Learn How to Lower Your Premiums for Dalton Georgia Car Insurance

Feel like you’re a prisoner to high-priced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse. Companies like Allstate, Liberty Mutual and State Farm all claim big savings, bombarding you with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the flying pigs and cute green geckos and take the time to shop coverage around.

It’s a good habit to get comparison quotes once or twice a year since insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you had the best rates a year ago you will most likely find a better rate today. So just block out anything you think you know about car insurance because it’s time to teach you the fastest way to lower your annual insurance bill.

How to Get Car Insurance in Dalton, GA

Shopping for lower car insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don’t understand the best way to get rate quotes. You could spend the better part of a day talking to agents in Dalton, or you can stay home and use online quoting to maximize your effort.

Most car insurance companies participate in a marketplace where insurance shoppers only type in their quote data once, and every company can give them a price based on that data. This saves time by eliminating quote forms for each company.

To get comparison pricing now click here to start a free quote.

The only drawback to using this type of form is you don’t know exactly which carriers you want to price. So if you want to select specific providers to compare, we have a page of car insurance companies in Georgia. Click here to view list.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make sure you use identical coverage limits on every quote. If you are comparing unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be impossible to make an equal comparison in Dalton.

Save big with these discounts

Companies don’t necessarily list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list some of the more common and also the lesser-known car insurance savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you are throwing money away.

• Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings up to 30%.
• Club Memberships – Participating in a professional or civic organization may earn a discount when buying car insurance.
• E-sign – A handful of insurance companies will give a small break just for signing your application digitally online.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course in driver safety could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
• Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.
• 55 and Retired – Mature drivers may receive a discount up to 10%.
• Accident Waiver – A few companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
• No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents pay less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
• Multiple Cars – Buying coverage for all your vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

Rate influencing factors

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.

• Always keep insurance in force – Driving with no insurance is a misdemeanor and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance expire. Not only will you pay more, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
• Traffic violations increase rates – Drivers with clean records get better rates than bad drivers. Just one speeding ticket may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with serious tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions are required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
• Increase deductibles and save – Deductibles for physical damage define the amount you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, or theft. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
• More miles equals more premium – The more you drive in a year the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your car insurance policy shows the correct driver usage, because it can save money.

But I prefer to buy car insurance from an agent

A small number of people would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is OK! Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is you may find lower rates but also keep your business local.

Once you complete this simple form, your coverage information is instantly submitted to participating agents in Dalton who will return price quotes for your business. There is no need to leave your house as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. Now that’s easy!

Selecting an insurance company needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:

• Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
• Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
• Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
• What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
• If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?

Dalton insurance agents are either independent or captive

When researching local Dalton agents, there are a couple of different agency structures from which to choose. Agencies in Dalton are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. While both can do a good job, but it’s worth mentioning the difference between them since it can impact buying decisions.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents are contracted to one company and some examples include Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so keep that in mind. Captives are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents.

The following is a list of captive insurance agencies in Dalton that can give you rate quotes.

Farm Bureau Insurance – 1509 Chattanooga Rd – Dalton, GA 30720 – (706) 278-9380
Allstate Insurance – 1209 W Walnut Ave # 9 – Dalton, GA 30720 – (706) 226-8500
State Farm Insurance – 1514 W Walnut Ave # 102 – Dalton, GA 30720 – (706) 278-2511

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent. When shopping rates, it’s recommended you include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices.

Shown below is a short list of independent agencies in Dalton who can help you get price quote information.

Dan Cavender Agency – 855 Abutment Rd # 4 – Dalton, GA 30721 – (706) 259-7050
Hill Pope Agency – 2685 Cleveland Hwy # 3 – Dalton, GA 30721 – (706) 278-2063
Starr-Matthews Agency – 101 E Crawford St # 401 – Dalton, GA 30720 – (706) 278-0707
Alfa Insurance Corp – 207 W King St # A – Dalton, GA 30720 – (706) 272-0620
Tibbetts Insurance Svc – 107 W Gordon St – Dalton, GA 30720 – (706) 277-3903

To view a full list of licensed insurance agents in Dalton, visit this site.

After receiving reasonable responses to any questions you have and a good coverage price, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that can insure your vehicles.

Your coverage should be tailored to you

When choosing coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions can aid in determining whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.

• When would I need rental car insurance?
• Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
• Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
• Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
• Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Georgia?
• Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
• Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
• Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
• I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
• Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

More detailed Georgia car insurance information is available at the Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner website. Georgia drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, file complaints about a company, find out industry alerts, and learn about insurance regulations.

Additional helpful sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this list of insurance agents in Dalton.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Georgia drivers can’t ignore all the ads that promise big savings from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all make an identical promise that you can save after switching your policy.

How does each company say the same thing?

All companies have a preferred profile for the driver that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk could be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. A driver who fits that profile receives the best rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who are not a match for these standards will be quoted higher prices which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can truthfully claim big savings. This emphasizes why you should get as many comparisons as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

One last thing

In this article, we presented many ways to shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand 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 mutual company. Smaller companies often have lower prices on specific markets compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.

Budget-conscious car insurance is possible from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Dalton, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online quoting and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, someone sacrificed liability coverage limits only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.