Right now, if you're shopping for a new car insurance policy in Atlanta you're in luck; in 2009 the average car owner in the US paid almost $2000 per year for a policy they took out in May while the average cost is now down below $1700 a year.

Insurance rates are always on the move and they're not fixed by the state so even from one company to the next you can find major differences in rates.

Living in Atlanta you'll pay a little less than the national average but in these tough economic times ANY amount may seem like too much to pay for car insurance. If you can find low cost car insurance rates in Atlanta then that's more money left over for things you'd rather be pending it on!

Here are some tips that can help you save on car insurance in Atlanta:

If You're Shopping for a Car

If you're checking insurance rates before you buy your car, I'll bet you're one of those folks who researches everything before making a purchase. Good for you! Check resources like Consumer Reports and check online for vehicles with high safety ratings.

Also look for cars that are considered to be low risks for theft. These usually will be 4 cylinder mid size sedans with lots of safety features. They're typically much cheaper to insure than a high performance car or sports car. Call insurance agents for their suggestions too.

If Your Car is Financed

If your car has a lien on it (that means it's owned by the bank or finance company) then you will have to carry more than the state minimum insurance. That means a liability-only policy is not an option.


You'll probably have to take out a certain amount of collision, comprehensive, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to satisfy the lender's requirements. But you can still find ways to save. For example, asking for a higher deductible can lower your premiums significantly. (Just be sure you can afford the amount if you have to pay it).

If Your Car is Paid Off

Once you pay off your vehicle you'll have a lot more choices. You could really get low cost car insurance in Atlanta if you drive a car without collision or comprehensive coverage. Not every car owner feels comfortable going without it but it does make sense once the car's book value drops below a certain amount.

Consumer Reports (I love those guys!) gives a nice rule of thumb for this. They say that you should look at your total yearly cost for those two coverages combined and if it's more than ten percent of what your car is worth, you can drop them. So if you have a car worth $3000 and you're paying $400 per year for collision and comprehensive, you can cut 'em loose!

Look for Add-Ons You Don't Need

Most insurance agents will present you with a policy that includes several recommended types of coverage that are optional. These could include towing and roadside assistance, rental car coverage, full glass replacement, gap insurance, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Often times people will drop these extras.

I see no major problems with dropping the first three but the uninsured motorist and gap coverage could cost you dearly. So do look carefully at your policy to see if there are things in there you can do without. But make sure you know what each type of coverage is for. Some things are more risky to go without than others.

Get All the Discounts You Can

Car insurance discounts are plentiful but most of us don't know enough to ask about them. There are discounts for safe drivers, students, teachers and other professions, and members of certain clubs and organizations (each company should have a list).

You can also get discounts for keeping your car garaged, equipping it with extra security features, having daytime running lights and a passive restraint system, front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control.

Safe driver courses can earn you a discount and so can good grades if you're in school full time. Combining several types of insurance policies with the same insurance company (such as car plus homeowner's) can save you as much as 20%.

You should call your inusrance agent and ask them if you're getting all the discounts you're entitled to. If they can't come up with anything in a week or so, time to go shopping.

Comparison Shop for The Best Rates

Shop for car insurance rates just like you'd shop for the best price on anything else. Folds spend hours online looking for the lowest prices for everything from gifts to air fair and hotel rates for a family vacation. But many of us take the first rate we're offered for car insurance.


The real key to finding low cost car insurance is that you have to be an educated consumer. The less you know about car insurance the more likely it is that you'll end up overpaying for it. And you'll just file the policy away and renew it every year without ever checking to see if there's a cheaper rate or a better company out there. Spend a little time learning about how an auto insurance policy works and you could save yourself hundreds of dollars a year.

Search for a glossary of car insurance terms online and you'll get quite an education right there. Then, when you do start to shop around you'll know what all the different kinds of car insurance coverages mean and hopefully how much of each of them you need. Once you know you can start comparing among different companies for that same amount of coverage to see how much you could actually save.

It's very quick and convenient to get multiple quotes for low cost car insurance rates in Atlanta when you shop online. Check out any company before you buy to be sure they have a good reputation. Sometimes you'll get valuable information on consumer forums or you could look at websies that give insurance company ratings. Then once you have a low cost insurance policy, pull it out again when it's time to renew and check again to see if you're still getting the best rate.

You could save several hundred dollars doing this kind of research. Now, what would you buy with an extra few hundred a year?