Nobody that owns a car looks forward to paying premiums for auto insurance, especially when they know it costs too dang much. Big companies like State Farm, Progressive and GEICO continually bombard you with advertising and it is challenging if not impossible to separate fact from fiction and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
Save Money with These Tips
Multiple criteria are considered when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic such as your driving record, although some other factors are more transparent such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility. Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates, this helps enable you to make changes that could help you find big savings.
The following are some of the most rate-impacting factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set prices.
- High coverage deductibles cost less – Insurance for physical damage to your car, also called ‘full coverage’, covers damage that occurs to your Honda. Examples of some claims that would be covered could be collision with another vehicle, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles tell how much you are required to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more money you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the better rate you will receive on CR-V coverage.
- Is your car built for speed? – The type of vehicle you are insuring makes a big difference in determining your rates. Because the Honda CR-V is a standard SUV, insuring your vehicle will cost slighty more than the average rate where you live in San Antonio. Smaller low performance passenger models usually have the lowest rates, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
- Your liability coverage limits – The liability coverage on your policy is the protection in the event that a jury decides you are liable for personal injury or accident damage. Your policy’s liability insurance provides legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to other policy coverages, so buy as much as you can afford.
- Be proud to be claim-free – If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you should expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Companies in Texas award lower rates to people who do not file claims often. Your car insurance is meant to be used in the event of more catestrophic claims.
How to get San Antonio auto insurance quotes
There are a lot of ways to shop for auto insurance, and some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with agents in San Antonio, or you could save time and use the web to maximize your effort.
Many of the larger companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to only type in their quote data once, and each company can give them a price. This saves time by eliminating quote requests for each company. To compare pricing click here to open in new window.
One minor caviat to getting quotes like this is buyers cannot specifically choose the insurers to get quotes from. If you prefer to choose specific providers for rate comparison, we have a listing of companies who write auto insurance in Texas. Click here for list of insurance companies in Texas.
Whichever method you choose, make darn sure you compare equivalent coverage information with each company. If you use different limits and deductibles on each one it will be nearly impossible to get a fair rate comparison in San Antonio.
Auto insurance discounts are available to cut your rates
Companies that sell car insurance do not list every possible discount in a way that’s easy to find, so below is a list some of the more common as well as some of the hidden ways to save on auto insurance. If you are not receiving all the discounts you qualify for, you could be paying more than you need to.
- Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down on your Honda can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
- Multi-line Discount – Some insurance carriers give better prices if you take out life insurance.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Passing a class that teaches safe driver techniques is a good idea and can lower rates depending on where you live.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars and trucks with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and the ABS can save up to 10%.
- E-sign Discounts
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Accident-free drivers could pay up to 40% less on CR-V coverage than drivers with accidents.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military could be rewarded with lower prices.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to fasten their seat belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you can get free auto insurance, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
Car insurance companies that have some of the discounts shown above include:
Double check with every company which credits you are entitled to. Some discounts may not apply to policies in San Antonio. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers who offer cheap auto insurance quotes in Texas, click this link.
Buying from insurance agents
Some people still like to get advice from a local agent and that is a personal choice. Professional insurance agents can make sure you are properly covered and help file insurance claims. A good thing about comparing insurance prices online is that drivers can save money and get lower car insurance rates and still have an agent to talk to.
After completing this quick form, the coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents in San Antonio that give free quotes for your auto insurance coverage. You won’t need to contact any insurance agencies due to the fact that quote results will go instantly to you. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote for a specific company, you would need to find their quoting web page to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing the best insurance company needs to be determined by more than just a cheap quote. Here are some questions you should ask.
- Will they take your side in the event of a claim?
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- When do they do policy reviews?
- Will one accident increase rates?
- Will the agent or a CSR service your policy?
When finding a local agent, you must know there are a couple different agency structures and how they work. Agents can be described as either independent or captive depending on the company they work for. Both types can insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know the difference in how they write coverage because it can factor into the selection process.
Captive Agencies
Agents that elect to be captive have only one company to place business with like Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Captive agencies are unable to compare rates from other companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They are trained well on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage.
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
Agents in the independent channel often have many company appointments so as a result can place your coverage with any number of different companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If they find a lower price, they simply move your policy to a different company and you can keep the same agent.
If you are trying to find cheaper rates, we recommend you get quotes from a few independent agents in order to have the best price comparison.
More detailed Texas auto insurance information can be read at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Consumers can view a list of available companies, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, learn about insurance regulations, and file complaints about a company.
Other related articles:
- Uncover the Secrets to Saving Money on San Antonio Texas Car Insurance
- Tips to Finding the Best Insurance Agency in San Antonio
Online plus local equals savings
When getting , make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
You just learned a lot of information how to save on Honda CR-V insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of getting . You may even discover the best car insurance rates are with the least-expected company. These companies may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like Progressive and GEICO.
Low-cost Honda CR-V insurance is attainable online and also from your neighborhood San Antonio agents, so you need to with both to have the best selection. Some auto insurance companies may not offer rate quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers work with local independent agents.