Tightwads Guide to Saving on Waynesboro Car Insurance

I can't think of anyone who enjoys paying for car insurance, especially when their premiums are too high. Because you have many choices of insurance companies, it is hard for the average consumer to find the right insurer.

Shopping for affordable coverage in Waynesboro is easy if you know what you're doing. If you have insurance now or need new coverage, you will benefit by learning to get lower rates and still get good coverage. Georgia vehicle owners just need to know the tricks to shop for car insurance online.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Waynesboro

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Extra coverages can waste money - There are many additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Things like rental car reimbursement, accidental death and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but if you don't need them remove them from your policy.
  • What type of vehicle do you drive? - The type of car you are insuring makes a big difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates tend to be for economy passenger models, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
  • How's your driving record? - Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Only having one ticket can increase rates twenty percent or more. Drivers with serious tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
  • Are you male or female? - Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Both sexes are in accidents in similar numbers, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Teenage male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high car insurance rates.

car insurance in Waynesboro

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

All major car insurance companies give pricing on their websites. The process is pretty easy as you just enter your personal and coverage information as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, their rating system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and returns pricing information based on many factors. This makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit several different sites and complete many quote forms can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. But it's very important to get many rate quotes in order to get better car insurance pricing.

The easy way to compare rates

The preferred way to compare rates utilizes a single form that gets prices from a bunch of companies at once. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes comparison shopping much more efficient. As soon as the form is sent, your coverage is rated and you can choose any or none of the resulting price quotes.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and purchase coverage. This process just takes a couple of minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.

If you want to find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and enter your information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you type in the limits and deductibles just like they are on your policy. This makes sure you are getting rate comparison quotes for the exact same coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you may find discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount. If you don't get every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Defensive Driver - Successfully completing a driver safety course can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • Early Signing - Select companies give a discount for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
  • Braking Control Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Organization Discounts - Belonging to a professional or civic organization could trigger savings when buying car insurance.
  • Seat Belts Save more than Lives - Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
  • Accident Free - Good drivers with no accidents pay much less when compared with accident-prone drivers.
  • Military Rewards - Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
  • Theft Prevention Discount - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Multi-car Discount - Buying coverage for more than one vehicle with the same company qualifies for this discount.

Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will help reduce the cost of coverage.

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

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Consumers can't ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance by companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies make the same claim that you'll save big if you switch to them.

But how can every company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer could be over the age of 50, a clean driving record, and chooses high deductibles. A customer who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who are not a match for this ideal profile must pay more money which leads to business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. That is how companies can state the savings.

This illustrates why you need to quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know which company will give you the biggest savings.

Different people need different coverages

When buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Every insured's situation is different so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you may require specific advice.

  • Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
  • Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Georgia?
  • Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
  • Do I qualify for additional discounts?
  • Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Much more information about car insurance in Georgia is located on the website for the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner. Click here for link. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, and learn about insurance regulations.

Other informative sites include this resource for Georgia car insurance prices and this link which helps you find a Waynesboro agent.

Georgia car insurance

A tidy conclusion

Budget-conscious car insurance is available from both online companies and with local Waynesboro insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you many ideas to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as .

When buying insurance coverage, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.