Feel like you’re a prisoner to an overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, you’re not alone. Since consumers have many online and local companies to choose from, it is hard for the average consumer to locate the cheapest insurer.
Consumers should take time to get comparison quotes every six months because insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you got the lowest rates two years ago you can probably find a lower rate today. You can find a lot of wrong information about car insurance on the web, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some guaranteed methods to find cheap car insurance.
The purpose of this post is to teach you how to effectively get price quotes and some tips to save money. If you are paying for car insurance now, you should be able to save some money using these techniques. Texas vehicle owners just need to know the proper way to shop online.
Discounts are available to cut your rates
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, buy you may qualify for discounts to help bring down the price. Most are applied at the time of quoting, but some must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Student Driver Training – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
- One Accident Forgiven – A few companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
- Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can pay as much as 50% less than their less cautious counterparts.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
- Club Memberships – Participating in a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when shopping for car insurance.
- Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up before your current policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner may trigger a car insurance policy discount because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
- Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less when compared with bad drivers.
It’s important to note that most credits do not apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way. Any amount of discount will cut the cost of coverage.
To see a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in Round Rock, follow this link.
How your Round Rock rates are determined
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to big savings.
The following are some of the items companies use to determine prices.
- Lower miles equals lower premium – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies apply a rate determined by how the vehicle is used. Autos left parked in the garage can get a lower rate compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your car insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.
- Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – Some insurance companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s in your best interest to compare other company rates to ensure the best deal. Drivers may still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
- What are your deductibles? – Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Insurance for physical damage to your car, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, vandalism, and burglary. The more expense you’re willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
- Special features that cut premiums – Driving a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
To learn more about car insurance in Texas
More information is available on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance through this link. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, get help finding coverage, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find disaster information.
One last thing about your coverage
Lower-priced car insurance is definitely available online and also from your neighborhood Round Rock agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best selection. Some car insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate.