Expert Advice on Paying Less for Valdosta Car Insurance

Price shopping your Valdosta car insurance is always a challenge for beginners to shopping for insurance online. You have so many options that it can turn into more work than you anticipated to find lower rates in Valdosta.

Smart consumers take time to shop coverage around before your policy renews since insurance rates tend to go up over time. Despite the fact that you may have had the best deal a few years ago other companies may now be cheaper. Starting right now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because it’s time to teach you how to use online quotes to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

Free Valdosta Car Insurance Quotes

Finding a better price on car insurance is not a difficult process. The only requirement is to spend a little time comparing price quotes from different insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The single most time-saving way to get quotes for comparison would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This easy form eliminates the need for separate quotes for every car insurance company. One simple form will get you rate comparisons direct from many companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.

A less efficient way to compare rate quotes consists of going to the website for each individual company to request a price quote. For example, let’s say you want to compare rates from Progressive, Liberty Mutual and Allstate. To get each rate you have to visit each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Valdosta, click here.

It’s up to you which method you use, but make sure you use the exact same quote information on every quote. If you enter different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to determine the best price in Valdosta.

Do you qualify for a discount?

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there could be available discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some discounts apply automatically at the time you complete a quote, but some must be asked about prior to receiving the credit. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

• Accident Forgiveness – A few companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Bundle and Save – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
• Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings up to 30%.
• No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents pay less as compared to bad drivers.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Discount for Good Grades – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.

It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

To choose insurers offering car insurance discounts in Georgia, click this link.

Learn How to Lower your Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower car insurance prices.

• Do you work long hours in a high stress job? – Did you know your car insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations like real estate brokers, business owners and dentists tend to have the highest average rates in part from high stress and lengthy work days. Other professions such as actors, historians and performers receive lower rates.
• With age comes lower rates – Teen drivers in Georgia have a tendency to get distracted easily when behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. Older insureds are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
• Men are more aggressive – Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women have accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to get more serious tickets like reckless driving and DUI.
• Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates – Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor and your next policy will cost more because you let your insurance lapse. And not only will your rates increase, but not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Georgia motor vehicle department.
• Extra add-on coverages are wasting money – There are a lot of additional coverages that you can buy when buying car insurance. Insurance for personal injury protection, towing coverage and membership fees may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good initially, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
• Marriage brings a discount – Having a wife or husband actually saves money when buying car insurance. It is viewed as being more mature and it’s statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.

Much more information about car insurance in Georgia can be read on the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner website through this link. Visitors are able to download brochures, read industry bulletins, and learn about specific coverages.

One last thing

Cheap car insurance can be sourced online in addition to many Valdosta insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

We just covered a lot of techniques to compare car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, an accident victim reduced full coverage only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate.