Feel like you have an overpriced car insurance policy? It’s quite common and many Dallas drivers feel the same as you. People have multiple insurers to purchase coverage from, and although it’s a good thing to be able to choose, more choices can make it harder to find the lowest cost provider.
This article will help educate you on how to effectively get price quotes and some money-saving tips. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to save some money using these tips. Texas drivers only need to know the proper way to find the lowest price over the internet.
Cheap Texas car insurance quotes with discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise every available discount very clearly, so the next list breaks down both well-publicized and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving when you .
- Accident-Free Discounts – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less when compared with drivers who are more careless.
- Multiple Vehicles – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle up could cut 10% or more on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you will save nearly 15% which can help you find .
- Accident Forgiveness – Not a discount per se, but some companies like GEICO, Allstate and Liberty Mutual will let one accident slide before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Military Discounts – Being on active deployment in the military could mean lower prices.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver participate in a local driver’s education class in high school.
- Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off on Forte coverage depending on your car insurance provider.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with ABS braking systems or traction control can avoid accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
As a sidenote, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
A list of companies and a selection of discounts are shown below.
- AAA may include discounts for pay-in-full, good driver, education and occupation, anti-theft, good student, and multi-car.
- Progressive discounts include homeowner, online signing, multi-policy, good student, online quote discount, and continuous coverage.
- State Farm includes discounts for good student, defensive driving training, driver’s education, student away at school, multiple autos, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- Esurance offers discounts for claim free, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, and online quote.
- Nationwide offers premium reductions for easy pay, family plan, multi-policy, business or organization, and defensive driving.
If you are trying to find , ask each insurance company which discounts they offer. Savings might not be offered on policies in Dallas. To choose car insurance companies who offer online car insurance quotes in Dallas, click here.
Should I have guidance from an insurance agency?
Some people would prefer to sit down with an agent. Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and help you file claims. A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is that you can find better rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying insurance from small agencies is definitely important in Dallas.
After filling out this short form, your coverage information is submitted to agents in your area that can provide for your coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to contact an agency because prices are sent immediately to your email address. If you wish to compare rates from a specific company, you can always go to their quote page and submit a quote form there.
Insurance agent types
When narrowing the list to find a reputable agency, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents are classified as either independent agents or captive agents. Both types of agents can properly insure your vehicles, but it is a good idea to know the differences because it can influence the kind of agent you use.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents in the independent channel do not have single company limitations so they can write business with a variety of different insurance companies and find you cheaper rates. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can just switch to a different company and you can keep the same agent.
If you need cheaper car insurance rates, we highly recommend that you compare prices from a couple of independent agencies to have the best price comparison.
Captive Agencies
Captive agents can only place business with one company and some examples include Allstate and State Farm. Captive agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents are very knowledgeable on what they offer which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Selecting an car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Get answers to these questions too.
- Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Where are claims handled?
- How long have they been in business?
For more Texas car insurance information
Much more information about car insurance in Texas can be found on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance through this link. Texas consumers can discover disciplinary actions, find out industry alerts, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.
These articles may also be worth reading.
- Costing Too Much for Car Insurance in Dallas? Heres How to Save!
- Insider Tricks to Paying Less for Dallas Texas Car Insurance
- Dallas Car Insurance Buying Tips Every Consumer Should Know
Coverages available on your policy
Knowing the specifics of car insurance helps when choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. These are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.
Liability coverages – This can cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property that is your fault. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show policy limits of 50/100/50 which stand for a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as attorney fees, structural damage, medical expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and emergency aid. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford. Texas state law requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.
Collision – Collision coverage covers damage to your Forte resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for claims like hitting a mailbox, rolling your car, scraping a guard rail, damaging your car on a curb and colliding with a tree. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Kia Forte.
Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law (Texas limits are 30/60/25), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Normally the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Comprehensive protection – This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, rock chips in glass, a broken windshield and hitting a bird. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Medical expense coverage – Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for expenses for things like prosthetic devices, funeral costs, EMT expenses and nursing services. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
You can lower your rates
As you prepare to switch companies, make sure you don’t buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced full coverage and learned later that it was a big mistake. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price and still be able to protect your assets.
Lower-priced Kia Forte insurance is attainable from both online companies and from local insurance agents, so you need to with both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies don’t offer online price quotes and usually these smaller companies only sell coverage through independent agents.
We just covered a lot of tips how to reduce Kia Forte insurance rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the most savings is with a small local company. Some small companies can often provide lower auto insurance rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.