Finding better insurance prices for a GMC Acadia in Texas could be a painful process, but you can learn a few tricks to find lower rates. There are more efficient ways to shop for auto insurance and we’ll show you the best way to get price quotes for a new or used GMC and obtain the cheapest rates from both online companies and Houston agents.
You should make it a habit to quote other rates once or twice a year since prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you got the best rates for Acadia insurance a few years ago a different company probably has better premium rates today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re about to find out how to use online quotes to find great coverage at a great price.
Many insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive provide price estimates from their websites. Comparing prices online is fairly simple as you simply type in your required coverages as requested by the quote form. After you complete the form, their quoting system automatically orders your credit score and driving record and returns pricing information based on these factors.
This simplifies rate comparisons, but having to visit several different sites and enter the same data into a form gets old quite quickly. But it’s absolutely necessary to perform this step if you are searching for the lowest price.
The better way to compare rates
A better way to find lower prices is to use a quote form that obtains quotes from several different companies. It saves time, eliminates form submissions, and makes comparison shopping much more enjoyable and efficient. After sending the form, your coverage is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any of the quotes that you receive. If the quotes result in lower rates, you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. It takes just a few minutes to complete and you’ll know if lower rates are available.
To save time and find out how much you can save on auto insurance, click here and enter your information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you type in exactly as they are listed on your policy. This ensures you’re receiving rate comparison quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.
Nine discounts to earn lower Houston auto insurance rates
Companies don’t always list every discount very clearly, so below is a list a few of the more common as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Drivers who don’t have accidents can earn big discounts as compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Low Miles Discount – Low annual miles can earn slightly better rates than normal.
- Senior Citizens – Seniors may qualify for lower premium rates for Acadia insurance.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Early Renewal Discounts – Some insurance companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. Ten percent is about the average savings.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle up can save a little off the personal injury premium cost.
- Distant Student – who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle could qualify for this discount.
- Defensive Driving Course – Completing a defensive driver course could earn you a small percentage discount if you qualify.
- Accident Waiver – This one isn’t a discount, but a few companies such as Liberty Mutual, Allstate and State Farm will forgive one accident without the usual rate increase if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like you could get a free auto insurance policy, that’s just not realistic. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.
A few of the larger companies and their possible discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including Drive Safe & Save, good driver, good student, driver’s education, and defensive driving training.
- Esurance offers premium reductions for multi-car, anti-theft, Switch & Save, claim free, renters, and emergency road assistance.
- Progressive may offer discounts for continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, online signing, online quote discount, multi-policy, homeowner, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts for exclusive group savings, teen driver discount, hybrid vehicle, multi-policy, newly married, and multi-car.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may include discounts for multiple vehicles, multi-policy, group or association, anti-lock brakes, and mature driver.
- GEICO has discounts for driver training, membership and employees, good student, federal employee, and five-year accident-free.
When quoting, ask all the companies the best way to save money. All car insurance discounts may not apply in your state. To see a list of insurers who offer cheap auto insurance quotes in Houston, click here to view.
Shop online but buy locally
Many drivers would prefer to go talk to an agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Good insurance agents are trained risk managers and will help you if you have claims. One of the best bonuses of comparing auto insurance online is you can get the best rates and also buy local.
After filling out this quick form, your insurance coverage information is emailed to agents in your area that give free quotes for your business. You never need to visit any agencies due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to you. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a specific auto insurance provider, you just need to navigate to their website and complete a quote there.
Choosing an company should depend on more than just the premium amount. Before buying a policy, get answers to these questions.
- Where would glass claims be handled in Houston?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- How long has the business existed?
- Is coverage determined by price?
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- Is the agent properly licensed in Texas?
Independent or Captive: It’s your choice
If you are searching for local Houston agents, there are a couple of types of insurance agents that you can select. Auto insurance agents in Houston may be either independent (non-captive) or captive. Either one can sell auto insurance policies, but it’s good to learn the difference in how they write coverage because it can influence the selection process.
Captive Auto Insurance Agencies
Captive agents can only quote rates from one company and some examples include State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. They are unable to provide other company’s prices so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive insurance agents are very knowledgeable on what they offer which helps them compete with independent agents. Some insured continue to buy from captive agents mainly due to the brand instead of buying on price only.
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
Independent agencies are appointed with more than one company and that allows them to write policies with lots of companies and find you the best rates. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rate quotes, you will definitely want to include price quotes from a few independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison. Most have the option of insuring with smaller mutual companies that many times have cheaper rates.
There’s no such thing as the perfect auto insurance policy
When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.
For example, these questions may help you determine if you might need professional guidance.
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Texas?
- Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
- How much liability coverage do I need in Texas?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It’s fast, free and can help protect your family.
Even more information is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, find out which companies have the most complaints, find a variety of consumer forms, and read state legal mandates and laws.
These articles may also be worth reading.
- Lowest Prices from Houston Car Insurance Agents
- 6 Shopping Tips Proven to Save Money on Car Insurance Costs in Houston Texas
- How to Get the Best Price from Houston, TX Auto Insurance Providers
Insurance advertising tricks
Texas consumers can’t get away from ads that claim the cheapest rates from companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. All the ads have a common claim that you can save just by switching your auto insurance coverage to their company.
How is it possible that every company can claim to save you money? It’s all in how they say it.
Auto insurance companies have strict underwriting profiles for the type of driver that is profitable for them. One example of this type of risk profile may be a mature driver, has a clean driving record, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any person who meets those qualifications receives the best prices and will probably save when switching.
Potential customers who fall outside these stringent criteria will see a higher rate and this can result in business going elsewhere. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “people who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much when switching. That’s the way insurance companies can make claims that they all have the best premium rates. This illustrates why you absolutely need to compare rate quotes every year. It’s not possible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.
Coverages available on your auto insurance policy
Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your GMC Acadia.
Due to the fact that many Texas drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 30/60/25), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Comprehensive coverages – This pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, a broken windshield and hitting a bird. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision coverages – Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Acadia from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things such as sideswiping another vehicle, scraping a guard rail, backing into a parked car, colliding with a tree and rolling your car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Auto liability – This coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property in an accident. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability insurance covers claims such as legal defense fees, pain and suffering, emergency aid and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible. Texas requires drivers to carry at least 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should consider buying higher limits.
Coverage for medical payments – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for expenses for things like doctor visits, chiropractic care, funeral costs, X-ray expenses and pain medications. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to you and your occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Final considerations
In this article, we covered some good ideas how to save on GMC Acadia insurance. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier.
As you , you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest cost and still be able to protect your assets.
Discount GMC Acadia insurance is attainable both online in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer price quotes online and many times these regional carriers prefer to sell through local independent agents.