Are you drained from not being able to afford to buy auto insurance? You are no different than many other Texas drivers. Many auto insurance companies vie for your hard-earned dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every insurer and get the best coverage at the lowest rate
You need to quote other rates quite often due to the fact that insurance prices change regularly. Just because you found the best quotes for 325i insurance at your last renewal there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to learn the fastest way to reduce your cost while improving coverage.
Drivers save money with with these discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the next list breaks down some of the more common and the more hidden credits that may apply to you.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver sucessfully take a driver\s education course as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Distant Student Discount – who are enrolled in higher education away from home and leave their car at home can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Claim Free – San Antonio drivers who stay claim-free pay much less when compared to drivers with a long claim history.
- Clubs and Organizations – Participating in a civic or occupational organization in San Antonio may earn a discount on auto insurance.
- Sign Early and Save – A few larger companies give discounts for renewing your policy prior to the expiration date on your current policy. This can save 10% or more.
- Telematics Devices – Insureds that choose to allow data collection to study when and where they use their vehicle remotely such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system could see a rate decrease as long as the data is positive.
Don’t be shocked that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky.
Auto insurance companies who might offer some of the discounts shown above include:
Check with all the companies which discounts can lower your rates. Savings may not apply to policyholders in San Antonio. To locate auto insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in San Antonio, click here.
Seven factors that affect insurance rates
The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at the rating factors that help calculate your auto insurance rates. When you understand what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices. Many factors are part of the calculation when pricing auto insurance. Most are fairly basic like an MVR report, although some other factors are not as apparent like your vehicle usage or your commute time.
- City dwellers may pay more – Residing in less populated areas has it’s advantages when buying auto insurance. Fewer drivers means fewer accidents in addition to fewer liability claims. People who live in big cities regularly have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. More time behind the wheel means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
- High coverage deductibles equal low rates – The deductibles state the amount of money you are willing to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some coverage claims could be colliding with a stationary object, fire damage, and having a roll-over accident. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the less your auto insurance will be for 325i insurance.
- Traffic violations mean higher rates – Having a clean driving record has a big impact on rates. Having just one citation can increase the cost of insurance by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. People who have careless violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to file a SR-22 with their state in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
- Don’t cut corners with liability – Your policy’s liability coverage will afford coverage if a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. This coverage provides legal defense coverage to defend your case. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not skimp.
- Continuous auto insurance coverage saves money – Driving your car without having proper coverage is not a good idea and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance coverage expire. Not only will you pay higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance may result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. You could then be forced to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Texas motor vehicle department.
- Is your car, truck or SUV built for speed? – The performance level of the vehicle you are insuring makes a huge difference in your auto insurance rates. Since the BMW 325i falls in the luxury sports car class, insuring your vehicle will cost up to twice as much when compared to the average rates in San Antonio. Small economy passenger vehicles usually are quite affordable to insure, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
- Battle of the sexes – Statistics demonstrate that females tend to be a little less risky than males. This data doesn’t prove that men are WORSE drivers than women. Females and males are in at-fault accidents in similar percentages, but the males tend to have higher claims. Men also get ticketed for serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
Neighborhood agents and auto insurance
A small number of people would rather sit down with an agent and that is a personal choice. Professional insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and will help you if you have claims. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. Supporting local agents is still important in San Antonio.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is emailed to participating agents in San Antonio who will give you bids to get your business. You never need to contact any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered directly to your email. If for some reason you want to compare rates from a specific company, feel free to visit that company’s website and fill out their quote form.
If you want to use a reliable insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents and how they operate. Auto insurance policy providers can be classified as either captive agents or independent agents. Either type can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s a good idea to understand how they are different since it could factor into which type of agent you select.
Independent Agents
These agents are not limited to a single company so as a result can place your coverage through lots of different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies.
If you are trying to find cheaper rates, we recommend you get rate quotes from a couple of independent agencies so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
Captive Agents
These type of agents generally can only insure with one company like Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. These agents receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.
Deciding on a car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- How long have they been in business?
- When do they do policy reviews?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?
Insurance advertising tricks
Texas consumers can’t avoid all the ads for auto insurance savings from the likes of Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing that drivers will save a bundle after switching to their company.
Is it even possible that every company can say the same thing? It’s all in the words they use.
Companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that earns them the most money. A good example of a desirable insured may need to be between the ages of 30 and 50, has a clean driving record, and chooses high deductibles. Anybody who meets those qualifications receives the best premium rates and will save when they switch companies.
Potential insureds who do not fit these stringent criteria will have to pay a higher premium with the end result being the prospect going elsewhere. The ads say “people that switch” not “everybody who quotes” will save that much if they switch. That’s why companies can make claims like that.
This really emphasizes why you really need to compare price quotes frequently. It’s just too difficult to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.
Texas auto insurance information
Much more information about auto insurance in Texas is available on the located here. Consumers can get help finding coverage, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and file complaints about a company.
More related San Antonio auto insurance information:
- Easy Guide to Searching Online for a San Antonio Insurance Agency
- Tips to Finding the Best Insurance Agency in San Antonio
Compare but don’t skimp
More affordable auto insurance is definitely available from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut collision coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your objective should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.