44 Ways to Save Money on Georgia Car Insurance

At Velox Insurance, there aren’t too many things we get more excited about than saving customers money on car insurance. That’s why we put together some of our top tips for lowering rates and getting more auto insurance discounts. If you’re looking to save money on car insurance here in Georgia – read this first!

1) Raise Your?Collision Deductible

Collision coverage pays for repairs to your car if it collides with another vehicle or object regardless of who is at fault.? The deductible is how much?you ?pay before the insurance company pays. ?If you?choose a higher deductible it saves on insurance but don’t do it unless you could?actually?afford to pay more if you have an accident!

2) Take a Defensive Driver Course

Almost every auto insurance company we work with at Velox gives?a discount if you take a defensive driver class.? There are even online defensive driver courses you can take without?leaving?the house. ?Reach out to?your insurance agent first to?make sure the course you want to take will give you a discount.

3) Compare Rates From Many Companies

Despite what they want you to think, no insurance company has the cheapest price for every driver.? Each company uses different rating criteria so if your friend saved the most with The General, it doesn’t mean you will too.? The only way to find the best car insurance price for you is to get as many quotes as possible. ?At Velox Insurance we make it easy to get multiple car insurance quotes online or you can contact any of our agencies throughout Georgia to work directly with a licensed insurance agent.??Be careful of those?other websites that claim to offer lots of “comparison quotes”. ?All they really do is?sell your private information to anyone willing to pay for it.

Is your auto insurance premium one of your larger monthly expenses? Here are the top tips you should consider saving money by switching car insurance.

4) Pay Your Bill on Time

Many insurance companies will tack on extra charges or remove ?discounts based on your payment history.? If you are late even one time after 30 years of payments, they might jack up your price so don’t miss a payment!

5) Get Married

Since married people?have fewer car accidents, most insurance companies charge single people more. ?If you got?married and didn’t tell your agent?you should let them know right away.? There may also be other insurance-related considerations based on this change in your life they will need to address. ?Here at Velox Insurance we love anything that saves?clients money, but we don’t recommend getting married just to save?on car insurance – it may be a decision you regret very soon, and for the rest of your life!

6) Improve Your Credit Rating

Fair or not, most?car insurance companies base their rates to some degree on credit.? In addition to the other benefits you’ll get,?credit gets you cheaper insurance so do what you can to improve your rating. ?And if you have bad credit some companies will really overcharge you so it’s even more important to take the time to get many quotes and find yourself the most affordable insurance.

7) Pay For Your Entire Policy Upfront

Since they won’t have to mail bills every month and it’s less likely your policy will be cancelled, most insurance companies offer a cheaper price if you’re willing to pay the entire 6 or 12 month premium at once.? Even if you have to use a credit card, the difference in premium could be substantial and you won’t have to worry about your policy lapsing.

8) Be Honest About How You Use Your Car

During the quoting process, many shoppers are tempted to “fudge” information about how they use the vehicles and may?actually cause the price to be higher.? For example most people believe a vehicle rated for “pleasure” usage is cheaper than one for “work” use.? While this may be true sometimes it is not always the case. ?In addition, misrepresentation of information during the insurance purchasing process can result in the denial of a claim when you really need the coverage.

9) Buy a Safer Vehicle

Although the person behind the wheel plays the biggest role in the safety of a vehicle, insurers do give cheaper prices to vehicles that perform the best in handling and crash testing. ?In addition to saving a few bucks, it might just save your?life!

10) Setup Automatic Payments

Since?it involves less paperwork and processing, many insurers give discounts for setting up your policy on automatic billing. ?Even if there is no?discount, automatic payments can help you avoid a lapse in coverage, which could cost you a LOT of money if it happens at the wrong time.

11) Combine Policies in the Same Household

If there is?more than one auto insurance policy?in your house, you may save money by combining them.? Doing the opposite may also be beneficial. ?It would be best to speak with a licensed insurance agent here in Georgia?before making any moves like this.

12) Shop For Insurance Ahead of Time

Some??insurance companies offer “early signing” discounts that save you money if you buy a new policy a week or more before it goes into effect.? In addition to this potential discount, the more time you have to shop around, the more quotes you can get and the greater the opportunity to find the most affordable one.

