Overpriced auto insurance can sap your bank account and force you to make tough financial choices. Companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate continually bombard you with ads and consumers find it hard to see past the corporate glitz and find the best price available.
Smart consumers take time to compare rates on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance prices fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the lowest rate on Outback insurance a few years ago you will most likely find a better premium rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the tricks you need to know to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.
If you have a current auto insurance policy or are shopping for new coverage, you can use these tips to cut your premiums and possibly find even better coverage. Finding affordable coverage in San Antonio is quite easy. Texas vehicle owners only need an understanding of the best way to shop on the web.
Find hidden discounts on San Antonio auto insurance
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list every disount available in an easy-to-find place, so the following list contains a few of the more well known and the more hidden auto insurance savings.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles may enable drivers to earn discounted prices on garaged vehicles.
- Resident Student – Youth drivers who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home and leave their car at home can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Not all auto insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
- Own a Home – Owning your own home or condo may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This one isn’t a discount, but companies like Liberty Mutual, Allstate and State Farm permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you have no claims prior to the accident.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of 25 to 30%.
- Switch and Save Discount – A few auto insurance companies give discounts for renewing your policy prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
- Active Service Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit may lower your premium rates slightly.
Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
The best auto insurance companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.
- State Farm may include discounts for Steer Clear safe driver discount, Drive Safe & Save, accident-free, good driver, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include multi-car, newly retired, new vehicle discount, safety features, and good student.
- American Family may have discounts that include TimeAway discount, good student, Steer into Savings, air bags, good driver, and multi-vehicle.
- Progressive includes discounts for multi-policy, online signing, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for switch companies, alternative fuel, multi-car, business and professional, and homeowner.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may offer discounts for paid in full, teen driver, mature driver, multi-policy, and safe vehicle.
- SAFECO offers discounts including teen safe driver, anti-theft, drive less, homeowner, accident prevention training, and teen safety rewards.
When quoting, ask every company which discounts you qualify for. Some credits might not be available to policyholders in San Antonio. If you would like to view companies offering auto insurance discounts in Texas, click here to view.
Learn How to Find Auto Insurance Cheaper
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that help calculate your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what influences your rates, this helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to lower premium levels.
- Inexpensive frequent claims are not good – If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Insurance companies in Texas generally give most affordable rates to policyholders who file claims infrequently. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of larger claims.
- With age comes responsibility – Inexperience drivers are statistically proven to be less responsible with other occupants in the car and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher. Adding a first-time driver to your policy can be quite pricey. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, cost insurance companies less in claims and receive fewer citations.
- Raising coverage deductibles saves money – Comp and collision deductibles define how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Physical damage insurance, aka comp and collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims are a windshield broken by a bird, damage from fire, and damage caused by road hazards. The more money you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance on Outback insurance.
- Safer vehicles cost less to insure – Cars with five star safety ratings tend to be cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles reduce occupant injuries and lower injury rates means your insurance company pays less and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Subaru Outback scored at minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it is probably cheaper to insure.
Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you
When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance needs to address that. For example, these questions may help highlight whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
- Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
- Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
- Who is covered when they drive my Subaru Outback?
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.
Get rate quotes but buy from a local San Antonio insurance agency
Many drivers still like to sit down and talk to an agent and that can be a smart move Experienced insurance agents will help you protect your assets and help in the event of a claim. One of the benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that drivers can save money and get better rates and also buy local. Supporting local insurance agents is especially important in San Antonio.
After filling out this simple form, the coverage information gets sent to companies in San Antonio that give free quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to find an agent since price quotes are sent directly to you. If you need to get a rate quote from one company in particular, you just need to visit that company’s website and fill out their quote form.
Two types of San Antonio car insurance agents
If you’re trying to find a reliable agent, you should know the different types of agencies and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Auto insurance agents in San Antonio are either independent agents or captive agents depending on their employer. Both types can write policy coverage, but we need to point out the difference in how they write coverage since it can affect your selection of an agent.
Independent Insurance Agents
These agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent. If you are comparing rate quotes, you absolutely need to check rates from multiple independent agents to have the best price comparison.
Captive Auto Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be captive are contracted to one company and some examples include AAA, Allstate, State Farm, or Farmers Insurance. These agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive insurance agents are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.
Choosing the best car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- Is the coverage adequate for your vehicle?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
- How many companies do they write for?
- How would your car be valued if totalled?
Drivers who switch save $490 a year? Really?
Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that claim the best car insurance rates by GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. All the companies make the point that you can save if you change your policy.
Is it even possible that every company can save you money? You have to listen carefully.
Companies offer their best rates for the type of customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a desirable risk should be over the age of 50, has a low-risk occupation, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. Any person that fits those parameters will get the preferred prices and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.
People who don’t measure up to the requirements will be quoted a more expensive rate which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “people who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can make those claims.
That is why you really need to compare rate quotes every year. Because you cannot predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.
Texas insurance information
Much more information about auto insurance in Texas is available on the . Click here for link. Texas drivers can view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find out industry alerts, and view a list of available companies.
The following articles may also be useful.
More quotes mean more savings
Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available both online as well as from insurance agents, so you need to with both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies do not offer price quotes online and these smaller providers work with independent insurance agencies.
We’ve covered a lot of ways to compare Subaru Outback insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding . You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.