Trying to come up with a payment for expensive car insurance can deplete your personal savings and possibly require you to analyze your spending habits. Comparing rate quotes is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.
Many car insurance companies compete for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every company to find the absolute best price available.
If you have a current car insurance policy or are shopping for new coverage, you can use this information to get lower rates and possibly find even better coverage. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Houston is not rocket science. Texas vehicle owners only need an understanding of how to shop for car insurance on the web.
Most major insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm provide coverage prices on their websites. Getting online quotes doesn’t take a lot of time because it’s just a matter of typing in your coverage preferences into the quote form. Upon sending the form, their system makes automated requests for reports for credit and driving violations and gives you a price quote determined by many factors. Online quotes makes it easy to compare insurance prices but the time required to go to multiple sites and enter the same data into a form is monotonous and tiresome. But it’s necessary to do this in order to find lower prices.
The smarter way to find lower prices uses just one form that gets prices from many companies. It’s a real time-saver, eliminates repetitive work, and makes quoting online much easier to do. As soon as you send your information, it is rated and you can select any of the returned quotes.
If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can click and sign and buy the policy. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and you’ll know if lower rates are available.
If you want to find out what other companies charge, click here and fill out the form. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with the insurance coverages identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will get a fair comparison for the exact same coverage.
Drivers save money with these seven discounts
Auto insurance companies do not list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so below is a list some of the best known and also the more inconspicuous savings tricks you should be using when you . If you do not double check each discount possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Defensive Driver – Passing a defensive driving course may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
- Paperwork-free – A few companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing on their website.
- Telematics Data – Policyholders that allow driving data submission to study where and when they drive through the use of a telematics system like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm could see a rate decrease if their driving habits are good.
- Professional Organizations – Joining a qualifying organization may earn a discount on your bill.
- Good Grades Discount – Excelling in school may save you up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Senior Discount – Seniors are able to get lower premium rates on Traverse insurance.
- Theft Deterent – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
Don’t be surprised that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
If you would like to choose from a list of car insurance companies with significant discounts in Houston, click here to view.
Compare rates but buy from a local neighborhood Houston car insurance agent
A small number of people just want to have an agent’s advice and that is OK! Professional agents can make sure you are properly covered and give you someone to call. The best thing about comparing rate quotes online is the fact that you can find lower rates and also buy local. Buying from and supporting local insurance agencies is still important in Houston.
By using this simple form, the quote information is instantly submitted to companies in Houston who can give free rate quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to find an agent on your own since price quotes are sent to you instantly. If you have a need to get a rate quote from a specific company, don’t hesitate to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
The type of car insurance agent you choose is important
If you are searching for local Houston agents, you need to know there are two different agency structures and how they can service your needs differently. Car insurance agencies are either captive agents or independent agents. Both can provide car insurance policies, but it’s a good idea to understand the difference between them because it can impact your agent selection.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Agents that choose to be independent often have many company appointments and that gives them the ability to insure with a variety of different insurance companies and find you cheaper rates. If you want to switch companies, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don’t have to do anything.
When comparing car insurance prices, you should always get quotes from a couple of independent agencies in order to compare the most rates.
Captive Insurance Agencies
Agents in the captive channel generally can only insure with one company such as State Farm or Allstate. They generally cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captives receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Selecting a car insurance agent requires more thought than just a low price. These questions are important to ask:
- Will the agent or a CSR service your policy?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- How are they compensated?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
If you receive good responses to your questions as well as quotes, you have narrowed it down to a car insurance agent that meets the requirements to properly insure your vehicles.
Car insurance is unique, just like you
When it comes to choosing adequate coverage, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine whether you may require specific advice.
- What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
- Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
- Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
- Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Texas?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- When should I remove comp and collision on my Chevy Traverse?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.
Additional information can be found on the . Click here for link. Texas consumers can find disaster information, download brochures, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and get help finding coverage.
The following information may also be useful.
- Tricks for Effectively Comparing Houston Texas Car Insurance Rates
- Lowest Prices from Houston Car Insurance Agents
- How to Get the Best Price from Houston, TX Auto Insurance Providers
Detailed coverages of your car insurance policy
Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are typical coverages offered by car insurance companies.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses like EMT expenses, doctor visits, prosthetic devices, pain medications and chiropractic care. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Auto collision coverage
Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Traverse from colliding with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things such as rolling your car, colliding with another moving vehicle, backing into a parked car, hitting a parking meter and scraping a guard rail. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Chevy Traverse.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (30/60/25 in Texas), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Frequently these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Comprehensive auto coverage
This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hail damage, rock chips in glass and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Auto liability insurance
Liability insurance can cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 100/300/100 which means a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability insurance covers claims like medical expenses, emergency aid, pain and suffering, loss of income and attorney fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible. Texas state law requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.
In conclusion
Budget-friendly car insurance is available online in addition to many Houston insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies sell through independent insurance agents.
As you , don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate.
In this article, we covered quite a bit of information on how to lower your Chevy Traverse insurance premium rates. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates as compared to the big name companies such as GEICO and State Farm.