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Are you burned out from sacrificing to keep your car insured? You are no different than millions of other people. Insurance companies such as GEICO, Progressive and Allstate all promote huge savings with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to separate fact from fiction and find the best price available.
It’s smart to do rate comparisons periodically since prices go up and down regularly. Even if you think you had the best deal for Camry coverage a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is lot of inaccurate information about auto insurance on the internet, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some solid techniques on how to quit paying high auto insurance rates.
If you have a current auto insurance policy or are shopping for new coverage, you can follow these tips to cut your premiums and still get good coverage. Finding affordable coverage in San Antonio is not rocket science. Texas vehicle owners just need to learn the tricks to shop over the internet.
What Determines Toyota Camry Insurance Premiums?
Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that aid in calculating your auto insurance rates. When you understand what determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may result in lower rates.
The items below are most of the major factors used by insurance companies to determine rates.
- Is you job costing you more? – Occupational choices like military personnel, executives and miners tend to pay higher premium rates because of intense work situations and extremely grueling work hours. Other occupations such as scientists, engineers and the unemployed pay lower than average rates for Camry coverage.
- Pleasure use saves money – The more you drive your Toyota each year the more it will cost to insure it. A lot of insurance companies charge to insure your cars based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Vehicles that do not get driven very much get more affordable rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Incorrect rating for your Camry is just wasting money. Double check that your auto insurance policy states the proper vehicle usage.
- Being married can save on auto insurance – Being married helps lower the price on auto insurance. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature than a single person and insurance companies like that married couples file fewer claims.
- High physical damage deductibles equal low rates – Physical damage protection, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers your vehicle from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, damage from fire, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Physical damage deductibles tell how much you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the lower your rates will be for Camry coverage.
- Prevent your car from being stolen – Driving a car with advanced anti-theft systems can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft deterrent systems such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack can help prevent car theft.
- Lower rates with a multi-policy discount – Most major insurance companies provide better rates to buyers who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s always a smart idea to compare other insurance prices to ensure the best deal. Consumers may save even more than the discount by splitting coverages up.
- Gender matters – Over time, data shows women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that females are better at driving than males. Both genders cause fender benders at about the same rate, but men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically get more serious tickets such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
Compare auto insurance rates
There are several ways to compare auto insurance prices but one way is more efficient than others. You can waste hours talking to agents in San Antonio, or you could save time and use online quoting to get the quickest rates.
Most of the best insurance companies are enrolled in a marketplace that enables customers to submit their information once, and at least one company can provide price quotes determined by their information. This eliminates the need for quotation requests for each company you want a rate for.
To access this free quoting program, click here to open in new window.
The only drawback to using this type of system is that consumers can’t choose the providers you want to price. So if you prefer to pick individual companies to request quotes from, we have assembled a list of the cheapest auto insurance companies in Texas. View list of Texas insurance companies.
Whichever way you use, make sure you compare equivalent deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If you compare differing limits you will not be able to make a fair comparison for your Toyota Camry in San Antonio.
But they said I’d save $426 a year!
Texas drivers can’t ignore all the ads that claim the best rates by companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all make the point about savings after switching your policy.
Is it even possible that every company can offer you a better deal? Here is the trick they use.
Most companies have underwriting criteria for the type of driver that will generate a profit. One example of this type of insured may be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Anyone who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest premium rates in San Antonio and therefore will cut their rates if they switch.
People who are not a match for those criteria may be required to pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business not being written. If you listen closely, the ads state “customers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much money. That is how companies can claim big savings. Because of these techniques, you absolutely need to do a price quote comparison at every renewal. You cannot predict with any certainty which company will have better prices than you’re paying now.
Save with these discounts
Some providers do not list every available discount very well, so we break down some of the more common and also the more inconspicuous credits available to lower your premiums when you .
- Anti-lock Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles have fewer accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Data Collection Discounts – Insureds who allow their insurance company to study when and where they use their vehicle remotely such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive could save a few bucks as long as the data is positive.
- College Student Discount – Any of your kids who attend college more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Government Employee Discount – Employees or retirees of the government could cut as much as 10% off for Camry coverage with select insurance companies.
- Policy Bundle Discount – If you can combine your homeowners and auto policy and insure them with the same company you could earn a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for renewing your policy before your current coverage expires. The savings is around 10%.
- Organization Discounts – Having an affiliation with qualifying employment or professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on your next renewal.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Passing a course in defensive driving could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Student Discounts – Excelling in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up to age 25.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
You can save money using discounts, but some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, nobody gets a free ride.
For a list of auto insurance companies that offer discounts in San Antonio, click here to view.
More detailed Texas auto insurance information can be read at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and view a list of available companies.
Other related articles:
- How to Find the Lowest Price on San Antonio Texas Car Insurance
- San Antonio, TX Auto Insurance Savings the Insurance Agents Dont Want You to Know About
Final considerations
When buying insurance coverage, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where someone dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. The goal is to get the best coverage possible at the best cost, but do not skimp to save money.
We just covered a lot of information how to shop for Toyota Camry insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. Regional companies often have lower premium rates on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
Budget-conscious Toyota Camry insurance can be found online and from local agencies, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies do not offer price quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through independent agents.