13) Drop Your Rental Car Coverage

Rental coverage pays for a rental vehicle while your vehicle is being repaired for a covered loss.? If you could hitch a ride or walk to work for a month or two, or if you have extra vehicles to use or borrow you may cancel this coverage and save money.

14) Install an Alarm

Having a car alarm will almost always save you a few bucks on your auto insurance.? Don’t expect a huge discount, but it should reduce your comprehensive coverage.

15) Buy a Home

People?who own homes tend to be more reliable?clients for insurance companies so they often give cheaper prices to homeowners. ?We wouldn’t recommend?going?out and making an offer today, but if you are a homeowner and your insurance agent doesn’t know that give them a call today!

16) Buy the Sedan (vs. the coupe)

All Honda Civics are not created equal.? Some insurance companies charge different prices depending on the submodel of your vehicle.? This means if you’re considering the added cost of an upgraded model, don’t forget to find out from the insurance company if it will cost you any more for the leather seats.

17) Don’t Buy a GAAIP?Policy (unless you have to)

If you have several accidents or tickets on your driving record, you may have no choice but to get a policy from Georgia’s?”assigned risk” program. ? Since the assigned risk is usually much more expensive than other policies, make sure you get denied from ALL the major carriers before resorting to assigned risk, we work with clients who currently have GAAIP insurance to get into more affordable policies every day.

18) Choose a Higher Comprehensive Deductible

Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your vehicle caused by anything but your standard car accident (theft, vandalism, weather, etc.).? Raising your deductible means you’ll have to pay more out of pocket if there is a loss, but you’ll pay less for the coverage.

19) Don’t Get Traffic Tickets

Does this really need to be explained?

20) Ask About Occupational Discounts

Depending on what you do for a living, you may be entitled to a discount on your policy.? Many companies give discounts to teachers, police officers, firemen, bankers, you name it.? If you don’t ask, you won’t find out.? Did you change jobs recently?? Call your insurance agent?and ask.

21) Buy Multiple Policies From the Same Company

Most auto insurance companies that offer other types of insurance give a discount for having more than one policy with them. ?If you’re currently a customer of Velox Insurance for ?your auto insurance, did you know we also sell:

• Home Insurance
• Commercial Auto Insurance
• Motorcycle Insurance
• Renters Insurance
• Condo Insurance
• Boat Insurance
• RV Insurance
• Mobile Home Insurance

22) Don’t Let Anyone Borrow Your Car

?If a friend borrows your car and gets in an accident, your prices will go up. ?Even if that other person has insurance of their own, your policy is the one that will pay the claim and go up later.

23) Drop Your Towing Coverage

For most policies, towing coverage provides many of the same benefits as AAA, like changing a tire, jumpstarting the battery, or locking your keys in the car.? If you already have AAA or something else providing these benefits, why pay twice? ?As an alternative, perhaps you should consider dropping AAA and using your insurance policy’s towing coverage if you need help.

24) Install a Recovery Device

Many insurance companies ?offer a discount if your vehicle is equipped with a vehicle recovery device like LoJack or OnStar.? This discount usually comes off your comprehensive coverage and may not offset the cost of installing such a device.? If insurance savings is your motivation, get an idea of the potential cost savings prior to paying for installation.

25) Move to a Safer and Less Congested Area

Insurance prices are based off the zip code you live in and can make significant differences in the cost of your insurance.? Generally speaking, the less congested and safer an area, the cheaper the insurance.? Although it will cost you more for the home or apartment, the nicer neighborhood will probably save you money on car insurance!

26) Park in a Garage

If you park your vehicle in a garage or carport, make sure your insurance company knows about it.? Many offer a discount off your comprehensive coverage based on the decreased likelihood of theft or weather damage.

27) Lower Your Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Coverage

Uninsured motorist property damage pays for damage to your vehicle if you are the victim of a car accident caused by someone without enough insurance.? Since you would be unable to collect more from this coverage than the value of the vehicles you drive, it may save some money to reduce this coverage.

28) Don’t Get in Car Accidents

This one probably goes without saying, but here’s a related tip.? If you are in a car accident that is completely someone else’s fault and their insurance adjuster agrees, it may be better to go through the other company for all your damages.

