Do you get exhausted from not being able to scrape enough together each month for auto insurance? You’re in the same situation as most other people in Texas. You have so many insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, it can be more difficult to find the best rates.
Smart consumers take time to take a look at other company’s rates once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance prices trend upward over time. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price for Rio coverage six months ago you can probably find a better rate now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the best methods to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.
Choosing the best insurance company for you in Austin is not that difficult. If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these tips. Nevertheless, Texas car owners can benefit from knowing the way companies market on the web and take advantage of how the system works.
All major auto insurance companies make it easy to get coverage prices direct online. Getting online quotes doesn’t take much effort as all you need to do is type in the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, their system collects your driving record and credit report and quotes a price based on the information you submitted. Being able to quote online makes comparing rates easy, but the time required to go to several different sites and type in the same data is a waste of time. But it is imperative to perform this step if you want to get better auto insurance pricing.
The preferred way to compare rates uses one form that analyzes rates from multiple companies. It’s a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes online shopping a little more enjoyable. After sending the form, it is quoted and you can select any of the quotes that you receive. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. The entire process only takes a few minutes and can result in significant savings.
To save time and get comparison pricing now, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you enter the coverages as close as possible to your current policy. Using the same limits helps guarantee you will receive rate quotes using the same coverage and limits.
Auto insurance savings promises
Big name companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO seem to constantly run television, radio, and online ads. All the ads advertise the message of big savings just by switching your auto insurance coverage to their company. How do they all save you money?
Most companies can use profiling for the type of driver that will generate a profit. A good example of a preferred risk could possibly be over the age of 45, has never had a claim, and has a high credit rating. A customer that meets those criteria will most likely get cheap car insurance rates and will cut their rates substantially.
Consumers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile may receive higher rates and this can result in the customer buying from someone else. The ad wording is “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s the way companies can truthfully make it sound like they have such great rates. Each company has different criteria, so you absolutely need to quotes from several different companies. It’s not possible to predict which auto insurance company will give you lower prices than your current company.
How Insurance Companies Determine Kia Rio Insurance Prices
Lots of things are used in the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic such as your driving record, but other factors are less apparent such as whether you are married or how financially stable you are. Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that are used to determine auto insurance rates. If you have a feel for what impacts premium levels, this helps enable you to make changes that could help you find cheaper rates.
The itemized list below are some of the things used by insurance companies to determine your rates.
- An active insurance claims history can cost you – Companies in Texas provide the lowest premiums to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Your car insurance is intended for more catestrophic claims.
- Your location is a factor – Living in less populated areas is a good thing when insuring your vehicles. Fewer people means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Urban drivers regularly have more aggressive driving styles and more time behind the wheel. Higher commute times means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
- Safer occupants lowers prices – Safe vehicles can get you lower premiums. Highly rated vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts which can mean better rates for you.
- Is auto insurance cheaper for women or men? – Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. They both cause at-fault accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species have accidents that have higher claims. They also get higher numbers of serious violations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly.
- Fast cars cost more to insure – The performance of the vehicle you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a substantial difference in your auto insurance rates. Because the Kia Rio is classified as a passenger car, insuring your vehicle will cost similar in price or lower compared to average rates in Austin. Small economy passenger vehicles usually have the lowest rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Youthful drivers pay high rates – Teenage drivers in Texas are proven to be inattentive when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Adding a teenage driver onto a policy can break the bank. More experienced drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, tend to file fewer claims , and are generally more financially stable.
- Never allow your policy to lapse – Having a gap between insurance policy dates can be a fast way to increase your rates. In addition to paying higher premiums, being ticketed for driving with no insurance can result in fines or a revoked license. Then you may be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Texas motor vehicle department.
- Deter theft and pay less – Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you some money. Anti-theft devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all help stop vehicle theft.
These discounts can lower your auto insurance quotes
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you may qualify for discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. Most are applied when you quote, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before they will apply.
- Telematics Devices – People who choose to allow their company to spy on driving manner by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate might see lower rates if they exhibit good driving behavior.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles with ABS and/or traction control can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Low Miles Discount – Maintaining low annual mileage may enable drivers to earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags can get savings as much as 30%.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Taking time to complete a class that teaches driver safety techniques may get you a small discount depending on where you live.
Just know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it’s just not the way it works.
A list of auto insurance companies and some of the discounts are:
- American Family may offer discounts for air bags, good driver, mySafetyValet, TimeAway discount, and good student.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including good driver, student away at school, anti-theft, multiple policy, and Drive Safe & Save.
- 21st Century has savings for theft prevention, air bags, homeowners, student driver, defensive driver, and driver training.
- Travelers includes discounts for save driver, IntelliDrive, driver training, early quote, and home ownership.
- GEICO may include discounts for daytime running lights, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, membership and employees, federal employee, and seat belt use.
When getting , it’s a good idea to every company how many discounts you can get. A few discounts may not be available in Austin. To locate insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in Austin, click here.
Do I need an insurance agent?
A lot of people would rather get professional advice from a licensed agent and doing that can be a smart decision One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find cheap rate quotes but still work with a licensed agent.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, your insurance coverage information is emailed to agents in your area that can provide for your auto insurance coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to find an agent on your own since price quotes are sent immediately to you. You can find the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you want to quote rates from a specific auto insurance provider, feel free to navigate to their website and fill out their quote form.
Choosing the best company is decision based upon more than just a low price. The following questions are important to ask.
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
- What company do they have the most business with?
- Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
If you need help to get more information on agents near you, please visit this complete selection of Austin insurance agents.
Affordable auto insurance is out there
We just covered many tips how you can shop for Kia Rio insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding . Drivers may discover the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.
While you’re price shopping online, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, an insured cut collision coverage to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, find a variety of consumer forms, view a list of available companies, and read consumer alerts.
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