Finding the Cheapest Athens Auto Insurance

No one looks forward to paying for auto insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much. Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with fancy advertisements and it is difficult to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates periodically since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal a few years ago a different company probably has better rates today. Starting now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the only way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Save big with these discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you can get discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be applied when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied before being credited. If you aren't receiving every discount you qualify for, you are throwing money away.

New Vehicle Savings - Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Good Student - Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
Homeowners Savings - Owning a house in Athens may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
No Accidents - Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Payment Method - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
Clubs and Organizations - Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization could trigger savings on auto insurance.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will reduce your overall premium however.

Athens Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.

The following are some of the factors auto insurance companies consider when setting rates.

Older drivers pay less - Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Teenage drivers are known to be more careless behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Traffic citations inflate rates - Just one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Careful drivers receive lower rates compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
What are your deductibles? - Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, vandalism, and windstorm damage. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are required to spend before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as doctors, executives and dentists tend to have the highest average rates attributed to high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Other professions such as scientists, historians and performers receive lower rates.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Everyone's needs are different so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation might need an agent's assistance.

Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Wisconsin?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?

If it's difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It's fast, doesn't cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Wisconsin drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for cheaper car insurance by Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to make the same claim about savings after switching to their company.

How can each company say the same thing?

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. A propective insured who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Consumers who fall outside the requirements will have to pay higher prices which leads to business not being written. The ad wording is "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that much. That is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Additional Wisconsin consumer information

Additional information is available on the website for the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance through this link. Wisconsin drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about a company, report car insurance fraud, and read industry bulletins.

In the end, you save

As you shop your coverage around, it's a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how to reduce auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from an unexpected company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like .

Cheaper auto insurance can be sourced on the web and also from your neighborhood Athens agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.