No sane person anticipates paying for car insurance, especially when they are aware that they could find better rates elsewhere. Many auto insurance companies compete for your insurance dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurance companies and uncover the absolute lowest rate
Use discounts on Texas car insurance
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you can get discounts to reduce the price significantly. Many discounts should be triggered at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied before they will apply.
- 55 and Retired – Seniors may receive reduced rates for Legacy coverage.
- Theft Deterent System – Cars and trucks that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft so companies will give you a small discount.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Keeping the miles down on your Subaru can qualify you for cheaper premium rates.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your entire bill at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can avoid monthly service charges.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Not every insurance company offers life insurance, but if they do you may earn better car insurancerates if you take out life insurance.
- No Claim Discounts – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims pay much less in comparison with insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Homeowners Savings – Just being a homeowner can help you save on car insurance because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers without accidents may save up to 50% more for Legacy coverage compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
- Drivers Ed for Students – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers successfully complete driver’s ed class in school or through a local driver safety program.
Remember that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won’t be that lucky.
Companies and the discounts they provide are outlined below.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online signing, online quote discount, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, good student, and homeowner.
- SAFECO discounts include homeowner, teen safe driver, drive less, accident prevention training, safe driver, teen safety rewards, and bundle discounts.
- American Family has savings for mySafetyValet, air bags, accident-free, TimeAway discount, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, and good student.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including good driver, claim-free, multi-policy, good student, accident-free, defensive driver
- GEICO has discounts for daytime running lights, seat belt use, good student, emergency military deployment, and driver training.
- The Hartford offers premium reductions for driver training, bundle, good student, anti-theft, air bag, vehicle fuel type, and defensive driver.
If you need , ask all companies you are considering what discounts are available to you. Some discounts listed above might not be offered on policies in Austin. For a list of car insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in Texas, click this link.
Smart Buyers Can Lower Insurance Rates
Lots of factors are used in the calculation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are pretty understandable like an MVR report, but other factors are more transparent such as your credit history or your vehicle rating. It’s important that you understand some of the things that are used to determine the price you pay for car insurance. If you understand what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get lower premium levels.
- Drive a fast car and pay more – The performance level of the car you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a substantial difference in your rates. Since the Subaru Legacy is considered a sedan, rates will be about the same when compared to the average rates in Austin. Low performance passenger vehicles generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- The higher your credit history the lower your rates – Credit rating is a big factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Drivers with excellent credit scores tend to file fewer claims than drivers who have poor credit. If your credit rating is not that good, you may save money insuring your Subaru Legacy by taking the time to improve your credit score.
- Age of drivers impacts rates – Mature drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, are lower risk to insure , and are generally more financially stable.Young drivers are statistically shown to be less responsible with other occupants in the car so car insurance rates are higher.
- Commute or pleasure use – The more you drive your Subaru every year the higher the price you pay to insure it. Most companies charge rates based on their usage. Autos not used for work or commuting receive better premium rates than those that get driven frequently. It’s always a good idea to double check that your car insurance declarations sheet is showing annual mileage. An incorrectly rated Legacy may be wasting your money.
- Don’t buy extra policy coverages you don’t need – There are many extra add-on coverages that you can buy if you don’t pay attention. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accidental death, and Farm Bureau memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem good at first, but if they’re wasting money get rid of them and save.
- Lower rates with a multi-policy discount – Most insurance companies will award discounts for people that buy multiple policies such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even if you qualify for this discount already, it’s in your best interest to compare rates to guarantee you are still saving the most.
- Having a spouse equates to better premiums – Having a wife or husband helps lower the price compared to being single. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature and responsible and insurance companies reward insureds because married couples file fewer claims.
- Cars with good safety ratings cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and lower rates of occupant injuries translates directly to fewer claims and lower rates for you. If your Subaru Legacy is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website it may be receiving lower rates.
Compare prices but buy from a neighborhood Austin auto insurance agent
Some consumers still prefer to sit down with an agent and that can be a smart move Good agents can help you choose the best coverages and help you file claims. A nice benefit of price shopping on the web is that you can find cheap car insurance quotes but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from small agencies is important particularly in Austin.
Upon completion of this short form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to insurance agents in Austin that give free quotes for your business. You don’t have to contact any agents since price quotes are sent to you directly. If you have a need to get a comparison quote from a specific car insurance provider, don’t hesitate to find their quoting web page and complete a quote there.
The type of auto insurance agent you choose is important
If you prefer to buy car insurance from a local insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different types of agencies and how they work. Insurance agencies in Austin are classified as either independent or captive depending on the company they work for. Either one can do a good job, but it is important to understand the difference between them because it can factor into the kind of agent you use.
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents in the independent channel are not restriced to one company and that enables them to quote your coverage with many different companies and find you cheaper rates. If they find a cheaper price, an independent agent can move your coverage and you stay with the same agent.
If you need lower rates, you will want to include price quotes from a couple of independent agencies to have the best price comparison.
Captive Car Insurance Agents
These agents normally can only provide a single company’s rates like Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. Captive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. These agents are very knowledgeable on their company’s products and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
Finding a good insurance agent is decision based upon more than just a cheap quote. Get answers to these questions too.
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
Does car insurance advertising bend the truth?
Texas drivers can’t get away from all the ads that claim the lowest rates by companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies advertise the message that you’ll save big just by switching your policy.
How can each company claim to save you money? You have to listen carefully.
All the different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that earns them the highest profit. For example, a desirable insured may be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and drives a vehicle with a low ISO rating. Anybody who fits those characteristics will probably get the lowest rates and will probably save a lot of money.
Potential insureds who are not a match for this ideal profile may be required to pay higher rates which translates to the customer not purchasing. The wording the ads use say “people that switch” not “everyone who quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the savings.
This illustrates why you really need to compare many company’s premium rates. You cannot predict which company will have the best auto insurance rates for your profile.
Additional car insurance links
Additional information can be found on the located here. Consumers can view agent and company licensing information, learn about specific coverages, read industry bulletins, and get help finding coverage.
The following information may also be useful.
Final thoughts
When getting , it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
Affordable Subaru Legacy insurance is possible online and from local agencies, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies may not offer online rate quotes and many times these small, regional companies work with independent insurance agencies.