How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Car Insurance in Lavonia

I can't think of a single person who likes having to buy car insurance, particularly when their premiums are too high.

Drivers have so many to pick from, and even though it's nice to have multiple companies, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices periodically due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the lowest price two years ago a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because we're going to demonstrate how to quote online to find great coverage at a great price.

Shopping for affordable car insurance in Lavonia is easy if you know what you're doing. Just about everyone who has to buy car insurance should be able to reduce their rates. Nevertheless, Georgia consumers do need to know how insurance companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Car insurance can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.

Discount for Swiching Early - A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
Air Bag Discount - Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
Safety Course Discount - Taking part in a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
Auto/Life Discount - Larger companies have a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
Multiple Cars - Buying coverage for all your vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
Homeowners Savings - Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.

It's important to understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get big savings.

Performance makes a difference - The type of car you drive makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. The most favorable rates are for economy passenger models, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Bad driving skills means higher rates - Drivers who don't get tickets receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. Only having one citation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who get dangerous violations like DUI or reckless driving may be required to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
Policy add-ons can waste money - There are quite a few additional coverages you can purchase when buying car insurance. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. They may seem good at first, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
More people means more accidents - Living in less populated areas has it's advantages when talking about car insurance. Drivers in populated areas tend to have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident as well as less vandalism and auto theft.

Different people need different coverages

When it comes to buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a perfect coverage plan. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you may require specific advice.

Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Am I covered by my employer's commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Companies like State Farm and Allstate consistently run ads on television and other media. All the ads make the same claim of big savings if you change your coverage to them. How does each company claim to save you money?

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For instance, a preferred risk might be over the age of 50, a clean driving record, and chooses high deductibles. Any driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Drivers who are not a match for these standards will be charged higher premiums which leads to the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "people who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That is how insurance companies can confidently state the savings.

That is why drivers should get as many comparisons as possible. You cannot predict which company will give you the biggest savings.

Additional Georgia consumer information

Additional car insurance information is located on the website for the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner through this link. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, discover disciplinary actions, and view agent and company licensing information.

Also read more on III.org's auto insurance page and this directory of insurance agents in Lavonia Georgia.

Final considerations

We just presented some good ideas how to reduce car insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even find the biggest savings come from a company that doesn't do a lot of advertising. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as .

Low-cost car insurance is attainable both online as well as from independent agents in Lavonia, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don't skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where someone dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.