How to Know You're Wasting Money for Car Insurance in Savannah

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced car insurance? Trust us, there are lots of people in the same boat.

You have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to price shop coverage at least once a year due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. So block out anything you think you know about car insurance because I'm going to teach you the only way to lower your annual insurance bill.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies do not list all their discounts very clearly, so here is a list both the well known as well as the least known car insurance savings.

Sign Online - A few companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.
Defensive Driver - Successfully completing a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Discount for Good Grades - A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts until age 25.
Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
Drive Less and Save - Driving fewer miles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

It's important to note that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck.

To see a list of companies offering car insurance discounts in Tennessee, follow this link.

Comprehensive Savannah Car Insurance Comparison Quotes

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates from car insurance companies in your area. The best method to find competitive insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

The best way consumers can make multiple comparisons is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This method eliminates the need for separate quotes for each company you want a rate for. Completing one form will return quotes instantly.
A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online is to take the time to go to each individual company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, we'll assume you want to compare rates from , and . To get each rate you have to go to every website and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Savannah, click here.
The least efficient method to compare rates is to drive around to insurance agents' offices. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent and you'll learn how to do that later.

Which method you use is up to you, but compare identical coverages and limits on every quote you get. If you use different deductibles it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Savannah. Just a small difference in limits may result in large price differences. Just keep in mind that comparing more company's prices helps locate a lower rate.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

Marriage brings a discount - Being married can actually save you money when buying car insurance. It usually means you are more mature and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.
Policy add-ons can waste money - There are many extra coverages that you can buy when buying car insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and membership fees are examples of these. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.
Bad driving skills means higher rates - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than bad drivers. Just one speeding ticket may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers who have serious citations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
Are you male or female? - Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes have accidents at about the same rate, but the males cause more damage. They also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
Safer cars cost less to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
Special features that cut premiums - Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart your car from being stolen.
Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Most companies will give a discount to insureds who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you still need to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still be able to find a better deal by splitting coverages up.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Car insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all seem to say the same thing that you can save if you switch your policy. How does each company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that is profitable for them. An example of a desirable insured might be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential customers who don't qualify for these standards will have to pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Do the work, save more money

Lower-priced car insurance is available both online in addition to many Savannah insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

We just presented a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from a small local company. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like .

When shopping online for car insurance, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford.

Find out more about car insurance

Additional detailed information is available at the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance website. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about a company, and learn about insurance regulations.