29) Take Driver’s Education

This one’s for the teens. If you have the opportunity to take a recognized driver’s education program, regardless of whether it’s required by the state for your license you should take it.? It will most likely save money on insurance and ?teen drivers need every discount they can get!

30) Lower Your Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage

Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays you for injuries you receive in a car accident caused by someone without insurance or without enough insurance.? Lowering the amount of coverage will reduce your premium.? Be careful though because this?is one of the?least recommended options in this page because the potential risk versus the potential price savings is very low. ?Before making a change like this, speak about the risks with a licensed Velox salesperson and explore other options first.

31) Maintain Continuous Coverage

Many of the?insurance companies we work with at Velox Insurance give you better?rates the longer?you have been insured without any gap in coverage.? Sometimes a coverage gap of just a few?days can cause you to get the same price as someone buying insurance for the first time.? If you sell your car and are buying another one soon,?consider keeping?your policy active during the time you don’t have coverage.

32) Exclude Drivers From Certain Vehicles

It’s not always a good idea, but some companies will reduce your price if you exclude coverage for a particular driver with a particular vehicle.? If you know 17 year-old Johnny never drives the Ferrari then you could explore this option.? Be careful though, have?you ever seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?

33) Retire

As if you needed another excuse to stop working, right? ?Many insurers provide a discount to retired individuals.? If you were employed when your insurance policy was issued and have since retired, give us a call and see if changing your employment status will save you some money?

34) Work Closer to Home. (or move closer to work)

The number of miles you drive each way to work is often a rating factor for insurance companies.? This is another savings that you’ll probably not switch jobs or buy a new house to take advantage of, but if your situation has changed since your current insurance policy was issued, you may be able to save some money by contacting your agent and updating your information.

35) Go to College

Whether it’s fair or not, there are a few insurance companies that offer cheaper rates based on your highest level of education.? It’s probably not worth contacting?an admissions counselor just yet, but if your highest level of education has changed since your insurance policy was written, you might want to reach out to your agent.

36) Employee and Organization Discounts

Do you work for a major corporation or are you a member of any organizations?? Many insurance companies provide discounts for employees of particular companies and major organizations.? The only way to find out is to ask; reach out to your agent?to find out, you might be surprised.

37) Lower Your Bodily Injury Liability Coverage

Not a great idea, but for this list to be comprehensive it needs to be mentioned.? Bodily injury liability coverage pays other people for injuries they sustain in an accident that you cause.? If you lower the limits of liability for the insurance company, your policy will be cheaper. Please?be aware that lowering your insurance company’s liability limits does not lower your personal limits.? If you injure someone with medical bills of $100,000 and you have only $25,000 in liability coverage, guess where the difference comes from.

38) Lower Your Property Damage Liability Coverage

It’s not a smart idea, but it can save you money.? Property damage liability pays other people for damage you cause to property they own.? It mostly covers wrecked cars but can also pay for anything else you hit with your car.? Lowering this coverage will save you a very small amount of money but could leave you in a very bad situation.

39) Get Better?Grades in School

If there’s a student on your insurance policy with good grades, many carriers will reduce the price if they get good grades.? If you are fortunate enough to be in this situation and your agent doesn’t know it, reach out to your agent?and let them know.

40) Buy a Car With Anti-Lock Brakes

Since they tend to reduce the number of rear-end and other accidents, anti-lock brakes will get a discount on your policy with most companies.

41) Have Your Bills Emailed to You

In an effort to reduce paper printing and mailing costs, some companies have begun to introduce discounts for getting your bill emailed to you every month rather than sent through snail mail.

42) Purchase a Collector?Cars Policy

If you have a collector car and are insuring it under your regular auto insurance policy, you may be paying much more than you should.? Most insurers that specialize in collector cars require very short annual mileage rates, but will charge a lot less in return.

43) Drive Less

If you can drive less, most insurance companies will reduce your premium.? Each company has their own cutoff, but if you drive any of your vehicles under 5-10 thousand miles per year and can prove it you may be eligible for a cheaper rate.? Reach out to your insurance agent?to check into?your eligibility for a short-mileage rating.

44) Get a Quote From Velox

At Velox Insurance, we specialize in finding customers great coverage at the most affordable price and we’ve made it easy for you. You can get multiple quotes online to find the best rate or contact any of our 30+ locations throughout Georgia and Indiana to work with one of our insurance discount experts!