9 Shopping Tips Guaranteed to Lower Auto Insurance Costs in Columbus Georgia

Finding lower premiums on Columbus auto insurance can seem to be challenging for consumers not familiar with comparison shopping online. You have so many options available that it can easily become a challenge to locate the lowest price in Columbus.

It’s a good idea to get comparison quotes before your policy renews since insurance rates go up and down regularly. Just because you found the lowest price a couple years back there may be better deals available now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding auto insurance online, so with this article, you’re going to get some of the best ways to reduce your auto insurance bill.

Quick Columbus Auto Insurance Quotes

Most companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive quote insurance quotes online. Obtaining pricing is fairly simple as you simply enter your coverage information into the quote form. When the form is submitted, the company’s rating system pulls reports for credit and driving violations and provides a quote.

Online price quotes simplifies rate comparisons, but having to visit a lot of sites and type in the same information is not the best way to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, it is important to do this in order to find the best price on auto insurance.

The quickest way to find better auto insurance pricing is to use a quote form that obtains quotes from a lot of companies. It’s a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes rate comparisons much simpler. As soon as the form is sent, your coverage is rated and you can select your choice of the quotes returned. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, it’s easy to complete the application and buy the new coverage. The whole process only takes a few minutes and you’ll know if lower rates are available.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and submit your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended that you enter the limits and deductibles identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will have rate quotes for similar coverage.

Can you really save $432 a year?

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. All the ads have a common claim about savings if you switch to them.

How do they all make the same claim?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the right customer that earns them a profit. An example of a profitable customer might be over the age of 40, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Drivers who fall outside the requirements will be charged a more expensive rate and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make those claims. That is why you should compare as many rates as you can. You cannot predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Do you qualify for these nine discounts?

Companies don’t list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Early Signing – A few companies offer discounts for signing up before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
• Military Rewards – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
• Club Memberships – Belonging to certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
• Bundle and Save – When you have multiple policies with one company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
• Employee of Federal Government – Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount with certain companies.
• Distant Student – Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
• Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings up to 30%.
• Good Student – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.

Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

To choose insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Columbus, click here to view.

Are insurance agents obsolete?

Some people would prefer to buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Good agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help you file claims. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.

Once you complete this short form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will battle for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy!

Choosing a company requires more thought than just a low price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:

• How often do they review policy coverages?
• Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
• Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
• Does the agency support the community they serve?

Captive or Independent: There is a difference

When searching for a good Columbus insurance agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents to choose from. Agents are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s important to know the differences because it can impact your selection of an agent.

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents can only place business with one company like State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Captives cannot compare other company’s rates so keep that in mind. Captive agents are trained well on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some consumers prefer to purchase coverage from captives mostly because of high brand loyalty and solid financial strength.

Shown below are captive agents in Columbus who may provide you with price quotes.

• Liberty Mutual Insurance – 400 Brookstone Ctr Pkwy # 100 – Columbus, GA 31904 – (706) 327-1798
• Allstate Insurance – 4626 Miller Rd # D – Columbus, GA 31909 – (706) 563-1371
• State Farm Insurance – 3518 Veterans Pkwy # F – Columbus, GA 31904 – (706) 324-0366
• Georgia Farm Bureau Ins Co – 4909 Armour Rd – Columbus, GA 31904 – (706) 327-9976

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies.

When comparing rates, it’s recommended you include multiple independent agents to get the best comparison. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller companies which may provide better rates.

Below is a short list of independent agencies in Columbus willing to provide price quote information.

• Jack Schuman Agency – 5050 Warm Springs Rd – Columbus, GA 31909 – (706) 563-3360
• Bill Fortson Agency – 3617 Hilton Ave # 117 – Columbus, GA 31904 – (706) 323-1893
• Breazeale Insurance Svc – – Columbus, GA 31907 – (706) 326-5933
• Direct General Ins Agency – 5828 Moon Rd # J – Columbus, GA 31909 – (706) 568-0802
• Jed Harris Insurance Svc – 107 35th St – Columbus, GA 31904 – (706) 660-1868

To view a full list of auto insurance agents in Columbus, please view this page.

Upon receiving reasonable responses to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, it’s possible that you found a car insurance agent that meets your needs to provide auto insurance coverage.

Information about specific coverages

Knowing the specifics of auto insurance helps when choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.

Coverage for medical payments – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for immediate expenses like pain medications, hospital visits, chiropractic care, rehabilitation expenses and dental work. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover both the driver and occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive coverages – This will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like damage from flooding, a broken windshield and falling objects. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Coverage for liability – Liability coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property by causing an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 25/50/25 which means a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as attorney fees, repair costs for stationary objects, medical services, legal defense fees and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Georgia requires drivers to carry at least 25,000/50,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many Georgia drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 25/50/25), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Collision coverages – This pays for damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as crashing into a building, driving through your garage door, rolling your car, backing into a parked car and hitting a parking meter. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Final considerations

Low-cost auto insurance is available online and with local Columbus insurance agents, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to find out that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

In this article, we covered a lot of ways to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier.

Even more information can be read at the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner website. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, view a list of available companies, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.