Getting Cheap Athens Car Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you many Athens consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy.

Drivers have so many to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices at least once a year because rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best price last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we're going to demonstrate the only way to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Pricing affordable coverage in Athens is quite easy. Basically, every driver who is required by state law to have car insurance will be able to cut their insurance bill. But Michigan car owners do need to know how insurance companies price online insurance and apply this information to your search.

Take advantage of discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don't even know exist. Some discounts apply automatically when you complete an application, but less common discounts must be asked for before they will apply.

  • Life Insurance Discount - Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase life insurance.
  • Defensive Driver - Successfully completing a driver safety course could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Theft Prevention Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • No Charge for an Accident - Certain companies will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don't have any claims for a set time period.
  • Discount for Good Grades - A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply until age 25.
  • Memberships - Belonging to a qualifying organization may earn a discount on car insurance.
  • Payment Discounts - By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
  • Multi-car Discount - Insuring more than one vehicle on the same car insurance policy qualifies for this discount.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a house in Athens can save you money because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Drivers Education - Have your child complete a driver education course in school.

Drivers should understand that some credits don't apply the the whole policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

To see a list of companies offering car insurance discounts in Michigan, click here.

Michigan car insurance quotes

Comprehensive Athens Car Insurance Comparison Quotes

There are several ways to compare quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The best method to find competitive insurance rates is simply to get online rate quotes. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

  • The best way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This type of form keeps you from doing separate forms for each company you want a rate for. Completing one form compares rates from several companies.
  • Another way to compare rate quotes is going to the website for each individual company and complete a new quote form. For sake of this example, let's assume you want to compare rates from , and . To get each rate you have to spend time on each company's site and enter your information, and that's why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Athens, click here.

Whichever method you choose, compare identical coverage limits and deductibles on every quote. If you enter different liability limits it will be very difficult to make a fair comparison in Athens. Slightly different insurance coverages can result in a big premium difference. Just keep in mind that comparing a large number of companies helps locate the best rates.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Lower miles equals lower premium - The more miles you rack up on your car in a year the more you will pay for car insurance. Almost all companies rate vehicles based on how the vehicle is used. Cars used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Double check that your car insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven.
  • Little extras can really add up - There are many extra coverages that you can buy on your policy. Coverages for roadside assistance, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage are some examples. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
  • Bundling policies can get discounts - Most insurance companies will give a discount to policyholders who carry more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it's in your best interest to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
  • Battle of the sexes - Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the males cause more damage. They also get more serious tickets such as reckless driving. Teenage male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
  • How's your driving record? - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers who don't get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Even a single ticket can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers who have serious citations like DUI or reckless driving may need to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
  • Don't sacrifice liability coverage - Liability insurance provides coverage if ever you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
  • Car features impact rates - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft features such as LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system can thwart auto theft.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

Car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. They all seem to have a common claim that you'll save big if you switch your coverage to them. How does each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured could be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. A customer that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when switching.

Consumers who don't qualify for these standards will have to pay higher rates and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's the way companies can advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which car insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Affordable insurance is out there

As you prepare to switch companies, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price.

Budget-conscious car insurance can be found from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Athens, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who don't offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

We just showed you a lot of ways to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like .

car insurance in Athens

Find out more about car insurance

Much more information about car insurance in Michigan can be found on the website for the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation. Click here for link. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, and learn about insurance regulations.