance agencies. More affordable auto insurance in Durham is definitely available both online and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection.
Consumers switch companies for many reasons like denial of a claim, poor customer service, questionable increases in premium and even extreme rates for teen drivers. Regardless of your reason, finding a great new company is not as hard as you think.
Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to compare Toyota Yaris iA insurance car insurance rates in Durham. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies.
More tips and info about auto insurance is available in these articles:
- Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Under 21 in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Tacoma in Durham? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Drivers with Bad Credit in Durham? (FAQ)
- Collision Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)