I doubt anyone likes buying car insurance, especially when they know the price is too high. There is such a variety of insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s a good thing to have multiple companies, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates and find the lowest cost car insurance.
It’s a great practice to compare premium rates once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you found the best price on Passat insurance at your last renewal you will most likely find a better rate quote today. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding car insurance on the internet, but we’re going to give you some tested techniques to find affordable car insurance.
Finding affordable coverage in Fort Worth is not rocket science. If you have a policy now or need new coverage, you can follow these tips to cut your premiums and still get good coverage. Texas vehicle owners only need to know the tricks to compare company rates on the web.
Are you earning every discount?
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always publicize every discount very clearly, so the list below contains a few of the more common as well as the least known credits available to bring down your rates.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Requiring all passengers to fasten their seat belts can save a little on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen with less frequency and that can save you a little bit as well.
- Defensive Driver – Passing a course teaching driver safety skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could provide a small rate reduction on Passat insurance depending on your company.
- Driving Data Discount – Insureds that choose to allow their company to spy on driving patterns by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive might see lower rates as long as the data is positive.
- Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially as opposed to policyholders that have many claims.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you can combine your home and auto policy with the same insurance company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
- E-sign – A few larger online companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks on the internet.
- Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
Discounts lower rates, but most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though you would think all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
To locate insurers with discount rates in Fort Worth, click this link.
Why Informed Consumers Pay Less for Volkswagen Passat Insurance
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that aid in calculating car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with better car insurance rates. Many different elements are used in the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving history, although others are less apparent like your continuous coverage or how safe your car is.
Listed below are a few of the things car insurance companies consider when setting prices.
- Car and home together may be cheaper – Some insurance companies will give discounts to customers that purchase more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to compare other insurance prices to make sure you are getting the best deal.There is a chance you can find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
- High credit score translates to low premiums – Your credit history can be a huge factor in calculating your premium rate. If your credit leaves room for improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your Volkswagen Passat by taking the time to improve your credit score. Drivers with very good credit scores tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower credit scores.
- Obey driving laws and save – Good drivers pay less for auto insurance than their less careful counterparts. Having a single speeding ticket or other violation can increase the cost of insurance forty percent or more. Drivers who have received multiple violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Stress out and pay more – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Careers like judgesair traffic controllers and dentists generally have higher rates than the rest of us in part from intense work requirements and lengthy work days. Conversely, jobs like professors, students and retirees get better rates on Passat insurance.
- Small coverages can add up – There are quite a few optional add-on coverages that you can buy on your Passat policy. Insurance for things like roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, and extra life insurance coverage may be wasting your money. They may sound like good ideas when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so remove them and pocket the money.
- Discounts for married drivers – Being married may save some money when buying car insurance. It translates into being more mature than a single person and insurance companies reward insureds because married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Are car insurance agents a thing of the past?
Many drivers just want to buy from a local agent and that is a smart decision Insurance agents will help you protect your assets and will help you if you have claims. One of the benefits of comparing rate quotes online is that you can find cheap car insurance quotes and still choose a local agent.
By using this short form, your coverage information is transmitted to agents in your area who will gladly provide quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no need to leave your house as quotes are delivered directly to your email. If you want to compare prices from a specific car insurance provider, you can always jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
Selecting a insurance company should include more criteria than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Is the agency active in community causes in Fort Worth?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- When do they do a full risk review?
What type of Fort Worth auto insurance agent is right for you?
If you are wanting to purchase car insurance from a local Fort Worth insurance agent, you must know there are a couple different types of agents and how they can write your policy. Car insurance agents may be either independent or captive. Both types can sell and service car insurance coverage, but it’s important to point out how they differ since it could factor into your selection of an agent.
Captive Agents
Agents of this type work for only one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so you might not find the best rates. Captive insurance agents are highly trained on sales techniques which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Independent Agents
Agents in the independent channel are normally appointed by many insurers and that gives them the ability to insure amongst many companies and find the cheapest rate. If prices rise, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to do anything.
If you need cheaper car insurance rates, we recommend you check rates from at a minimum one independent agency to have the best price comparison.
Insurance advertising tricks
Texas drivers can’t escape the ads for car insurance savings by 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the ads make an identical promise about saving some big amount if you just switch to their company.
But how can every company make the same claim? This is the trick they use.
Most companies have underwriting criteria for the type of insured that will generate a profit. An example of this type of risk profile may need to be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer who matches those parameters will get a cheap rate quote and will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Consumers who are not a match for these criteria will probably be forced to pay more expensive rates which leads to business not being written. If you pay attention, the ads say “people who switch” not “all people who quote” save money. That is how insurance companies can advertise the savings. Because each company has a different risk profile, you really should compare many company’s prices. It’s not possible to predict which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.
More resources for learning
Even more information is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can file complaints about a company, read consumer alerts, view a list of available companies, and learn about insurance regulations.
The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Fort Worth
- Proven Strategies for Low-Cost Fort Worth, TX Auto Insurance
- Never Compare Fort Worth Texas Auto Insurance Without Knowing These Money Saving Tips
- Car Insurance in Fort Worth 8 Discounts You Might be Forgetting
More quotes mean more savings
Affordable Volkswagen Passat insurance can be purchased on the web as well as from independent agents in Fort Worth, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who may not offer online quoting and usually these regional carriers only sell through independent insurance agencies.
As you restructure your insurance plan, don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced collision coverage and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.