South Carolina requires each and every driver to carry liability insurance on their vehicle. If your insurance policy lapses or is cancelled your insurance company notifies the state and you have 20 days to purchase a new policy or your license and registration will be revoked and you will face stiff fines and penalties to get your license renewed.
It is far easier (not to mention legal) to simply take the time and find ways to save money and get discount car insurance in South Carolina.
Fortunately there are ways for almost every driver to save money on their present policy or to get their first policy at the best rate they possibly can.
Under South Carolina State law you are only required to purchase what is known as 25/50/25 liability insurance. This means you must purchase a liability policy that (at a minimum) will pay $25,000 in medical coverage per person per accident with a cap of $50,000 in medical payments per accident, plus the policy must pay $25,000 in property damage.
Since the property damage portion of a liability policy only applies to other people's property and not to your vehicle, if your vehicle is financed then your lender will require that you purchased additional coverage in the form of both collision as well as comprehensive insurance. You may also be forced to buy Uninsured Motorist (UM) insurance.
Depending on the make, model and age of your vehicle, and on whether your vehicle is being financed or not, car insurance coverage can get pretty expensive.
You can help to keep your rates low by driving safely and legally at all times. The last thing you want on your driving record are speeding tickets or, worse yet, a DUI or DWI conviction. Any black marks on your record and you will not be able to get the deepest discount available on your car insurance.
If you can keep your car in a garage at night let your agent know as this will save you money.
Ask your agent if purchasing an anti-theft device such as a steering wheel lock or an electronic device that disables your fuel pump unless a secret code is punched or a hidden button pressed will save you any money.
You can save money on your car insurance each month by carpooling to work. If you stop working for any reason and you are no longer driving to and from work each day let your agent know - it should save you money.
Many people are now using public transportation for as many of their "driving" needs as possible. If you can find ways to cut your driving down to 500 miles or fewer each month you should save quite a bit using a Low Mileage Discount.
Drivers under 25 can save about 5% per month by staying in school and maintaining a grade point average of at least 3.0.
Drivers over 55 may be able to save about 10% per month by taking a special driver's refresher course. Ask your agent if your insurance company offers this discount.
If you drive a car with little or no Kelly Blue Book value then you are wasting your money if you pay for collision or comprehensive insurance.
Don't make small claims. Pay the little things out of your own pocket and save your insurance for larger claims. The longer you go without filing a claim the lower your rate will be. Some companies begin offering incentives as soon as 6 months have elapsed without a claim; other companies make you wait a year or more.
You can lower the cost of your monthly car insurance payment rather dramatically if you increase your deductible. Be careful, however, because you will be asked to come up with the amount of your deductible in cash anytime you make a claim. Don't agree to pay more than you can afford.
Finally, using the information you have learned in this article find 3 different websites that let you make quick price comparisons of insurance policies from various insurance companies. Carefully fill in the exact same information onto the forms on at least 3 of these websites and then simply pick the company with the best price.
That's all there is to it! You've done your homework and you've intelligently compared prices and you've saved money and gotten the best discount car insurance in South Carolina that you possibly could. Congratulations!
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This is true regardless of whether a home is being financed or not. Obviously your mortgage lender has the right to demand that you purchase homeowner's insurance, but keep in mind that while your lender can require you to buy homeowner's insurance your lender cannot tell you which insurance company to purchase it from. This gives you the opportunity to find affordable homeowner's insurance here in South Carolina.
In any event there are several steps you can take that will lower the cost of your homeowner's insurance.
Start by making the outside of your home safe. Homeowner's policies cover injuries on your property, so the safer your property is the less you should have to pay for your insurance. Start by repairing or replacing any broken or buckled sidewalks or other cement. Fill in potholes. Replace lose or rotten boards in decks or porches and make sure all railings are secure. Let your agent know you've done this work.
Burglaries are also a concern for your insurance company. Install motion-sensitive floodlights, trim bushes away from all windows, install deadbolt locks on all exterior doors and make certain that every window in your house has a working lock.
A home security system that monitors your house 24/7 is an excellent idea and such systems can save you 20% or even more on your monthly homeowner's insurance bill - but check with your agent before purchasing any system as not all systems will qualify for the full discount on your insurance.
If you have a home-based business ask your tax man if all or a portion of your home security system could be written off on your taxes - this could save you even more money!
If you have a retired person 55 or older living in the home make sure your agent knows about it as this could save you money each and every month.
Did you know that the primary claim against a homeowner's policy is for water damage caused by a broken water line or a broken appliance connection? If your home is over 10 years old ask your agent how much you would save each and every month if you made a one-time investment in upgrading your plumbing and electrical systems.
Have you installed the proper number of fire and smoke detectors for the size and configuration of your house? Do they all have fresh batteries? Batteries must be changed twice yearly.
Do you have a kitchen-rated fire extinguisher in your kitchen?
Check with any clubs, organizations or associations that you belong to and see if any of them offer low-cost group homeowner's insurance.
Consolidate all your insurance policies with the same company. This will give you a rather nice Multi-Policy Discount on your homeowner's insurance.
If you've been with the same insurance company for at least 3 to 5 years ask if you qualify for a Long-Term Policy Discount.
Increasing your deductible is a fast and easy way to lower your monthly homeowner's insurance payment, but this is something that needs to be considered carefully as any increase in your deductible represents cash that you will need to come up with each year before your insurance will pay for any claims. Don't promise to pay more than you can actually afford.
Now find 3 different websites that allow you to make homeowner's insurance price comparisons from different insurance companies. What you want to do is to use the information in this article in order to fill out the form on all 3 comparison websites exactly the same - that way your comparison provides you with valid information.
Your next step is to decide which insurance companies you feel confident will still be here in 20 to 30 years, and then simply choose the least expensive from among those companies. That's it. That's all there is to getting affordable homeowner's insurance in South Carolina. So sleep well knowing that you are now saving as much money each month as you possibly can while still protecting your greatest asset - your home.
