Auto Insurance

When you buy your car, you recognize the need for an auto insurance policy, but you may not be aware of some common situations that may arise that could you leave you in a hole. Once you understand 3 common car insurance gaps and discuss them with your N.C. independent insurance agent, you can rest assured that any potential gaps will be filled. If you currently own a car or have owned one in the past, most likely you have run into instances that can and do occur. Maybe you had a flat tire, dead battery, or a mechanical break down on the highway while traveling towards your vacation destination or job. Nonetheless, these incidents [...]

If you are in the market for a new car, you may look at the body style, color, or size when making a decision; but one of the biggest factors to consider is safety. Picking a vehicle that will protect you and your passengers is a huge consideration; so before you head out to purchase a new car, find out the list of IIHS safest cars for 2018. Raising the Bar  Art picture of crashed car The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) is raising the bar for the cars receiving Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards. In fact, only 15 cars received the Top Safety Pick+ Award, while 47 received [...]

It’s that time of year again! No, I don’t mean holiday season; but ‘tis the time of year for more deer to be on the roads. Deer collisions with autos happen more than you may realize. In fact, the Insurance Information Institute (III) estimates that as many as 1.5 million auto collisions with deer happen each year; and in the state of North Carolina, the likelihood of it happening to you may increase since N.C. has a bursting deer population. If a deer comes into your path while driving, do you know how to avoid hitting a deer on the road? Sunrise, Sunset  The time between October and December, there is an increase in the [...]

If you own and operate a vehicle, North Carolina mandates that you carry auto liability insurance on that vehicle to protect you against injuries and damages that you may be held liable for, while operating your vehicle. However, did you know that as many as 1 in 8 drivers are driving without any auto liability insurance? As a result of the growing number of people driving without insurance, a once optional type of coverage referred to as Uninsured Motorist (UM) is now also mandated under your N.C. auto insurance policy, while Underinsured Motorist (UIM) is required if you have limits of liability that are higher than the stated minimum limits. But do you know why [...]

Your vacation is finally underway and you just spent hours on the beach when you jump into your rental car to head back to the hotel. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the car in front on you slams on brakes and you inevitably smash into the rear end of that car. Having a damaged rental car was not part of the vacation plan and now you are left wondering who’s responsible for the damages to the rental car. The next time you plan a vacation, there are things you should know about rental cars and insurance, so you will never have to wonder again. How Your Standard N.C. Auto Insurance Policy Impacts Damages to the Rental [...]

Every time you get into a vehicle, you run the risk of being involved in an auto accident, either by your own negligence or from another driver on the road. If you own a car, the N.C. law mandates that you have auto insurance to provide protection from a financial impact that may result due to an auto accident, but do you know how auto insurance rates are determined? Below Are Some of the Important Rating Factors That Impact Your Premium, but Not Limited to:  Driving Experience- Length of time you have been driving Driving Record- Record of any auto accident charges and/or tickets Claims History- Record of prior accidents and claim payouts Type of [...]

Getting the cheapest rate on car insurance may be as easy as a quick phone call or a click of a button, but will you be guaranteed the best coverage? Initially, what looks to be a cheaper rate, may end up being more expensive down the road due to “bare bones” coverage, leaving you financially strained/demolished if you aren’t careful. Find out 5 ways to save money on car insurance so you won’t fall prey to the “cheap deal” ads. Tricky Ways to Quote a Cheap Rate Some N.C. auto insurance companies may quote you a lower rate than some others, but you must be aware of how they do it and what coverage options [...]

Teens are notorious for carrying around their cellphones and constantly looking at them, whether they are responding to a text, uploading a picture or status, or scrolling the newsfeed on social media. Look around at any given location, and people, mostly teens, are glued to their phones, oblivious to the world around them. But what if that same person takes their cellphone and proceeds to do equivalent antics while driving? While it sounds scary, it happens all the time, which is why teens and cellphone laws in North Carolina have been established. Are the Cellphone Laws Being Enforced? Originally, the N.C. law banned the use of cellphones for drivers under the age of 18 while [...]

While more smartphone companies continue to roll out new, on the cutting edge technology, with unlimited data rates, the death rate from auto accidents continues to increase at an alarming rate due to drivers being distracted while using their cellphones. As a result, many auto insurance companies have taken a huge hit due to underwriting losses in the last few years and now N.C. car insurance rates are going up due to distracted driving. Everywhere You Look While driving/riding in your car, just look around and undoubtedly you will see other drivers doing everything from reading a book, applying makeup, shaving, fiddling with the radio, or most often, texting or talking on their cellphones. Cellphones [...]

You saved your money for years to purchase a new vehicle and finally decided to bite the bullet and purchase that brand new vehicle. You drive off the lot, probably not caring that depreciation begins that very minute you leave the lot. Things are running smoothly when a year later, you have an auto accident rendering your car a total loss! Now, suddenly you may care about depreciation when you hear from the auto insurance company that your car is only worth $20,000 and you owe significantly more than that. How can that be? When your adjuster asks if you have GAP insurance, you ask, “What is GAP insurance coverage?” If you knew about GAP [...]