Are you irritated from not being able to scrape enough together to keep your car insured? You have the same problem as many other people in Texas. You have so many car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, it can be more difficult to adequately compare rates.
Consumers should take time to do price comparisons occasionally because auto insurance prices go up and down regularly. Just because you had the lowest price on your last policy a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re about to learn the tricks you need to know to find better coverage at a better price.
The fastest way that we advise to compare insurance rates from multiple companies takes advantage of the fact car insurance companies will pay a fee to give free rates quotes. All consumers are required to do is provide a small amount of information such as the type of vehicles you drive, how much school you completed, daily mileage, and if the car is leased. Those rating factors is then submitted to all major companies and you should receive rate quotes within a short period of time.
If you would like to start a quote now, click here and enter your zip code.
Lower-cost Texas auto insurance quotes with discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t always list all their discounts very well, so the list below gives a summary of both the well known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using when you .
- Membership in Organizations – Being in a civic or occupational organization in Missouri City is a good way to get lower rates on your next auto insurance statement.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Larger auto insurance companies have better rates if you take out a life policy as well.
- Good Student – A discount for being a good student could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Many companies even apply the discount to college students up until you turn 25.
- Anti-theft Discount – Cars equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft so companies will give you a small discount.
- Buy New and Save – Buying insurance coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper because new model year vehicles are generally safer.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your entire bill at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
A quick disclaimer, many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
A few of the larger companies and their offered discounts include:
- State Farm offers premium reductions for Drive Safe & Save, student away at school, passive restraint, multiple autos, Steer Clear safe driver discount, accident-free, and good driver.
- American Family has savings for TimeAway discount, multi-vehicle, mySafetyValet, defensive driver, and early bird.
- Geico discounts include seat belt use, multi-vehicle, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, air bags, and five-year accident-free.
- 21st Century offers discounts for theft prevention, driver training, automatic seat belts, student driver, 55 and older, and homeowners.
- Progressive may offer discounts for online signing, online quote discount, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, and homeowner.
When getting , it’s a good idea to every prospective company which discounts you qualify for. Some credits might not be offered on policies in Missouri City.
Auto insurance agents can help
Many drivers just prefer to talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Good insurance agents can help you build your policy and will help you if you have claims. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is that you can find cheaper premium rates and still buy from a local agent. Buying from and supporting local agents is important especially in Missouri City.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, the quote information gets sent to participating agents in Missouri City that can provide to get your business. You never need to search for an agent as quotes are delivered to you directly. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a specific auto insurance provider, feel free to go to their quote page and submit a quote form there.
If you want to buy auto insurance from a good Missouri City insurance agent, there are a couple of types of insurance agents to choose from. Agents are classified as either independent agents or captive agents. Either can handle auto insurance, but it’s a good idea to understand the difference in how they write coverage because it can influence your agent selection.
Independent Agents
Agents in the independent channel are not restriced to one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies amongst many companies and find you cheaper rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, your policy is moved internally and the insured can keep the same agent. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to compare quotes from independent agents in order to have the best price comparison.
Below are independent agents in Missouri City that may be able to give you cheap rate quotes.
Charlie Walker Insurance – 2338 Texas Pkwy – Missouri City, TX 77489 – (281) 499-1966
Truitt Insurance – 3415 Cartwright Rd – Missouri City, TX 77459 – (281) 499-3559
Jim Murray Agency – 3550 Fm 1092 Rd – Missouri City, TX 77459 – (281) 499-0377
Captive Auto Insurance Agents
Agents of this type can only provide pricing for a single company such as State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Captive agents cannot compare other company’s rates so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Captive agents receive a lot of sales training on the products they sell and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
Shown below is a short list of captive agencies in Missouri City that are able to give rate quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 5819 Highway 6 # 260 – Missouri City, TX 77459 – (281) 499-5687
Allstate Insurance – 2819 Dulles Ave – Missouri City, TX 77459 – (281) 499-4200
To find insurance agents near you, link to this directory of Missouri City Texas insurance agents.
Picking the best car insurance agent should include more criteria than just the quoted price. A good agent will have answers to these questions.
- Will you work with the agent or an assistant?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
- Do they prorate repair cost based on vehicle mileage?
Make wise decisions and cut your costs
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the factors that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may result in much lower annual insurance costs.
The following are some of the factors auto insurance companies consider when setting your premiums.
- Insure your auto and home with one company – Most major insurance companies provide discounts to insureds that buy multiple policies. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, it’s still a good idea to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still save even more even if you insure with multiple companies
- Drive fewer miles and save – The higher the miles on your car every year the higher the price you pay to insure it. The majority of insurers calculate prices based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that do not get driven very much can get a lower rate than cars that get driven a lot. Ask your agent if your declarations sheet reflects the correct usage for each vehicle.
- Little extras can really add up – Insurance policies have a lot of optional add-on coverages that can add up if you aren’t diligent. Add-on coverages like replacement cost coverage, death and dismemberment, and term life insurance may be wasting your money. You may think they are a good idea when deciding what coverages you need, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so eliminate them to save money.
- Why do you need liability coverage? – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance is the coverage that protects you if ever a jury decides you are liable for an accident. Liability provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
- Type of vehicle determines base rates – The make and model of the car, truck or SUV you own makes a huge difference in your rates. The cheapest insurance rates are usually for economy passenger models, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Premiums may be higher where you live – Residing in a rural area is a positive aspect when buying auto insurance. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. People who live in big cities have much more traffic and higher rates of accident claims. More time behind the wheel means more chance of being in an accident.
Auto insurance buyers beware
Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings for switching by companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico. All the companies say the same thing that drivers will save a bundle after switching your coverage.
Is it even possible that every company can offer drivers better rates? You have to listen carefully.
Insurance providers give the cheapest rates for the type of driver that will add to their bottom line. For example, this type of risk profile might have to be between 25 and 40, has a clean driving record, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Any person who matches that profile may get the lowest car insurance rates in Missouri City and will save a lot of money.
People who are not a match for these stringent criteria may be required to pay a higher premium which results in business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. This is how companies can lure you into getting a quote.
Because of this risk profiling, you absolutely need to quote coverage with many companies. It is just not possible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.
Don’t give up on affordable coverage
We just presented many ideas to get a better price on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of getting . You may even find the lowest priced auto insurance comes from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
When buying insurance coverage, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced full coverage only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
More information about auto insurance
More information can be found on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about a company, and get help finding coverage.
Also read more on this online resource for free quotes in Texas and this link which helps you find a Missouri City agent.