Shocking but true, nearly 70% of customers kept buying from the same company for at least four years, and just under half have never even shopped around for cheap coverage. Durham insurance shoppers could save nearly 10% every year by just comparing quotes, but most tend to underestimate the large savings they would see if they just switched companies.
The best way we recommend to save money on Suzuki Aerio insurance in Durham is to compare quotes annually from providers that sell auto insurance in North Carolina. Price quotes can be compared by following these steps.
- Spend a few minutes and learn about how companies set rates and the changes you can make to prevent rate increases. Many rating criteria that cause high rates like accidents, traffic tickets, and poor credit can be controlled by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. This article provides more details to prevent high rates and earn a bigger discount.
- Compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can provide prices for a wide range of companies.
- Compare the new quotes to your existing rates and determine if cheaper Aerio coverage is available in Durham. If you can save some money and change companies, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
A crucial key to this process is to use the same level of coverage on each price quote and and to get rate quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. This enables the most accurate price comparison and a complete price analysis.
Learn How to Lower Your Insurance Prices
Many different elements are used when pricing auto insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like a motor vehicle report, but other factors are not quite as obvious like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.
Shown below are some of the major factors insurance companies consider when setting your rate level.
Annual miles is a factor – The higher the miles on your Suzuki annually the more you’ll pay to insure it. Most companies rate vehicles based upon how much you drive. Cars that have low annual miles receive lower rates than cars that get driven a lot. Having the wrong rating on your Aerio may be costing you. Double check that your policy reflects the correct usage.
Youthful vs. older drivers – Mature drivers are shown to be more cautious, tend to file fewer claims, and receive fewer citations. Young drivers have a tendency to be more careless behind the wheel so insurance rates are higher.
Bad drivers pay high prices – Just one driving citation can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don’t get tickets have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who get license-revoking citations like DUI or reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
Improve your credit score – A driver’s credit score is likely to be a major factor in calculating your insurance rates. So if your credit score is not that good, you could pay less to insure your Suzuki Aerio by spending a little time repairing your credit. Insureds with very high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with worse credit.
Stress out and pay more – Careers such as fire fighters, social workers, and miners generally have higher rates than average due to intense work-related stress and long work days. Conversely, careers such as actors, students and performers have the lowest average rates.
Do you really need to file those policy claims? – Car insurance companies in North Carolina give the best rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Car features that cut premiums – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your premiums. Theft prevention devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems help track and prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
Bundle home and auto and save – Most companies apply discounts for people that purchase more than one policy. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even with this discount, consumers should still compare Suzuki Aerio rates in Durham to help ensure you have the lowest rates.
Discount Durham insurance quotes
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you might be missing out on some discounts that may help make it more affordable. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but some need to be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.
- Active Service Discounts – Being on active duty in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Organization Discounts – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization in Durham could qualify you for a break on your policy.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Drivers with accident-free driving histories are rewarded with significantly better rates on Durham auto insurance quote compared to drivers who are more careless.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a small discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
- Good Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less as compared to drivers with claims.
- Multi-car Discount – Insuring primary and secondary vehicles on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
- College Student – College-age children who attend college more than 100 miles from Durham and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
A little disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
The best insurance companies and their possible discounts are detailed below.
- State Farm may offer discounts for anti-theft, Drive Safe & Save, good student, driver’s education, student away at school, and multiple autos.
- Nationwide may include discounts for multi-policy, accident-free, anti-theft, Farm Bureau membership, and family plan.
- GEICO has savings for daytime running lights, multi-policy, driver training, good student, and anti-lock brakes.
- AAA discounts include AAA membership discount, multi-policy, anti-theft, pay-in-full, good driver, and good student.
- 21st Century offers discounts including defensive driver, good student, anti-lock brakes, early bird, and air bags.
- The Hartford has discounts for good student, driver training, anti-theft, air bag, and bundle.
When quoting, ask each insurance company which discounts they offer. Savings may not be offered in your area.
Durham auto insurance company ratings
Choosing a highly-rated auto insurance provider can be challenging considering how many companies sell coverage in Durham. The company ratings below can help you choose which insurers to look at when looking for cheaper rates.
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Service
- USAA
- Travelers
- AAA Insurance
- Nationwide
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- The General
- Esurance
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- Travelers – A++
- USAA – A++
- GEICO – A++
- State Farm – A++
- Titan Insurance – A+
- Esurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- The Hartford – A+
- Allstate – A+
Quote more and you will save more
When getting Durham auto insurance quotes online, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, consumers will sacrifice full coverage only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at the lowest possible cost.
Some insurance companies may not offer online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agencies. More affordable auto insurance in Durham is available on the web in addition to many Durham insurance agents, so you need to compare both to have the best selection.
Much more information about auto insurance in North Carolina can be found below:
- Warning systems don’t curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Veterans in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for Drivers Under 25 in Durham? (FAQ)
- How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)
- Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)