Decatur Car Insurance

Automobile insurance is a large portion of the family budget for most of us. Average annual costs for car insurance vary from $8,226 for a sixteen-year-old to $2,131 for a seventy-year-old. Decatur is a quickly growing suburb of the Atlanta area and the home of several colleges, making for a uniquely southern culture and atmosphere.

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Since many individuals are moving to the area for school and to join in the service industry, they need to know how to protect themselves by purchasing insurance wisely. One sure way to save money on car insurance is to request quotes and compare prices from several different insurance companies.

State Requirements for Automobile Insurance

Be sure to examine the requirements for car insurance in your state. This information is usually available from the government website for insurance in your state.

Investigate the state's website to see what your state requires as a minimum for automobile insurance liability so you can comply with state law.

You can link to this website here or by going to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and clicking on your state.

Limits of Liability Required in Georgia

• $25,000 bodily injury liability per person/$50,000 bodily injury liability er accident
• $25,000 property damage liability

Recognize that the above-stated limits are the minimum required by state law.

Recommended Limits of Liability to be purchased to Protect You and Your Assets

These limits will exceed those required by your state, but will make certain that you are adequately protected as you drive.

• Bodily injury liability- your legal liability to others for bodily injury and accidental death resulting from an automobile accident. Recommended limits are $100,000 per person with a per-accident limit of $300,000.
• Property damage liability-  your legal liability to others for property damage resulting from an accident. Recommended limit is $50,000 per accident.
• Medical payments coverage- should be purchased for $5,000 at least even though you have health insurance. The intent is to make certain that payments for emergency transportation and emergency care at the time of an accident.
• Uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage- for $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident of bodily injury for you and your family. Statistics say that up to 17% of the individuals driving do not have automobile insurance.

Protection for Your Own Vehicles

Liability coverage does not protect your own property from damage, so you need to purchase protection for your vehicles. This is particularly necessary if you have a loan to purchase the vehicle. In the event of an at-fault accident, your vehicular damage is not covered, so you should purchase Comprehensive coverage and Collision coverage to provide protection.

• Collision coverage- pays for collision damage to your own vehicle in the event of an accident.
• Comprehensive coverage- pays for windshields – chipped and broken; deer accidents; hail damage; fire damage; theft; vandalism; water damage; and falling items.

Collision coverage must be purchased in conjunction with comprehensive coverage.

A deductible applies to occurrences in both cases. Judge your deductible carefully to make certain that you can afford the costs. Deductibles vary from $250 per occurrence to $1,000 per occurrence. Most recommend $500 as an average.

Process for Getting Quotations for Car Insurance

Make certain that the insurance company you choose is stable and performs their duties of adjusting claims and handling paperwork adequately by the following:

• Research the Insurance Company's Licensing, Financial Status, and Complaint Record

1. Ask friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about their experience with insurance companies to determine the best places to purchase insurance.
2. Research Georgia's website to see if they have a section that indicates licensing of insurance companies and agents as well as their financial status and any complaint settled in the state.
3. Go to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to investigate companies.
4. Look at rating firms such as A. M. Best and their website to check out the companies.
5. Another site to examine is Standard and Poor's Rating Services

• Select the Limits of Liability and Physical Damage to be quoted for Your Car

1. $100,000/300,000 bodily injury liability
2. $50,000 property damage liability
3. $5,000 medical payments coverage
4. $100,000/300,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury liability
5. Physical Damage – Comprehensive coverage with a $500 deductible
6. Physical Damage – Collision coverage with a $500 deductible

After you receive the quotations, you may want to add such additional coverage as rental reimbursement, loan payoff coverage – in the event that your vehicle is worth less than the amount it is worth if totaled, or roadside assistance coverage.

• Have Details for a Quotation Ready

1. Names, addresses, dates of birth, and drivers license numbers for all licensed drivers in the household
2. Driving records and insurance loss information for each individual
3. Make, Model, and VIN number for all owned vehicles.
4. Usage of all vehicles (i.e. commuting 10 miles one way to work or school, 3-day-per-week car pool, and business usage, if any)
5. Average yearly mileage for each vehicle
6. Past insurance company and how long you were with that company

Insurance companies may ask you for your social security number. This helps them run a specialized insurance credit report that can indicate eligibility for more discounts. It is not mandatory that you give them your social security number until the point at which you actually purchase insurance.

• How to Ask for Quotations

Before requesting quotations, you need to be aware of how insurance is sold. In the United States, there are three options for purchasing insurance:

1. Independent agency system- In this system, the agent represents a number of insurance companies and gives you quotes based upon the information you provide from the companies the agent represents. The cost of the agent's expertise is paid by the insurance company in the form of a percentage of the premium charged. Rest assured that no one gets wealthy from this because the percentage given to the agent is usually less than 20% of the premium.
2. Captive agency system- In this type of system, the agent represents one company and sells only the policies provided by that company. In return, they receive a salary with bonuses for more production.
3. Online Companies- In this system, quotations are done on the Internet, policies are issued electronically, and the insurance company does not pay agents.

All agents and companies must be licensed within the state in which they reside. It is illegal to sell insurance without a license. Go to the state website for licensing information.

• Compare Quotations

Recognize that you should check the finances and complaints for each company from which you get a quote. Put the quotes side by side and examine the coverage to be sure it is the same. At that point, check the difference in premiums as well as the difference in companies.

For general quotation comparisons, you may go to the state of Georgia's website and link to Automobile Insurance Comparisons. For more accurate quotations, contact a local agent or company recommended by friends, co-workers, and relatives.

Tips for Saving Money on Car Insurance

There are a number of ways of saving money on car insurance. Some of them are:

• Insuring home and car with the same company
• Multiple vehicles insured with the same company
• Protective devices such as air bags, anti-lock brakes, as well as passive or active anti-theft devices
• Driver's education courses, defensive driving courses
• Belonging to certain organizations – the company will often have a list of organizations that may receive a discount

You will find that regularly comparing quotations for car insurance can benefit your budget since premiums change from year to year and company to company. Set a time each year to examine your insurance policies for coverage, premium, and possible avenues of saving. Use a comparison tool to get quotes for the best rates in your area. Enter your zip code in our FREE tool above to compare car insurance rates now!