Nobody rejoices having to buy auto insurance, especially when they are aware that they are paying too much. Since you have so many options when it comes to auto insurance, it’s nearly impossible to choose the cheapest company.
It’s a good habit to do price comparisons yearly because auto insurance rates trend upward over time. Even if you got the best premium rates for Optima coverage six months ago a different company probably has better prices today. There are lots of tips to save on auto insurance on the internet, but in a few minutes you can learn some proven techniques to stop overpaying for insurance.
Buying car insurance in Austin is quite easy. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these tips. But Texas vehicle owners can benefit by having an understanding of the way insurance companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.
Get cheaper rates by receiving these ten discounts
Some companies don’t always publicize every policy discount in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list a few of the more well known and the more hidden discounts that may be available.
- Multiple Cars – Purchasing coverage when you have multiple vehicles with the same auto insurance company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Multi-line Discount – Larger insurance carriers have better auto insurancerates if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and will save you 10% or more.
- Student in College – Children who attend college more than 100 miles from home and do not take a car to college can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Good Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents could pay up to 40% less for Optima coverage as compared to drivers with claims.
- Driver Education Discount – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class in school.
- Sign Early and Save – Some insurance companies provide a discount for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. Ten percent is about the average savings.
- Active Military Service – Having a family member in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Discount for Good Grades – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount up until you turn 25.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
You should keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like it’s possible to get free car insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
To find auto insurance companies with the best discounts in Texas, click this link.
Compare Austin auto insurance quotes online
Most major insurance companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive make it easy to get coverage prices on the web. Getting online quotes is pretty easy as you just enter the coverages you want into the quote form. After you complete the form, their system orders your driving and credit reports and returns pricing information based on these factors. Online quotes streamlines rate comparisons, but the work required to visit each company’s website and repetitively type in the same data can be a bit repetitive. But it’s very important to have as many quotes as possible if you are searching for better prices.
The easiest way to get multiple rate quotes uses just one form to obtain quotes from several different companies. This type of form saves time, eliminates form submissions, and makes price shopping online a lot less work. As soon as the form is sent, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any or none of the resulting price quotes. If a lower price is quoted, you can click and sign and buy the policy. It takes just a few minutes to complete and you’ll know if lower rates are available.
To quickly find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and fill out the form. To compare your current rates, we recommend you type in the coverage information identical to your current policy. This ensures you will receive a rate comparison for exact coverage.
Your auto insurance coverage should be tailored to you
When buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions could help you determine if your situation might need professional guidance.
- Am I covered when driving a rental car?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my Kia Optima to commute?
- What are the best liability limits?
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
- Do I qualify for additional discounts?
- Is my Kia Optima covered for smoke damage?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Auto insurance coverages and their meanings
Understanding the coverages of auto insurance can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Auto insurance terms can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Shown next are the normal coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Comprehensive protection
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as a broken windshield, fire damage and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The highest amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision coverage
This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Optima resulting from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for claims like crashing into a ditch, rolling your car and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability auto insurance
Liability insurance can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property that is your fault. It protects YOU from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 25/50/25 which means a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.
Liability insurance covers claims like pain and suffering, court costs, medical expenses, legal defense fees and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but buy higher limits if possible. Texas requires drivers to carry at least 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
This provides protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many Texas drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 30/60/25), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Medical expense coverage
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for pain medications, ambulance fees, nursing services, prosthetic devices and doctor visits. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers both the driver and occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Leave no stone unturned
You just read a lot of techniques to reduce Kia Optima insurance premium rates online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding . You may even discover the best premium rates are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. These smaller insurers often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.
When shopping online for auto insurance, don’t be tempted to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your objective should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price, but do not skimp to save money.
For more reading
Even more information can be found at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas drivers can discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, and download brochures.
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