Scraping up a payment for pricey Chevrolet Equinox insurance can dry up your savings, especially in this economy. Companies like GEICO, Progressive and Allstate continually hit you with ads and it is difficult to ignore the promise of big savings and take the time to shop coverage around.
Earn discounts to get lower-cost Texas auto insurance rates
Companies don’t always advertise every discount they offer in an easy-to-find place, so the list below contains a few of the more well known and also the lesser-known discounts that you can inquire about if you . If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you could be paying more than you need to.
- Early Switch Discount – Some companies provide a discount for signing up before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
- Theft Deterent System – Cars and trucks equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will qualify for a discount on a .
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you can combine your home and auto policy with the same insurance company you may save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Mature Driver Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you are able to get a small discount on rates for Equinox insurance.
- Good Student Discount – Getting good grades could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Even though it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, that’s just not realistic. Any qualifying discounts will cut the premium cost.
Some of the insurance companies that may offer these money-saving discounts are:
Check with every prospective company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts may not apply in Austin.
When should I talk to an agent?
Many drivers just want to have an agent’s advice and that is a personal choice. Good agents can point out coverage gaps and give you someone to call. A good thing about price shopping on the web is the fact that drivers can get the best rates and still buy from a local agent.
After filling out this quick form, your insurance data is submitted to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your business. There is no reason to even leave your home since rate quotes are delivered directly to your email. In the event you want to compare prices from a specific insurance company, feel free to visit that company’s website to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing the best company should depend on more than just the quoted price. Some important questions to ask are:
- What is the financial rating for the quoted company?
- Will the company cover a rental car if your car is getting fixed?
- How are they compensated?
- How many companies do they write for?
- Is there a 24/7 contact number?
- If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?
- Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in Austin?
- Are all drivers listed on the coverage quote?
Types of car insurance agents in Austin
If you want to use a good Austin insurance agent, there are two different types of agents and how they are distinctly different. Auto insurance policy providers are considered either independent or captive depending on the company they work for. Both provide auto insurance policies, but it’s a good idea to understand the differences since it can affect buying decisions.
Captive Insurance Agencies
Agents of this type can only provide one company’s prices such as AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. Captive agencies are unable to shop your coverage around so you need to shop around if the rates are high. These agents receive a lot of sales training on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents that choose to be independent can sell policies from many different companies so they can quote policies through many companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If they find a lower price, they simply switch companies in-house and you can keep the same agent. If you are comparing rate quotes, you definitely need to contact at least one independent agent to maximize your price options.
Advertising myths
Texas drivers can’t get away from all the ads for auto insurance savings by companies like State Farm and Allstate. They all say the same thing that drivers can save some big amount if you change your coverage.
Is it even possible that every company can offer you a better deal? This is the way they can do it.
Different companies provide the lowest rates for the type of customer that earns them a profit. An example of this type of insured might have to be married and over the age of 30, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A customer who fits that profile may get the lowest prices in Austin and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
People who may not quite match the “perfect” profile will be charged higher premiums and this results in the customer not purchasing. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “drivers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save the amount stated. That’s why companies can truthfully make claims like that. This really illustrates why you should quotes from several different companies. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will give you lower rates than your current company.
More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas drivers can view a list of available companies, file complaints about a company, read consumer alerts, and discover disciplinary actions.
These articles may also be worth reading.
- Get Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes From Austin, TX Agents
- Car Insurance in Austin Texas 7 Discounts You Might be Missing
Car insurance coverage information
Knowing the specifics of auto insurance aids in choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are typical coverage types found on the average auto insurance policy.
Medical payments and PIP coverage – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for short-term medical expenses like doctor visits, prosthetic devices, X-ray expenses, hospital visits and EMT expenses. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Liability – This coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property. It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show limits of 100/300/100 which stand for $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability insurance covers claims such as emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects, court costs and funeral expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but buy as high a limit as you can afford. Texas requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage – This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Chevy Equinox.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (30/60/25 in Texas), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays for damage to your Equinox from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for things such as backing into a parked car, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive auto coverage – This will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as fire damage, damage from a tornado or hurricane, damage from getting keyed and theft. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Online plus local equals savings
Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available online and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers don’t offer price quotes online and these small insurance companies only sell coverage through local independent agencies.
Throughout this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for Chevy Equinox insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a small local company. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.
When getting , it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where someone dropped full coverage only to find out that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best possible price, but do not skimp to save money.