Comparison shopping for Albany auto insurance is always challenging for consumers new to buying insurance online. Drivers have so many choices that it can easily become more work than you anticipated to compare prices in Albany.
Finding the best rates in Albany is not rocket science. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to cut costs considerably using this information. Georgia drivers just need to learn the best way to get comparison rates online.
Vehicle Insurance Comparison
Getting better auto insurance pricing is not a difficult process. All you need to do is take a few minutes comparing price quotes online with multiple companies. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.
The easiest and least time consuming way to get quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison click to view form in new window. This method eliminates the need for a different quote to each individual auto insurance company. One form will return quotes from many national carriers. It’s definitely the quickest method.
A more difficult way to shop for auto insurance online is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare to request a price quote. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want comparison quotes from Nationwide, Geico and Progressive. To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Albany, click here.
The least efficient method of comparing rate quotes is driving around to different Albany agent offices. Buying insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the trained guidance only provided by licensed Albany agents. However, consumers can comparison shop online but buy from a local insurance agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.
Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles on every quote you get. If you enter differing limits it will be very difficult to find the best deal in Albany.
Drivers who switch save $449 a year? Really?
Consumers in Georgia get pounded daily by advertisements for cheaper car insurance by State Farm, Geico and Progressive. They all seem to make an identical promise of big savings if you move to their company.
How can each company claim to save you money?
Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that is profitable for them. An example of a profitable customer might be profiled as over the age of 50, has no tickets, and chooses high deductibles. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.
Consumers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be charged higher rates and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That is how companies can advertise the savings. That is why you need to get as many quotes as possible. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.
Save Money with These Tips
It’s important that you understand the factors that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that can help you get better auto insurance rates.
The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.
- Do you know your deductibles? – Deductibles for physical damage define the amount you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and burglary. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart car theft.
- Liability coverage is peace of mind – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you when you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Your credit rating is important – Credit rating is a important factor in determining your rates. People with high credit scores tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
- Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safer cars result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
- Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that can waste your money if you aren’t careful. Coverages like roadside assistance, accident forgiveness and term life insurance are some examples. These coverages may sound good at first, but if they’re wasting money get rid of them and save.
How much can you save with discounts?
Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list all their discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of both the well known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out auto and life insurance together.
- No Charge for an Accident – A few companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
- Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Clubs and Organizations – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on your policy.
- Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Driver Safety – Taking a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with one company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
A little note about advertised discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
For a list of insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in Georgia, click here.
How to know if you need help
When choosing the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s needs are different.
For instance, these questions might help in determining whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
- Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
- Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Do I need a local agent?
Some people would rather visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Licensed agents can point out coverage gaps and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is you may find the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.
For easy comparison, once you complete this simple form, your insurance coverage information is sent to participating agents in Albany who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to visit any agencies due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox. How cool is that?!
Picking a company requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. These are valid questions to ask:
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Georgia?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
Below are Albany insurance companies that may be able to provide price quote information.
- Lighthouse Insurance Inc – 604 N Slappey Blvd, Albany, GA 31701 – (229) 420-7777
- State Farm Insurance – 1905 Fulton Ave, Albany, GA 31705 – (229) 435-4900
- Direct General Ins Agency – 2418 Sylvester Rd, Albany, GA 31705 – (229) 439-9456
- Acceptance Insurance Co – 1103 W Broad Ave, Albany, GA 31707 – (229) 439-1944
- Allstate Insurance – 1509 Dawson Rd # A, Albany, GA 31707 – (229) 888-6779
For a complete listing of licensed insurance agents in Albany, please view this page.
After getting positive feedback to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located an insurer that can service your policy.
Better coverage you can count on
When shopping online for auto insurance, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped collision coverage only to regret at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
Drivers switch companies for any number of reasons including poor customer service, lack of trust in their agent, being labeled a high risk driver and even extreme rates for teen drivers. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new insurance company is easier than you think.
You just read a lot of tips how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a small mutual company.
More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read state legal mandates and laws, and report car insurance fraud.
Other useful links include this site for Georgia auto insurance information and this list of insurance agents in Albany, GA.