Austin shoppers have lots of choices when shopping for low-cost Dodge Charger insurance. They can either spend hours driving around getting price quotes or save time using the internet to get rate quotes.
There is a right way and a wrong way to shop for car insurance and we’ll show you the absolute fastest way to price shop coverage for a Dodge and locate the lowest price.
Austin Insurance Premiums are Influenced by These Factors
Multiple criteria are taken into consideration when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic like an MVR report, but other factors are less obvious such as your credit history or how safe your car is.
The itemized list below are some of the things car insurance companies consider when setting your prices.
- Liability protection is critical – The liability coverage on your policy will afford coverage if ever you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
- Being married can lower premiums – Walking down the aisle can actually save you money compared to being single. Having a spouse means you’re more responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.
- Age of drivers impacts prices – Beginning drivers in Texas are statistically proven to get distracted easily when at the wheel of a vehicle so car insurance rates are higher. Parents adding a first-time driver onto a policy can break the bank. Older insureds are proven to be safer behind the wheel, file fewer claims and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.
- Guys pay more for insurance – Over the last 30 years, statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean women are better drivers. Males and females cause at-fault accidents at about the same rate, but guys get into accidents with more damage. Men also statistically get higher numbers of serious violations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Male teenagers cause the most accidents and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
- Lower rates by increasing coverage deductibles – Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your Dodge. Examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, damage from fire, and damage from a fallen tree branch. The deductibles tell how much you are required to pay if the claim is covered. The larger the amount you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the less your car insurance will be on Charger insurance.
- Safety first – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have lower insurance rates. Safe vehicles reduce occupant injuries and fewer serious injuries translates directly to fewer claims and lower rates for you.
- Premiums increase with driving tickets – A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers who don’t get tickets get better prices than people who have multiple driving citations. Even a single chargable violation can increase the cost of insurance by as much as twenty percent. Drivers who have received multiple violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence might be required by their state to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
- Companies want multiple policies – Some insurers will award better rates for people that buy multiple policies. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. The discount can be as much as ten percent or more Even if you’re getting this discount it’s always a smart idea to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money.
Texas car insurance discounts
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some trigger automatically when you quote, but some need to be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit.
- Federal Employees – Federal government employees may reduce rates when you on Charger insurance depending on your car insurance provider.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts may get savings of 20 to 30 percent.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Successfully completing a class that teaches defensive driving techniques could earn you a small percentage discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Save over 55 – Mature drivers may receive lower premium rates on Charger insurance.
- Own a Home and Save – Owning your own home or condo can get you a discount because owning a home is proof of financial responsibility.
- Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
- E-sign – Some companies will give a small break for completing your application on your computer.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Forcing all vehicle occupants to buckle their seat belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a discounted premium rate on car insurance if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple cars with the same car insurance company can get a discount on all vehicles.
Discounts lower rates, but most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free car insurance policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
Companies and their possible discounts can be found below.
- American Family offers discounts for good driver, air bags, defensive driver, mySafetyValet, TimeAway discount, and bundled insurance.
- Farm Bureau policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, multi-policy, driver training, 55 and retired, good student, safe driver, and renewal discount.
- State Farm offers discounts including good driver, defensive driving training, good student, passive restraint, anti-theft, Drive Safe & Save, and driver’s education.
- Travelers has savings for good student, payment discounts, multi-car, new car, early quote, and continuous insurance.
- The Hartford has discounts for defensive driver, air bag, vehicle fuel type, good student, anti-theft, bundle, and driver training.
- GEICO may include discounts for multi-policy, daytime running lights, air bags, membership and employees, driver training, five-year accident-free, and good student.
- Progressive includes discounts for multi-policy, good student, online signing, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and continuous coverage.
It’s a good idea to ask each company which discounts you may be entitled to. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be offered in Austin. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Texas, follow this link.
When to get advice from an insurance agent
A lot of people would prefer to have an agent’s advice and that is a smart decision An additional benefit of comparing car insurance online is that drivers can save money and get cheap car insurance quotes but also keep your business local. Buying from local agents is still important in Austin.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to companies in Austin who will gladly provide quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to contact an agency because prices are sent immediately to you. You can get cheaper car insurance rates and work with a local agent. In the event you want to get a comparison quote from a particular provider, you just need to go to their quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Captive agents vs. Independent agents
If you prefer to buy car insurance from a good insurance agency, it can be helpful to understand the types of insurance agents to choose from. Car insurance agents can be categorized as either independent or captive.
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Independent insurance agents often have affiliation with several companies and that allows them to write policies with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you stay with the same agent. When comparison shopping, you need to get quotes from at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from. Most also have access to additional companies that you may not be familiar with which could offer lower prices.
Captive Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be captive normally can only provide a single company’s rates and some examples include Allstate and State Farm. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so you might not find the best rates. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell on service rather than price. Many people buy insurance from these agents mostly because of the brand legacy rather than having low rates.
Finding the right auto insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price. Any good agent should know the answers to these questions.
- How are they compensated?
- Is the coverage adequate for your vehicle?
- Will the company cover a rental car if your car is getting fixed?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
Upon getting reasonable responses to any questions you have and a low price estimate, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that can be trusted to service your policy.
Does car insurance advertising bend the truth?
Car insurance companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO regularly use ads in print and on television. All the ads advertise claims of big savings just by switching to their company. How is it plausible that every one can make the same claim? It’s all in the numbers.
All the different companies provide the lowest rates for the type of driver that will not have excessive claims. For example, this type of insured might be described as between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get low premium rates and will probably save some money.
Drivers who fall outside these criteria will be charged higher premiums and the customer not purchasing. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “all people who quote” save the amount stated. That’s why insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.
Because of the profiling, drivers must quote coverage with many companies. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will have the best prices.
What is the best car insurance coverage?
When choosing adequate coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if you will benefit from professional help.
- Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
- When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
- Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
- Should I rate my Dodge Charger as pleasure use or commute?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
- Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
- Is my Dodge Charger covered for flood damage?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form.
More Texas car insurance resources
Additional information is available on the located here. Texas consumers can view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about a company, view a list of available companies, and find a variety of consumer forms.
The following articles may also be useful.
Affordable car insurance is out there
People leave their current company for a number of reasons such as not issuing a premium refund, questionable increases in premium, policy non-renewal or poor customer service. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new car insurance company is not as difficult as it may seem.
When getting , it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
We covered many tips how you can save on Dodge Charger insurance. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the lowest premium rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.