Searching for cheaper insurance for a Ford Fiesta in Texas can normally be a painful process, but you can follow a few tricks to save time. There is a right way and a wrong way to buy auto insurance so we’re going to tell you the proper way to quote coverages for a new or used Ford and get the best price possible.
It’s a good idea to get comparison quotes at least once a year since rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you found the lowest rate for Fiesta coverage at your last renewal other companies may now be cheaper. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance online but you can learn some great ideas on how to find affordable auto insurance.
Finding affordable coverage in Houston is quite easy. In a nutshell, anyone who has to buy auto insurance stands a good chance to be able to save money. But Texas consumers can benefit by having an understanding of how insurance companies sell insurance online and take advantage of how the system works.
Learn How to Quote Auto Insurance for Less
Multiple criteria are taken into consideration when pricing auto insurance. Some factors are common sense such as your driving history, but other criteria are less obvious such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility.
- Liability is peace of mind – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance is the coverage that protects you when you are ruled to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
- Rates also based on gender – Over the last 30 years, statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Both genders cause auto accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species have accidents that have higher claims. They also receive more major tickets like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.
- Never go without auto insurance – Driving your car without having proper coverage can get your license suspended and you may have a hard time finding new coverage because you let your insurance coverage expire. And not only will insurance be more expensive, the inability to provide proof of insurance could earn you a steep fine or even jail time.
- Be proud to be claim-free – If you file a lot of claims you can expect increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Auto insurance companies in Texas give cheaper rates to drivers who are not frequent claim filers. Your car insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
- Higher premiums for specific occupations – Jobs like military personnelairline pilots and emergency personnel have higher rates than average because of job stress and extremely grueling work hours. On the flip side, professions such as actors, engineers and retirees have the lowest average rates for Fiesta coverage.
- Is your vehicle theft-ready? – Choosing to buy a car with an alarm system can save you some money. Advanced theft deterrents such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all help prevent auto theft and help lower rates.
- Big city or small town – Choosing to live in a small town has definite advantages when buying auto insurance. Fewer people means less chance of accidents. Urban drivers have to deal with congested traffic and more time behind the wheel. More time behind the wheel translates into higher accident risk.
Quote Houston auto insurance online
Comparing auto insurance rates can be exhausting if you don’t utilize the most efficient way. You could spend your day talking about coverages with local insurance agents in Houston, or you could use online quotes to maximize your effort.
Most car insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to enter their coverage request one time, and every company then returns a price quote based on that information. This saves time by eliminating quote requests to each individual auto insurance company. To participate in this free quote system, click to open in new window.
The one downside to comparing rates this way is you can’t choose which carriers you want pricing from. So if you want to choose specific providers to compare prices, we have a page of companies who write auto insurance in Texas. Click to view list.
You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just double check that you are using exactly the same coverage information for each price quote. If you compare different values for each quote it will be impossible to determine the lowest rate for your Ford Fiesta in Houston. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages or limits could mean much higher rates. It’s important to know that making a lot of price comparisons helps improve the odds of finding better pricing. Not every company provides online rate quotes, so you should also compare price quotes on coverage from those companies, too.
Ads can be misleading
Respected companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on television and other media. All the companies seem to make the promise that people will save just by switching to their company. But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.
Insurance providers have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer that will most likely be profitable. For instance, this type of insured could possibly be over the age of 35, has no tickets, and drives a vehicle with a low ISO rating. Any new insured who meets those qualifications gets the lowest car insurance rates and most likely will save when switching.
Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements will probably have to pay higher premiums and the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The trick companies use is to say “drivers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” will save that much if they switch. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make those statements. Different companies use different criteria so you need to quote coverage with many companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which auto insurance company will have the best car insurance rates.
These discounts can cut auto insurance rates
Auto insurance can be pricey, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. A few discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but some discounts are required to be inquired about in order for you to get them.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your entire bill at once instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
- Club Memberships – Having an affiliation with specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations may earn a discount on your policy.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Discounts for Cautious Drivers – Insureds who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less for Fiesta coverage than drivers with accidents.
- Claim Free – Houston drivers who stay claim-free get the best auto insurance rates when compared with insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Drivers Education – Have your child sucessfully take a driver\s education course if it’s offered in school.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Cars and trucks with anti-lock braking systems can stop better under adverse conditions and the ABS can save up to 10%.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Purchasing coverage when you have multiple cars on a single policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
You can save money using discounts, but most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you’re out of luck.
A list of companies and their possible discounts include:
- Farmers Insurance has savings for switch companies, electronic funds transfer, business and professional, early shopping, bundle discounts, and good student.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for anti-theft, driver’s education, student away at school, multiple autos, accident-free, passive restraint, and safe vehicle.
- Liberty Mutual has discounts for good student, teen driver discount, multi-car, new graduate, new vehicle discount, new move discount, and preferred payment discount.
- MetLife includes discounts for claim-free, good driver, good student, defensive driver, accident-free, multi-policy
- Progressive offers discounts for online quote discount, online signing, continuous coverage, good student, homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle.
Double check with every company which discounts they offer. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be offered in Houston.
Car insurance agents are trained to help
Some people still like to get advice from a local agent and that is not a bad decision One of the benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you may find cheap auto insurance rates and still buy from a local agent.
After filling out this quick form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to companies in Houston who can give free rate quotes for your business. You don’t have to find an agent since price quotes are sent immediately to you. You can find the lowest rates AND a local agent. If you need to compare prices from one company in particular, you just need to visit that company’s website and complete a quote there.
Selecting an insurance company needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Here are some questions to ask:
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- How does the company pay claims for a total loss?
- Will one accident increase rates?
Two types of Houston car insurance agents
When narrowing the list to find a local insurance agency, you need to know there are two different types of agents and how they can write your policy. Agencies in Houston are classified as either independent agents or captive agents.
Captive Insurance Agents
These type of agents can only provide pricing for a single company such as Farmers Insurance and State Farm. These agents are not able to provide prices from multiple companies so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Captive agencies are usually well trained on their company’s products which aids in selling service over price. A lot of people use the same agent partially due to the brand name rather than having low rates.
Independent Insurance Agents
These agents are normally appointed by many insurers so they can quote policies through lots of different companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If premiums increase, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rate quotes, we highly recommend that you get several quotes from several independent agencies to get the most accurate price comparison. They often place coverage with different regional companies which can save you money.
Which is the best auto insurance?
When choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
For example, these questions might help in determining if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- Do I qualify for additional discounts?
- Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my Ford Fiesta to commute?
- Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
- Should I buy additional glass protection?
- Does my Ford Fiesta qualify for pleasure use?
- Am I covered when driving a rental car?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.
More tips and info about auto insurance can be read at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can view agent and company licensing information, read industry bulletins, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and get help finding coverage.
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The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
Consumers who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, denial of a claim and not issuing a premium refund. Whatever your reason, choosing a new insurance company can be pretty painless.
Cheaper Ford Fiesta insurance can be found on the web as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies may not provide internet price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers only sell through independent agencies.
You just learned many tips how you can save on Ford Fiesta insurance. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your prices. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a small mutual company.