Nobody I know fancies paying their premiums for auto insurance, particularly when their premiums are too high. There is such a variety of car insurance companies to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have multiple companies, lots of choices makes it harder to find the best rates for your vehicles.
You should take the time to do rate comparisons at least once a year because rates go up and down regularly. Just because you found the lowest premium rates for Durango insurance a year ago there may be better deals available now. There are a lot of ways to save on auto insurance out there, but I’m going to show you some of the best techniques to reduce your auto insurance bill.
Finding the best rates in Dallas is quite easy. If you have a current auto insurance policy or need new coverage, you will benefit by learning to find the best rates and still get good coverage. Texas vehicle owners only need to know the most effective way to get comparison rates online.
How to buy auto insurance in Dallas, Texas
Cutting your Dallas auto insurance rates is not a difficult process. The only requirement is to spend a few minutes on the computer comparing rate quotes from some recommended companies. Rate comparisons can be done using one of these methods.
The most efficient way to find the lowest comparison rates is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This form keeps you from doing boring form submissions for every auto insurance company. A single form will get you price quotes from all major companies.
A different way to get quotes online requires a visit to the website for each individual company and repeat the quote process. For instance, let’s assume you want to get rates from Liberty Mutual, GEICO and GMAC. In order to get each rate, you would have to navigate to each company’s site and repeatedly type in your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker.
To view a list of companies in Dallas, click here.
Compare rates however you want, just do your best to enter the exact same deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If the quotes have unequal deductibles or liability limits you will not be able to make a fair comparison for your Dodge Durango in Dallas.
Do you qualify for these eight discounts?
Car insurance is not cheap, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. Certain reductions will be credited at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be specially asked for prior to getting the savings. If you do not check that you are getting every discount you qualify for, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Low Miles Discount – Low mileage vehicles could qualify for better auto insurancerates on cars that stay parked.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Purchasing coverage when you have primary and secondary vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
- Telematics Devices – People who choose to allow driving data collection to study driving patterns remotely such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive may see discounts as long as the data is positive.
- Student in College – Any of your kids who are attending college and won’t have access to an insured vehicle could qualify for this discount.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify for a discount when you for Durango insurance depending on your company.
- Professional Memberships – Joining qualifying clubs or civic groups could earn you a nice discount on your bill.
- Use Seat Belts – Forcing all vehicle occupants to use a seat belt can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the medical payments premium.
It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, nobody gets a free ride.
To find insurers that provide some of the discounts listed above in Texas, click this link.
Big names are not always cheapest
Consumers can’t get away from ads that claim the best premium rates by companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. All the companies convey the message that you’ll save big if you change to their company.
How can each company have lower policy pricing? You have to listen carefully.
Insurance providers are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that will generate a profit. For example, a driver they prefer may need to be a married female, has no claims, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Anyone that fits those parameters gets the lowest rates as well as save a lot of money.
Drivers who don’t meet these criteria must pay higher prices which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “customers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much. That is how companies can truthfully make those claims. Because of the profiling, it is so important to quotes from several different companies. It’s impossible to know with any certainty which company will have the lowest premium rates for your situation.
Auto insurance coverage information
Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are the normal coverages offered by auto insurance companies.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for bills such as rehabilitation expenses, nursing services, prosthetic devices, EMT expenses and doctor visits. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Dodge Durango.
Due to the fact that many Texas drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (30/60/25 in Texas), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Liability
Liability coverage can cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.
Liability can pay for claims like medical services, structural damage, bail bonds, pain and suffering and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. Texas requires drivers to carry at least 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should consider buying more coverage.
Collision coverage protection
Collision insurance covers damage to your Durango from colliding with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for claims such as backing into a parked car, damaging your car on a curb and driving through your garage door. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive auto coverage
Comprehensive insurance covers 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 insurance covers things like hitting a deer, damage from a tornado or hurricane and vandalism. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Smart consumers save more
Budget-conscious Dodge Durango insurance can be found online as well as from insurance agents, so get from both of them to have the best selection. Some insurance providers do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When buying insurance coverage, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
You just read some good ideas how to shop for Dodge Durango insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get premium rates for, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. Drivers may discover the best price on auto insurance is with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may have significantly lower premium rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like State Farm and Allstate.
Even more information is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read state legal mandates and laws, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
Other related articles: