Proven Techniques for Buying Mauldin Auto Insurance at a Discount

Tired of being strong-armed to insure your vehicles every month? You are no different than the majority of other car owners in South Carolina. Lots of insurers contend for your hard-earned dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a company to discover the definitive lowest price

You need to do rate comparisons once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates change regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates two years ago you can probably find a better price now. Starting now, block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re going to learn the quickest way to lower your annual insurance bill.

If you have a policy now or are just looking to switch companies, you will benefit by learning to reduce the price you pay while maintaining coverages. Buying car insurance in Mauldin is not that difficult. South Carolina drivers just need to learn the proper way to find the lowest price on the web.

Educated Consumers Know How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better auto insurance rates.

• Your occupation can affect rates – Jobs such as judges, architects and dentists have the highest average rates because of high stress levels and lengthy work days. Other jobs such as scientists, historians and retirees get better rates.
• Policy add-ons can waste money – There are many add-on coverages that you can buy on your policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but if you don’t need them remove them from your policy.
• Where you live is a factor – Choosing to live in less populated areas can save you money when talking about auto insurance. Fewer drivers means reduced accidents. Drivers in populated South Carolina areas have traffic congestion and a longer drive to work. More time commuting translates into higher accident risk.
• Mature drivers pay less – Youthful drivers in South Carolina are statistically proven to be more careless in a vehicle so auto insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
• Cautious drivers pay less – Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Careful drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Even a single speeding ticket can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Drivers who have serious citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
• Men fork out a little more – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn’t mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes are in accidents in similar numbers, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI.
• Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs – Car insurance companies in South Carolina give discounts to policyholders who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.

Don’t miss out on these money-saving discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there could be available discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some trigger automatically at the time you complete a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied before being credited. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
• College Student – Any of your kids who are attending college and don’t have a car may be able to be covered for less.
• Organization Discounts – Participating in a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on auto insurance.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
• Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way. But any discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

To choose companies with the best auto insurance discounts in South Carolina, click here to view.

Compare online but buy from a local Mauldin agent

Some people would rather sit down with an agent and that is OK! Agents can help determine the best coverages and give you peace of mind. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is you can get lower rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local insurance agencies is important especially in Mauldin.

Upon completion of this short form, the coverage information is emailed to local insurance agents who will battle for your business. There is no reason to leave your house as quotes are delivered directly to your email. How cool is that?!

Different types of Mauldin insurance agencies

When researching a good Mauldin insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Mauldin are categorized either captive or independent. Either one can insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the differences since it can impact your selection of an agent.

Independent Agents

Independent agencies are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies.

When comparing rates, we recommend you get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices.

Shown below is a list of independent agencies in Mauldin willing to provide price quote information.

Greg Houston Insurance Co – 106 E Butler Rd # C – Mauldin, SC 29662 – (864) 987-0391
Insurance Inc – 106 E Butler Rd – Mauldin, SC 29662 – (864) 987-0648

Agency Captives

Captive agencies can only write with one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. These agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which can be an advantage.

The following are captive agencies in Mauldin willing to provide rate quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 500 S Main St – Mauldin, SC 29662 – (864) 967-2488

For a complete listing of Mauldin captive insurance agencies, simply jump to this page.

Picking an auto insurance agent should depend on more than just the price. These questions are important to ask:

• How often do they review policy coverages?
• Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in South Carolina?
• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
• Does the agency support the community they serve?
• How long has their agency been in business in Mauldin?

Upon getting positive responses and locked in a price quote, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that will properly service your auto insurance policy.

Is there truth in advertising?

South Carolina consumers constantly see and hear ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies say the same thing that you’ll save big if you switch your coverage to them.

How do they all make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, owns a home, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential insureds who don’t meet this ideal profile must pay a higher premium which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save money. That’s why companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

This illustrates why it is so important to compare as many rates as you can. It’s impossible to know which company will have the lowest rates.

More resources for learning

Additional information can be found on the website for the South Carolina Department of Insurance found here. South Carolina consumers can file complaints about a company, download brochures, find out industry alerts, and find disaster information.

Additional helpful sites include this page for auto insurance prices in South Carolina and this list of agents in Mauldin, SC.

A tidy conclusion

We just showed you a lot of information how to save on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.

Cost effective auto insurance is definitely available online and with local Mauldin insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers do not offer the ability to get a quote online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, an accident victim reduced full coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.