Nobody likes paying for car insurance, particularly when the price is too high.
Online insurance companies like State Farm, Progressive and GEICO all claim big savings, bombarding you with ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you should be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. Choosing the best insurance company for you in East Point is quite easy. But Georgia drivers must comprehend the way insurance companies market insurance on the web.
Get Cheaper Rates by Understanding Pricing
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get better car insurance rates.
- Increase deductibles and save – Physical damage deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket before your car insurance pays a claim. Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and rolling your vehicle. The more you’re willing to pay, the less your car insurance will be.
- Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates – Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Georgia motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect higher rates. Insurance companies in Georgia generally give discounts to people who are claim-free. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
- Better credit means lower rates – Your credit score is a big factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than those with lower credit scores. If your credit history is low, you could pay less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
- Where do you drive? – The more miles you rack up on your car every year the higher your rates will be. Most companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your car insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven.
- Your spouse saves you money – Getting married can get you a discount when buying car insurance. Having a significant other is viewed as being more responsible and it’s statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.
- With age comes lower rates – More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, statistically cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel. Teenage drivers are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted when driving and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
These discounts can lower your rates
Companies don’t always publicize all available discounts very well, so we break down both well-publicized and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving.
- Student in College – Any of your kids who live away from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accident claims.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags can receive discounts up to 30%.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being on active duty in the military can result in better rates.
- Organization Discounts – Belonging to a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount when buying car insurance.
- Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Additional detailed information is located at the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner website. Georgia drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, and read industry bulletins.
Other informative sites include this resource for Georgia car insurance prices and this list of insurance agents in East Point.
You just learned some good ideas how you can shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the best price on car insurance is with some of the lesser-known companies. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
Low-cost car insurance can be found online and with local East Point insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
When you buy insurance online, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The aim is to get the best coverage possible at the best price.