It’s hard to believe, but a large majority of consumers kept buying from the same company for four years or more, and just under half have never compared insurance rates at all. North Carolina insurance shoppers could pocket almost 10% a year just by getting comparison quotes, but they underestimate how much money they would save if they switch to a new company.
It takes a little time, but the best way to get cheaper car insurance rates in Raleigh is to compare prices at least once a year from companies who provide car insurance in North Carolina. Drivers can shop around by completing these steps.
- Get a basic knowledge of how insurance companies determine prices and the steps you can take to keep rates in check. Many factors that increase rates such as accidents, traffic tickets, and a less-than-favorable credit score can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle.
- Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only quote rates from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agents can provide price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to see if cheaper Alpina B7 coverage is available in Raleigh. If you can save money and buy the policy, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
The key aspect of shopping around is to compare identical coverages on every quote request and and to compare as many car insurance companies as possible. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough price selection.
Quoting and comparing more affordable policy in Raleigh is quite easy. Essentially every vehicle owner who shops around for car insurance will be able to cut their insurance bill. But North Carolina car owners must comprehend the methods companies use to determine premium rates.
Best BMW Alpina B7 insurance prices in North Carolina
The companies in the list below have been selected to offer price quotes in North Carolina. To locate the cheapest auto insurance in Raleigh, we recommend you visit two to three different companies in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Insurance discounts are available to cut your rates
Auto insurance companies do not advertise all available discounts very well, so here is a list some of the best known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using when you buy Raleigh car insurance online.
- Resident Student – Kids who live away from home to go to college and don’t have a car may be able to be covered for less.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may save up to 50% more than their less cautious counterparts.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of 20 to 30 percent.
- Accident Forgiveness – This isn’t a discount exactly, but companies like Allstate, Progressive, and GEICO will allow you to have one accident without getting socked with a rate hike as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen so companies will give you a small discount.
- Telematics Discount – Raleigh drivers who agree to allow driving data submission to track their driving habits by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot could save a few bucks if they exhibit good driving behavior.
- Low Miles Discount – Maintaining low annual mileage can qualify you for better prices on cars that stay parked.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some companies provide a discount for switching companies before your current Alpina B7 insurance policy expires. You could save around 10% when you buy Raleigh car insurance online.
- Good Student – Performing well in school may save you up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies aren’t that generous.
A list of insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be read below.
- Progressive has savings for continuous coverage, good student, homeowner, online signing, and multi-policy.
- AAA includes discounts for education and occupation, multi-car, good student, anti-theft, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include multi-car, homeowner, teen driver, good student, and business and professional.
- GEICO has discounts for defensive driver, five-year accident-free, anti-lock brakes, federal employee, anti-theft, emergency military deployment, and good student.
- Esurance may include discounts for good driver, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, renters, online shopper, and good student.
- SAFECO policyholders can earn discounts including bundle discounts, safe driver, teen safe driver, accident prevention training, teen safety rewards, homeowner, and drive less.
- State Farm may offer discounts for accident-free, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple policy, driver’s education, passive restraint, and anti-theft.
When getting free Raleigh car insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to every insurance company to give you their best rates. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policyholders in every state. For a list of companies offering insurance discounts in Raleigh, click this link.
Do I need an insurance agent?
Some consumers prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is not a bad decision A good thing about comparing rate quotes online is the fact that you can find cheap insurance quotes but still work with a licensed agent. Supporting local insurance agents is still important in Raleigh.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your insurance data is transmitted to local insurance agents in Raleigh who will give you quotes for your coverage. You won’t need to find an agent on your own since rate quotes are delivered to you. You can find the lowest rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If you have a need to compare rates from a specific insurance company, you can always search and find their rate quote page and give them your coverage information.
If you prefer to buy insurance from a good Raleigh insurance agent, you should know the types of agencies from which to choose. Raleigh agents are considered either exclusive agents or independent agents.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agencies can quote rates with many companies so they can insure your vehicles through many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they quote lower rates, your policy is moved internally which is easy for the insured. If you need cheaper insurance rates, you need to include multiple independent agents to have the best price comparison. Most also have access to less well-known companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Listed below are Raleigh independent agencies that may be able to give you pricing information.
- Bagwell and Bagwell Insurance
2626 Glenwood Ave #300 – Raleigh, NC 27608 – (919) 832-6667 – View Map - Durfey-Hoover-Bowden Insurance Agency
3741 Benson Dr – Raleigh, NC 27609 – (919) 790-6415 – View Map - Lee Winters Insurance Agency
1330 St Marys St Suite 250 – Raleigh, NC 27605 – (919) 828-7130 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Exclusive agencies can only provide one company’s prices like Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They are unable to compare rates from other companies so always compare other rates. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on what they offer and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Drivers often buy from exclusive agents primarily because of loyalty to the company and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Below is a short list of exclusive insurance agents in Raleigh that can give you price quotes.
- Danny Newton – State Farm Insurance Agent
6021 Poyner Village Pkwy #109 – Raleigh, NC 27616 – (919) 875-1955 – View Map - Doug Wingate – State Farm Insurance Agent
2414 Wycliff Rd #110 – Raleigh, NC 27607 – (919) 787-0888 – View Map - Lindsay Gianni – State Farm Insurance Agent
12333 Strickland Rd #106 – Raleigh, NC 27613 – (919) 329-2913 – View Map
Finding a good car insurance agent should depend on more than just the quoted price. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Raleigh?
- Do you need full coverage on every vehicle?
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
- How long has the business existed?
- Do they have designations such as AIC, CPCU, or CIC?
After you get good responses to any questions you may have and a low price estimate, you may have found an insurance agent that meets your needs to provide insurance coverage. Just be aware that it’s your coverage and you can cancel a policy whenever you want so don’t assume you are locked into your new company for a certain time period.
Auto insurance coverage information
Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Coverage for collisions
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Alpina B7 resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers claims like colliding with a tree, hitting a parking meter, driving through your garage door, damaging your car on a curb and crashing into a ditch. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. You can also choose a higher deductible on your Alpina B7 to bring the cost down.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your BMW Alpina B7.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (which is 30/60/25), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Coverage for medical expenses
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for bills for hospital visits, EMT expenses and rehabilitation expenses. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover both the driver and occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Auto liability insurance
Liability insurance can cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 30/60/25 that translate to a $30,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for things like court costs, attorney fees, repair costs for stationary objects and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but buy as much as you can afford. North Carolina state law requires minimum liability limits of 30/60/25 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
The chart below demonstrates why buying the state minimum limits may not be high enough to adequately cover claims.
Comprehensive auto insurance
This will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as vandalism, damage from getting keyed and hail damage. The maximum amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Quote often and quote early
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. Too many times, someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
A few companies may not offer online quoting and these small, regional companies sell through local independent agencies. More affordable insurance in Raleigh can be found from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture.
In this article, we covered many ideas to save on BMW Alpina B7 insurance in Raleigh. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates are with a small mutual company.
More detailed insurance information can be found by following these links:
- Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)
- Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Institute)
- Information for Teen Drivers (GEICO)
- Comprehensive Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Understanding Rental Car Insurance (Insurance Information Institute)