Pricey car insurance can eat up your bank account and maybe even restrict other spending. Price shopping at each renewal can be a smart way to slash your bill and have more diposable income.
Drivers have multiple insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, so many choices can make it hard to compare company pricing.
You should take the time to do price comparisons periodically since insurance prices change frequently. If you had the best price at your last renewal other companies may now be cheaper. You can search a lot of car insurance online, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some good information on how to lower your car insurance rates.
Discounts can really help to save
Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be available discounts that may help make it more affordable. Some trigger automatically when you quote, but some may not be applied and must be specially asked for before they will apply.
- Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can pay as much as 50% less than less cautious drivers.
- Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents have much lower rates when compared with accident-prone drivers.
- Drive Less and Save – Keeping the miles down may allow you to get slightly better prices than normal.
- Senior Citizen Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 can possibly qualify for lower premium rates.
- Life Insurance Discount – Insurance carriers who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out some life insurance too.
- Accident Forgiveness – Not a discount per se, but companies like Liberty Mutual, Allstate and State Farm will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums so long as you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Smart Student Discounts – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them enroll and complete driver’s education in school.
We need to note that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.
A few popular companies and a selection of discounts are detailed below.
- Progressive may include discounts for good student, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online signing, multi-policy, and homeowner.
- Geico offers discounts for defensive driver, anti-lock brakes, military active duty, daytime running lights, emergency military deployment, five-year accident-free, and multi-vehicle.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, good student, passive restraint, student away at school, and anti-theft.
- Esurance includes discounts for renters, good driver, multi-car, DriveSense, and good student.
- The Hartford may have discounts that include defensive driver, bundle, air bag, driver training, anti-theft, vehicle fuel type, and good student.
If you are trying to find , ask every company which discounts you qualify for. Depending on the company, some discounts may not be available in Rowlett. To see car insurance companies with significant discounts in Texas, click here.
Will just any policy work for me?
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions may help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
- Does my vehicle need full coverage?
- Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
- Is Texas a no-fault state?
If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Do drivers who switch really save?
Car insurance companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive regularly use television, radio, and online ads. All the ads advertise claims about how much you will save if you switch your policy. That’s great but how can every company cost less than your current company?
Many companies have specific criteria for the type of insured that will be a good risk. A good example of this type of driver should be between the ages of 30 and 50, owns their home, and does not commute to work. Any person who fits that profile will get a cheap rate quote and most likely will save quite a bit of money when switching.
People who cannot meet the “perfect” profile will probably be forced to pay a higher premium which leads to the customer buying from someone else. If you listen closely, the ads state “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that much money. That’s the way companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This really emphasizes why you really should get a wide range of price quotes. It’s just too difficult to predict with any certainty which company will be your best fit.
Additional reading for car insurance information
Even more information is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to discover disciplinary actions, find disaster information, and view a list of available companies.
Find cheaper rates by being thorough
In this article, we covered a lot of tips how to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding . Consumers could even find that the most savings is with a small mutual company. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like Progressive and Geico.
Affordable car insurance can be found both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies may not offer the ability to get quotes online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through independent agents.