Are you a victim of high-priced auto insurance? Trust us, you are not the only one feeling buyer’s remorse. Drivers have multiple auto insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, it makes it harder to get the best deal.
Buying cheaper auto insurance in Mesquite is simple if you know the tricks. If you are insured now or are looking for a new policy, you will benefit by learning to get lower rates while maintaining coverages. Texas drivers just need to know the most efficient way to buy auto insurance over the internet.
Tips to Get Lower Mesquite Rates
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that help determine your auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
- Do men or women drive better? – The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn’t mean men are worse drivers. Women and men cause accidents at a similar rate, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
- Where you live can impact rates – Choosing to live in a rural area can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. Lower population translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers in populated Texas areas tend to have much more traffic to deal with and longer commute times. Longer commute distances means more change of being in an accident.
- Rate your vehicle for proper use – The higher the mileage driven every year the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Autos not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your auto insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.
- Don’t cancel a policy without a new one in place – Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse is a guaranteed way to bump up your auto insurance costs. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.You may need to file a SR-22 with the Texas department of motor vehicles.
- Do you know your deductibles? – Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, collision with an animal, or theft. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The more you’re willing to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
- Car features impact rates – Owning a car with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can help prevent auto theft.
Low Cost Mesquite Auto Insurance
Most companies allow you to get prices online. Getting quotes is fairly straightforward as you simply enter your required coverages into a form. After the form is submitted, their system requests credit information and your driving record and gives you a price quote. Online price quotes makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit several different sites and type in the same information gets old quite quickly. But it’s very important to compare as many rates as possible if you are searching for a better rate.
The easy way to compare rates
A more efficient way to compare rates is to use a quote form to obtain quotes from multiple companies. It’s a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes quoting online much easier. Immediately after submitting the form, it is quoted and you are able to buy any of the pricing results.
If you find a better price it’s easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. It takes less than 15 minutes and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.
In order to find out if lower rates are available, click here and complete the simple form. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended that you enter the coverage information exactly as they are listed on your policy. Doing this assures you will have a rate comparison for the exact same coverage.
Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there are discounts available that can drop the cost substantially. Certain discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be specifically requested before being credited. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies will give a small break for buying your policy over the internet.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Memberships – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.
- Early Switch Discount – A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Good Student Discount – Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
- Defensive Driving Course – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more if you qualify.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
It’s important to note that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut the amount you have to pay.
Shop online but buy locally
Some consumers would prefer to sit down with an agent and that is a personal choice. Licensed agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local. Supporting small agencies is especially important in Mesquite.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, the quote information is transmitted to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your coverage. You never need to leave your house as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. How cool is that?!
Not all car insurance agents are the same
When looking for a good insurance agency, there are a couple of different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents are categorized either captive or independent. Either one can write coverage properly, but it’s good to learn how they are different since it may influence the type of agent you choose
Independent Agents
These agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparison shopping, we recommend you get quotes from several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison.
The following are Mesquite independent agents who may be able to give you pricing information.
Dennis Drain Insurance – 3330 N Galloway Ave # 308 – Mesquite, TX 75150 – (972) 270-3535
Shields Insurance Svc – 3212 Cantura Dr – Mesquite, TX 75181 – (972) 222-6066
Direct General Ins Agency – 2411 N Galloway Ave # 114 – Mesquite, TX 75150 – (972) 681-0720
Tomlinson Agency – 1900 Oates Dr – Mesquite, TX 75150 – (972) 698-6948
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with such as Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agents are well schooled on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage.
The following is a short list of captive agents in Mesquite that can give you rate quotes.
Shelter Insurance – 3600 Gus Thomasson Rd # 143 – Mesquite, TX 75150 – (972) 681-2736
State Farm Insurance – 2144 N Belt Line Rd # A – Mesquite, TX 75150 – (972) 289-0886
Farmers Insurance Group – 921 S Bryan Belt Line Rd – Mesquite, TX 75149 – (972) 285-8831
Allstate Insurance – 911 E Davis St – Mesquite, TX 75149 – (972) 285-6656
For a full directory of captive insurance agencies in Mesquite, view this link.
Picking a car insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a low price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- What insurance companies do they work with?
Once you have answers to your satisfaction to all your questions as well as a affordable price, chances are good that you have found a car insurance agent that will service your policy.
More information is located on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Texas consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, get help finding coverage, read consumer alerts, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
Other related articles:
- Things You Must Know Before Purchasing Mesquite Auto Insurance Online
- Learn How to Lower Your Premiums for Mesquite, NV Auto Insurance
Final considerations
Throughout this article, we presented many ways to compare auto insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company. They may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
As you prepare to switch companies, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where an insured dropped full coverage only to regret that it was a big error on their part. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.