How Can I Save On Georgia Car Insurance

The below information is provided by Clark Howardon of the nations top consumer advocates. Clark has an incredible nationally sindicated radio show that assists it listeners get the most for their money by finding great deals and "avoid getting ripped off." Please visit Clark's website today.

(1) Buy uninsured motorist coverage to protect yourself against uninsured or under insured drivers.
(2) If you have a car loan and don't carry insurance, the lender may buy insurance for you at five or six times what you would normally pay.
(3) Collision coverage takes care of damage to your car from an accident that is all or partially your fault. Normally you'll be responsible for a deductible of $250 or $500, and your insurer pays the rest.
(4) Comprehensive coverage takes care of non-collision calamities, such as damage from a break-in, theft, or windshield cracking.
(5) Liability is the most important component of auto insurance and the one to which people pay the least amount of attention. It pays for damage to property and physical injury from an accident that is your fault.
(6) Medical coverage riders, available in some states, often duplicate your own health insurance. If you don't have health insurance, consider getting it rather than adding medical coverage to your automobile insurance.

Excerpts from Clark's Show

Shopping for auto insurance well worth it - June 16, 2004
Shopping for auto insurance can save tons of money, but people aren't likely to do it because it's boring and tedious. Consumer CheckBook, a consumer magazine and group, shopped for auto insurance for various demographics in different areas of the country. On average, the most expensive driver cost 400 percent more than the cheapest driver. How could the price differences for the same exact coverage be so extreme? There are a few reasons. People don't shop around, so insurers know they can jack up the prices and you'll never check. Another reason is that insurers take different factors more seriously than others do. Credit score, for instance, may be huge with one insurer and not a factor at all with another. So, please shop around. Geiko and Progressive have been pushing people to compare, and they have steadily taken marketshare. Calling an independent agent can also check rates for you. But always start by checking the three best companies: Amica Mutual, USAA and Cincinnati Insurance. You may qualify for one of them. Even if you have to pay a little more, stick with one of these three. It's worth it. After that, compare everyone else.

Auto insurance bargains for dedicated researchers - April 30, 2004
There are some things going on in the auto insurance business that could mean big dollars for you. After years of losing money, several auto insurers are reporting record profits. The industry has bumped up rates over the past five years, so auto insurers are now solidly in the black. Also, the insurance industry is very cyclical. Weíre coming into a time when insurers need more customers so theyíre cutting costs. In addition, insurance companies such as Progressive have started data mining with customers so the information on each is much more specific. Because of such specific information, price quotes from insurers vary by massive amounts. So, you want to get quotes from lots of different companies and sites. Insweb.com and insurance.com are a couple good sites. You want to get quotes from at least 10 companies before you decide, though. You can save a bundle if you just put a little time into it!

Michigan outlaws use of credit scores with insurance - April 27, 2004
When you get an auto insurance policy what should matter when it comes to your rate. Your age and gender weigh in. And where you live also matters, as does what kind of car you drive. All that makes sense. But what about making late payments on your credit cards or bills? Auto and homeowner's companies are sure that your credit history is directly related to your risk as a customer. There are insurers who will not write a policy for you if you have a bad score. It's ridiculous, and many states are standing up to the insurance companies and their ridiculous policies. Michigan is the latest state to ban the use of credit scores in setting auto and homeowner's insurance. What if there is an error on your credit report? Your insurance can be cancelled or the premium could go through the roof as a result, and it's not even your fault. The system has no wiggle room, no appeal process and no common sense. It should be outlawed in all 50 states.

Big box retailers - to ban or not to ban? - April 9, 2004
You've probably driven down a highway in suburbia and seen a warehouse club shut down or abandoned along the road. These gray fields, as architects call them, are ugly in appearance and they invite criminals. As a result, there has been a huge backlash and a movement is under way in San Francisco to outlaw big box retailers all together. The proposal is to ban any store bigger than 90,000 square feet. To give you some frame of reference, the largest supermarkets are about 50,000 square feet. A warehouse club will typically be 110,000 to 150,000 square feet in size. And the Super Targets and Super Wal-Marts are typically about $205,000 square feet. So, it would eliminate all of the big box stores. Clark thinks that we can come to some compromises on this. One way is to set up strict requirements that a retailer must follow when it leaves a space. Come up with rules about what the big boxes should be expected to pay in terms of impact fees and other stranded costs. Establish rules that deal with big boxes ahead of time. If we put rules in place, many of the things that make people hate these establishments will disappear. For example, in Florida, some big box retailers must abide by strict landscaping rules. And, in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the resort community has set up strict requirements about how a building will look. It will cost some time and money, but there is a bridge across this gap. We just need to do it right in the beginning and everyone can benefit.

Auto insurers lowering premiums! - March 31, 2004
Car insurers that have been tripping all over each other to raise premiums are now dialing back a bit. The overall insurance market shows very minimal increases for the next year, and people in many states will benefit from lower insurance rates. In Florida, New York and Massachusetts, this is not true. Those states are suffering from a lot of auto theft and from the fraud rings that stage accidents to make money. But State Farm, the largest auto insurer in the country, has cut rates in 13 states already this year. USAA, one of the nation's best, has cut rates in 20 states. Some of it is due to market share pressure from competitive companies like Geiko and Progressive. But it's also because baby boomers are aging and are becoming better drivers. The key for you is to shop for insurance. You can find huge disparities in the cost of premiums from one insurer to another. Yet, most people won't shop around because it's boring. When you shop, be sure to raise your deductible as high as you can. This will reduce your premiums and you don't want to make a claim unless it's for something catastrophic. Secondly, start with the best insurers. Consumer Reports has found three companies are the top year after year. Amica Mutual is No. 1, according to the latest survey. You have to have a great driving record and drive a dull car or they don't want you. USAA is No. 2, followed by Cincinnati Insurance.

Warehouse clubs join auto insurance game - March 24, 2004
Clark has talked for several years about the tremendous advantage of getting pre-approved for your car loan from a credit union. They offer deals that are substantially better than what you'll get from a bank. You will probably get rates of about 1.5 percent lower at a credit union. That's because credit unions are co-ops, meaning the account holders own them. Online banks also offer great rates on car loans. And there is now a third option for you if you're shopping for insurance warehouse clubs. Both Sam's Club and Costco Wholesale now write car loans at great rates. Sam's Club is offering 5-year car loans for 3.75 percent. Costco is offering 3.5 percent for executive members and 3.6 percent for other members. Those rates are fantastic! Now, if the car dealership is offering you a lower rate, by all means get it from them. And sometimes insurers, such as USAA, offer competitive car loans. So, check out all of your sources. The other trick of the trade is to refinance an existing car loan that has a really high rate. Costco's refi rate is offering 4.5 percent for a car older than three years and 4.1 for cars that are newer than that. The one thing you should NEVER do is to walk into a car dealership without having arranged your financing in advance. You have no idea what can happen to you on the spread because dealers mark-up loans whenever they can. If you have your money in advance, you don't have to worry about getting taken.

Auto and homeowners insurance "must do's" - June 23, 2003
A story in the Chicago Sun Times dovetails with a trend Clark has talked about over the last 18 months. Auto and homeowner's insurance companies are canning people for filing even one claim. Insurance companies are saying people need to understand that they've paid out more in claims than they've been paid in premiums. And right now, insurance companies are slugging it out with each other to get market share. Consumers have been hit with a double whammy because of the bad decisions insurance companies have made. But there are lots of things you can do to protect yourself. The first thing you should do is raise your deductibles as high as they will go. You can't make a small claim anymore anyway. And if you up your deductible, you will lower your premium a lot. The second thing to do is avoid calling your insurance company at all. Let's say there is something small you're wondering about, and you call them to get some advice. Even if they advise you against filing a claim, they are still putting you in the CLUE system, which can get you fired anyway. So, the bottom line is that you cannot call an insurer anymore and ask for advice on a claim. You might be able to get away with calling and pretending that you're asking for a friend. But make sure you don't give a name or other information. It's unethical and immoral that this is happening. But it's the reality.

"Door-to-door" auto insurance - June 19, 2003
Clark has talked in the past about a new insurance program by Progressive Insurance. They are the ones that came up with the idea to put GPS robots in cars that would monitor how much you drive, and you rates would be set based on that figure. They also have one-stop-shops for car repairs. The whole idea is to make the auto claim procedure even easier. Now, there is a report out from the Boston Globe about a regional insurer that is taking this a step further. Plymouth Rock Assurance is getting rave reviews from its customers because they offer door-to-door insurance service. In other words, they come and get your car, repair it and then drop it back off at your home. Apparently, consumers love it. There is extra cost for the insurer having to do this, but they save a fortune in the end because people love the service. The turn around time with this program is eight days. A typical body shop repair will leave you without a car for 15 days. Now a number of auto insurers are looking at the same kind of deal and it's causing some anger among competing insurers. For one thing, these companies get paid a higher labor rate to get the work done quicker. Clark is in total support of the preferred provider programs, as long as the repairs are guaranteed for the life of the car.

Insurance doesn't have to be so costly - May 12, 2003
Clark has heard all kinds of stories from callers about the skyrocketing costs of car and home insurance these days. But did you know that you may not have to pay exorbitant costs? Dow Jones News Wires profiled a Texan who saved $2,000 on his total insurance costs after he shopped around and switched. That's a lot of money, but, according to the story, the average shopper will save $1,172 per year. Think about it. You could be throwing away just under $1,200 by not comparing prices. Shopping for insurance is pretty dull. But it took Teresa, one of Clark's producers, about 15 minutes to get a new quote that would save her $700 a year. The next day she had three messages with offers. Smart Money has a guide to shopping for the best insurance at it's Web site smartmoney.com. The magazine lists 16 sites that will help you save a ton of money each year. Rates have gone up by about 25 percent in the past few years. So going out and shopping the market place is worth it. Also remember that various discounts are available to you just by asking. There may be a good student discount, retiree discount or employer group discount. Companies also give a deal for what's called tying. This is where a company will offer a bunch of services tied in together, but overall the cost is less. It's also a good idea to raise your deductibles, which will help lower the premiums you pay. And if you have a really old car, just insure it for liability. Basically, when the cost of buying collision and comprehensive exceeds 10 percent of the value of the car, it's not worth it to have full coverage. The last thing to remember is that your credit score could cause you to be denied insurance or for your company to raise you payments. It makes no sense, but it happens.

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Georgia Car Insurance Guide

How Can I Save On Georgia Car Insurance

Excerpts from Clark's Show

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