When looking for lower-cost insurance, are you overwhelmed by the wide range of car insurance sources available to you? Many other drivers are too. You have such a large number of options that it can quickly become a chore to compare prices. Port Arthur has many things to offer, but paying high car insurance rates can make it impossible to affordably insure vehicles.
The best way to compare insurance rates in your area is to know the fact most of the bigger providers actually pay money for the chance to provide you with free rate quotes. All consumers are required to do is provide a little information including if you have an active license, how old drivers are, if you’re married, and your occupation. That information is instantly provided to insurance companies and you will receive price estimates quickly.
To get price quotes for your car now, click here and see if a lower rate is available.
Car insurance rates and discounts
Some companies don’t always list every policy discount very well, so the list below contains a few of the more well known and the more hidden credits available to bring down your rates.
- Cautious Driver Discount – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save up to 40% or more on their than their less cautious counterparts.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not really a discount, but some companies like Allstate, Progressive, and Geico allow you one accident without getting socked with a rate hike if you have no claims for a certain period of time.
- Theft Deterent Discount – Vehicles that have factory anti-theft systems are less likely to be stolen and that can save you a little bit as well.
- Onboard Data Collection – Policyholders that allow their insurance company to scrutinize vehicle usage by using a telematics device such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could see a rate decrease as long as they are good drivers.
- Drive Less and Save – Low mileage vehicles could qualify for discounted premium rates on garaged vehicles.
- Early Signing – Some car insurance companies reward drivers for buying a new policy prior to your current policy expiring. It can save you around 10%.
A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck.
A list of companies and the discounts they provide can be found below.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-vehicle, online quote discount, continuous coverage, good student, and homeowner.
- The Hartford discounts include driver training, vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, air bag, and bundle.
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include ease of repair, multi-car, good student, location of vehicle, annual mileage, accident-free, and anti-theft.
- Geico may offer discounts for anti-theft, daytime running lights, good student, defensive driver, and driver training.
- AAA has savings for pay-in-full, good driver, education and occupation, AAA membership discount, multi-policy, multi-car, and good student.
- State Farm offers discounts including multiple policy, passive restraint, student away at school, defensive driving training, and Drive Safe & Save.
When quoting, ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policyholders everywhere.
Lower Port Arthur car insurance prices
The best way to find cheaper car insurance is to take a look at some of the things that help calculate your car insurance rates. When you understand what determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower rates. Many factors are taken into consideration when you get a price on insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, but others are not as apparent such as your marital status or your vehicle rating.
The following are a partial list of the pieces used by companies to determine your rates.
- Being married can lower prices – Walking down the aisle may save some money on your car insurance bill. It means you’re more financially stable and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
- More traffic means higher claims – Residing in less populated areas has definite advantages when shopping for auto insurance. Fewer drivers and short commutes means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Residents of big cities have to deal with more auto accidents and more time behind the wheel. Spending more time driving means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
- Drive a safer car and pay less – Cars with five star safety ratings tend to have lower insurance rates. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer serious injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and lower rates for you. If your vehicle has at least four stars on Safercar.gov it is probably cheaper to insure.
- How’s your driving record? – How you drive can have a huge impact on auto insurance premiums. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than bad drivers. Just one moving violation could increase your next policy renewal substantially. Drivers with careless violations such as DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- With age comes lower costs – More experienced drivers are viewed as being more responsible, cost insurance companies less in claims and receive fewer citations.Teenage drivers have a tendency to be inattentive when at the wheel of a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
- Insurance prices are higher for high performance vehicles – The type of vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in your auto insurance rates. The lowest premiums will normally be found when insuring small economy passenger cars, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Good credit equals lower rates – Credit rating is likely to be a major factor in determining what you pay. If your credit can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your vehicle if you improve your credit rating. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to be better risks to insure than those with poor credit.
Car insurance quotes from local Port Arthur insurance agencies
A lot of people would prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is not a bad decision Insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and will help you if you have claims. One of the best bonuses of comparing car insurance online is that you can obtain the best rates and still buy from a local agent. Supporting local agencies is definitely important in Port Arthur.
Once you complete this simple form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents that can give you and help you find cheaper coverage. There is no reason to find an agent as quotes are delivered to you. If for some reason you want to compare prices from a particular provider, you can always visit that company’s website and give them your coverage information.
If you are searching for local Port Arthur agents, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agencies that you can choose from. Car insurance agents are considered either captive agents or independent agents. Both types of agents can provide car insurance policies, but it’s a good idea to understand how they are different since it can impact which agent you choose.
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be independent are not required to write business for one company so as a result can place your coverage with lots of companies and get you the best rates possible. If you want to switch companies, an independent agent can move your coverage and you stay with the same agent. When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to include at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices. Many can place coverage with lesser-known insurance companies which can be an advantage.
Below is a small list of independent insurance agents in Port Arthur that may be able to give pricing information.
- Jack Herford Insurance – 8101 N Twin City Hwy – Port Arthur, TX 77642 – (409) 727-8869
- Jerry Burnett Insurance – 3202 39th St – Port Arthur, TX 77642 – (409) 982-6106
Captive Agents
Agents of this type normally can only provide a single company’s rates like Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. They usually cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so you might not find the best rates. Captive agents receive a lot of sales training in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers often purchase coverage from captives partially due to loyalty to the company and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Shown below are Port Arthur captive insurance agencies who can help you get price quote information.
- State Farm Insurance – 7735 N Twin City Hwy – Port Arthur, TX 77642 – (409) 727-1330
- Farm Bureau Ins – Jefferson – 3501 Turtle Creek Dr – Port Arthur, TX 77642 – (409) 729-9400
- Allstate Insurance – 6640 9th Ave – Port Arthur, TX 77642 – (409) 963-0155
To view insurance agencies in your area, see this page of Port Arthur Texas insurance agencies.
Finding a good car insurance agent requires you to look at more than just a cheap quote. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- In the event of vehicle damage, can you pick the collision repair facility?
- Are all drivers listed on the coverage quote?
- How will an accident affect your rates?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
After you get good responses to all your questions as well as offering an affordable quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that can be relied on to insure your vehicles.
Much more information about car insurance in Texas can be read on the Texas Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. Texas drivers can learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, and read industry bulletins.
The car insurance bait and switch
Texas consumers can’t avoid all the ads for the lowest price car insurance by companies like State Farm, Geico and Progressive. All the ads tend to make the same promise about how much you will save if you switch to them.
Is it even possible that every company can charge you less for auto insurance? It’s all in how they say it.
Car insurance companies have strict underwriting profiles for the type of customer that will generate a profit. An example of a desirable risk could be over the age of 50, has a clean driving record, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. A customer that matches those criteria gets the lowest prices and will most likely save when they switch companies.
Consumers who don’t measure up to the requirements will probably be forced to pay a higher rate which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “people that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much when switching. That’s why companies can truthfully lure you into getting a quote.
Because of this risk profiling, you need to compare often. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.
Best coverage at the best price
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, make sure you don’t buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where an insured dropped collision coverage only to discover later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford and still be able to protect your assets.
Budget-friendly car insurance is definitely available both online as well as from independent agents in Port Arthur, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies may not provide online quoting and many times these small, regional companies only sell coverage through local independent agencies.
We just showed you many tips how you can compare car insurance rates online. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from a small local company.