Easy Techniques to Pay Less on Athens Car Insurance

Are you intimidated by the wide range of car insurance options in Athens? You have a lot of company. You have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a ton of work to find lower rates.

Finding affordable coverage in Athens is quite easy. In a nutshell, every driver who has to buy car insurance will be able to save money. Nevertheless, Tennessee car owners do need to know how insurance companies sell online.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't list all available discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance.

  • Clubs and Organizations - Belonging to a qualifying organization could trigger savings when buying car insurance.
  • Multiple Vehicles - Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
  • Paperless Signup - Certain companies will give a small break simply for signing over the internet.
  • New Car Discount - Putting insurance coverage on a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Fewer annual miles could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Athens may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
  • Seat Belts Save more than Lives - Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.

Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like it's possible to get free car insurance, companies don't profit that way.

Tips to Get Lower Athens Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in lower car insurance prices.

  • Protect your assets with liability insurance - Liability coverage provides coverage if you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
  • Being married can save on car insurance - Getting married can get you a discount on your car insurance policy. Having a spouse translates into being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
  • How's your driving record? - Whether or not you get tickets 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 compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one citation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers with flagrant tickets such as DUI or reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
  • Choose a safe vehicle and save - Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. A few examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The more expense you have to pay, the less your car insurance will be.
  • High credit ratings translate to low rates - A driver's credit history is a huge factor in calculating your car insurance rates. If your credit rating is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible than drivers with lower credit scores.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the companies make the same claim of big savings after switching your coverage to them. How does each company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a profitable customer could be over the age of 50, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. A customer who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Consumers who don't meet these standards must pay higher rates which leads to business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much money. That's the way insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. This illustrates why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, get help finding coverage, and file complaints about a company.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

Cost effective car insurance can be sourced from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Athens, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you shop your coverage around, it's very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed full coverage and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just showed you many ideas to reduce car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company.