Tired of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? You’re in the same situation as many other Georgia drivers.
With so many options when it comes to car insurance, it is hard for the average consumer to choose the right insurer.
It’s a great practice to shop coverage around quite often because insurance rates are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you had the lowest rates on your last policy you may be paying too much now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re about to find out one of the easiest ways to find great coverage at a great price.
Compare Quotes for Macon Car Insurance
To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing rate quotes from different in Maconinsurance companies. The best method to find competitive insurance rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.
- The easiest and least time consuming way to get the best comparison quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This easy form eliminates the need for separate quote forms for each company. A single, simple form will return price quotes .
- A more time consuming way to shop for car insurance online requires a visit to the website for each individual company to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let’s assume you want rates from Geico, Progressive and American Family. To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.
To view a list of companies in Macon, click here.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you use identical coverages on every quote you get. If the quotes have higher or lower deductibles it’s not possible to determine which rate is truly the best in Macon. Just a small difference in coverage limits may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies will enable you to find a better price.
Discounts are available to cut your rates
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always advertise every available discount very well, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the more hidden car insurance savings.
- Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Senior Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for better car insurance rates.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for signing up before your current expiration date. The savings is around 10%.
- Employee of Federal Government – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
- Accident Forgiveness – Certain companies permit an accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Resident Student – Children who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
To choose companies offering car insurance discounts in Georgia, click this link.
Components of your insurance rates
Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with big savings.
The following are some of the items companies use to determine rates.
- Lower deductibles cost more – Your deductibles define the amount you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, insures against damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and burglary. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Type of vehicle determines base rates – The make and model of the vehicle you are insuring makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. Low performance passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- Your job and insurance rates – Did you know your car insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupations like lawyers, architects and accountants tend to pay higher rates than average because of high stress levels and long work hours. On the flip side, jobs such as farmers, athletes and homemakers have the lowest average rates.
- No coverage gaps is important – Driving your car without having proper coverage is against the law and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage can result in a steep fine or even jail time.
Beware of misleading car insurance ads
Car insurance companies such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads in print and on television. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you move your coverage to them. How do they all say the same thing?
Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.
Potential customers who do not match the “perfect” profile will have to pay a more expensive rate and this can result in business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save money. This is how companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers must compare many company’s rates. It’s not possible to predict which company will give you the biggest savings.
More comparisons equals lower rates
When you buy insurance online, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many instances, an insured cut full coverage and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price.
You just learned many tips how you can get a better price on car insurance. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. These companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.
Read more about Georgia car insurance
More detailed Georgia car insurance information is available at the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner website. Georgia drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read consumer alerts, and view a list of available companies.