No car owner likes paying for auto insurance, particularly when they could find better rates elsewhere. Due to the large number of companies and agents to choose from, it can be diffult for drivers to find a more affordable company.
You should make it a habit to do rate comparisons yearly since prices trend upward over time. If you had the lowest quotes on Optima coverage on your last policy you will most likely find a better rate today. There is a lot of bad advice regarding auto insurance online, but in a few minutes you can learn the easiest ways to find affordable auto insurance.
Get Kia Optima Insurance Cheaper
Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some factors are common sense such as traffic violations, but others are not quite as obvious like your continuous coverage or your vehicle rating. It’s important that you understand some of the factors that come into play when calculating the level of your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what influences your rates, this enables you to make decisions that can earn you cheaper rates.
The list below includes some of the most rate-impacting factors companies use to determine premiums.
- Gals tend to cost less – Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that females are better drivers. Both sexes cause auto accidents in similar numbers, but the males have accidents that have higher claims. Men also receive more costly citations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Young males are the most expensive to insure so they pay the highest premiums.
- Frequent auto insurance claims will cost you more – If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can look forward to increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Auto insurance companies in Texas provide the best rates to drivers who do not file claims often. Your car insurance is meant to be used in the event of more catestrophic claims.
- Lower performance equals lower insurance rates – The make and model of the car, truck or SUV you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a significant difference in your premium level. The cheapest insurance rates tend to be for smaller low performance passenger cars, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors. Because the Kia Optima is considered a passenger car, insuring your vehicle will cost similar in price or lower when compared to the average rates in Houston.
- Experienced drivers pay less – Older insureds are shown to be more cautious, cause fewer claims and accidents and get fewer tickets.Inexperience drivers are statistically shown to be more careless when driving with friends so they pay higher auto insurance rates.
- Deter theft and save – Selecting a car model with advanced anti-theft systems can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar help track and prevent your car from being stolen.
- Bundle policies and save – Many insurance companies will give lower prices to customers who consolidate policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. The discount can be 10 percent or more. Even if you qualify for this discount already, you still need to check prices from other companies to help guarantee you have the best rates.
- Does your vocation cost you more? – Jobs like real estate brokerspolice officers and accountants usually pay higher rates than average in part from intense work-related stress and long work days. Conversely, careers such as professors, engineers and the unemployed generally pay rates lower than average on Optima coverage.
- Where you reside – Living in small towns and rural areas has definite advantages when it comes to auto insurance. Residents of big cities have to deal with more aggressive driving styles and higher rates of accident claims. Less people means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
Don’t overlook these auto insurance discounts
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there may be some discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain credits will be shown when you complete an application, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before they will apply.
- Full Payment Discount – By paying your policy upfront as opposed to paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying insurance on a new vehicle can save you some money since newer vehicles have better safety ratings.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Purchasing coverage when you have more than one vehicle with the same auto insurance company could earn a price break for each car.
- Early Renewal Discounts – A few larger companies offer discounts for renewing your policy prior to the expiration date on your current policy. You may see this discount when you get .
- No Claims – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims can save substantially as opposed to bad drivers.
- Telematics Devices – Insureds that choose to allow driving data collection to analyze their driving habits through the use of a telematics system such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system may see discounts if they show good driving skills.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Student in College – Youth drivers who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – but a handful of insurance companies will let one accident slide before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you are claim-free for a specific time period.
Don’t be shocked that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
A list of companies and their offered discounts are shown below.
- GEICO includes discounts for multi-policy, membership and employees, driver training, federal employee, and anti-lock brakes.
- Travelers offers premium reductions for home ownership, save driver, continuous insurance, driver training, and hybrid/electric vehicle.
- Nationwide has discounts for multi-policy, accident-free, easy pay, good student, business or organization, and defensive driving.
- Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including business and professional, youthful driver, bundle discounts, teen driver, homeowner, and alternative fuel.
- Esurance may have discounts that include homeowner, multi-car, paid-in-full, safety device, renters, and defensive driver.
- State Farm may offer discounts for good student, driver’s education, good driver, safe vehicle, Drive Safe & Save, and multiple policy.
- Progressive discounts include multi-policy, good student, homeowner, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and online signing.
- Mercury Insurance may include discounts for ease of repair, location of vehicle, professional/association, age of vehicle, low natural disaster claims, and good driver.
If you need , ask every company to give you their best rates. Some discounts might not be available to policyholders in Houston. To locate auto insurance companies who offer discounts in Texas, click here to view.
Compare prices or from insurance agents
Many drivers still prefer to talk to an insurance agent and that is not a bad decision Experienced insurance agents will help you protect your assets and help in the event of a claim. An additional benefit of getting free rate quotes online is that you can obtain cheap auto insurance quotes and still have a local agent. Buying from and supporting local agencies is important particularly in Houston.
After completing this quick form, your information is immediately sent to local insurance agents that give free quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to search for any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. If you want to quote rates from one company in particular, you can always visit that company’s website and fill out the quote form the provide.
To contact a specific insurance agent in Houston, here is a complete selection of Houston Texas auto insurance providers.
Choosing the best insurance company should include more criteria than just a cheap quote. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- What company do they have the most business with?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Houston?
To learn even more about auto insurance
More information can be found on the Texas Department of Insurance website through this link. Texas consumers can download brochures, read industry bulletins, and learn about specific coverages.
The following information may also be useful.
- Lowest Prices from Houston Car Insurance Agents
- Secret Techniques for Buying Houston Texas Car Insurance for Less Money
- Find the Secrets to Saving Money on Houston Texas Auto Insurance
Smart consumers save more
Cheaper auto insurance can be bought on the web as well as from independent agents in Houston, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies may not have the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies work with local independent agents.
We’ve covered many ways to get a better price on Kia Optima insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. They may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
When you , make sure you don’t skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.