Overpriced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your checking account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to cut your insurance bill.
Many insurance companies compete for your hard-earned dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every insurance company to get the best rates possible.
Consumers should take time to shop coverage around before your policy renews because insurance rates are variable and change quite frequently. Even if you got the best deal a year ago there may be better deals available now. So block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the fastest way to find better rates and still maintain coverage.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Corpus Christi is easy if you know what you’re doing. Nevertheless, Texas consumers can benefit by having an understanding of how big insurance companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.
Finding Car Insurance Deals in Corpus Christi, Texas
There are several ways you can shop for car insurance but some are less time-consuming than others. You can waste hours driving to insurance companies in Corpus Christi, or you could use the internet to get pricing more quickly.
Most of the larger companies belong to a marketplace where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and each participating company can provide price quotes determined by their information. This saves time by eliminating form submissions to every company.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click here (opens in new window).
The only downside to using this type of system is you don’t know exactly which companies you want to price. If you wish to select from a list of companies to compare prices, we have a page of the cheapest car insurance companies in Texas. Click here for list of insurance companies in Texas.
However you get your quotes, be sure to compare the exact same coverage information on every quote you get. If your comparisons have different liability limits you will not be able to decipher which rate is best in Corpus Christi. Quoting even small variations in limits may result in a large different in cost. Just remember that more quotes will increase your chances of finding lower pricing.
Can you really save $474 a year?
Companies like State Farm, Geico and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. All the ads say the same thing that you can save if you change to them. How can each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.
All the different companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has a short commute. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.
Drivers who don’t meet these standards will be quoted more money which leads to business not being written. The ads say “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings.
This emphasizes why drivers should get as many quotes as possible. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
Discounts are available to cut your rates
Car insurance can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied before you get the savings.
- Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.
- Save with a New Car – Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Senior Citizens – Older drivers may receive a discount up to 10%.
- No Charge for an Accident – A few companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
- Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down your overall premium however.
To choose insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Texas, click here.
Everyone needs different coverages
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Each situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Do I need higher deductibles?
- Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
- Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
- When should I remove comp and collision on my vehicle?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Car insurance coverages 101
Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.
Comprehensive insurance – Comprehensive insurance covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as theft, rock chips in glass and falling objects. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Liability – Liability coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as medical expenses, pain and suffering and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but buy higher limits if possible. Texas requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses for things like hospital visits, doctor visits and funeral costs. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 30/60/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Usually the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Collision coverage – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, colliding with a tree, hitting a parking meter and rolling your car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Affordable insurance is out there
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, someone sacrificed full coverage only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the most savings is with a small local company. These companies often have lower prices on specific markets than their larger competitors like Progressive or Geico.
For more Texas car insurance information
More information can be read on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance through this link. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, learn about insurance regulations, and discover disciplinary actions.
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