Have you finally had enough of robbing Peter to pay Paul to pay your car insurance bill each month? Your situation is no different than many other Texas consumers. Big companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, GEICO and Allstate all claim big savings with catchy ads and it is difficult to see past the corporate glitz and find the best price available.
Shopping for lower car insurance rates can be a lot of work if you don’t understand the most efficient way. You can waste hours discussing policy coverages with agents in Houston, or you could use online quotes for quick rates.
All the larger companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to only type in their quote data once, and every company can give them a price for coverage. This saves time by eliminating quotation requests to every company.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here to open in new window.
The one downside to getting quotes like this is that consumers can’t choose the companies you want to price. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to compare prices, we have assembled a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Texas. Click here for list of insurance companies in Texas.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just make darn sure you compare the same coverages and limits on every price quote you get. If you use different coverage information you can’t possibly determine the best price for your Kia Forte in Houston. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. Just remember that comparing a large number of companies provides better odds of finding the best rates. Not every company allows you to get online rate quotes, so it’s recommended that you also compare prices from those companies as well.
Drivers save money with these discounts
Auto insurance companies do not list every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so the below list has both the well known as well as some of the hidden credits available to bring down your rates.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Taking part in a driver safety course can save you 5% or more and also improve your driving technique.
- Accident Forgiveness – but companies like Allstate, Progressive, and GEICO may permit one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
- Seat Belts Save – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could cut 10% or more on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Employee of Federal Government – Active or former government employment can save as much as 8% for Forte insurance depending on your car insurance provider.
- Student in College – Kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle could qualify for this discount.
- Policy Bundle Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company they may give you a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
- Telematics Devices – People who choose to allow their insurance company to monitor when and where they use their vehicle by using a telematics device such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system could see a rate decrease if they have good driving habits.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront as opposed to paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Auto/Life Discount – Larger insurance carriers have a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.
A quick disclaimer, most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.
If you would like to choose from a list of companies that offer some of these discounts in Houston, click this link.
Informed Consumers Save Every Year
Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating your policy premiums. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates, this helps enable you to make changes that could result in better car insurance rates. Lots of things are considered when you get a price on insurance. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, but others are more transparent like where you live or your financial responsibility.
The factors shown below are some of the most common factors used by companies to determine your rate level.
- Save by driving less – The more you drive in a year’s time the higher the price you pay to insure it. A lot of companies price each vehicle’s coverage partially by how you use the vehicle. Autos that sit idle most of the time can be on a lower rate level compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance coverage properly reflects the correct usage for each vehicle. Having the wrong rating on your Forte is throwing money out the window.
- Too many insurance claims and you’ll pay more – Auto insurance companies in Texas award lower rates to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you file a lot of claims you can definitely plan on higher rates. Your car insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
- Marriage reduces risk – Walking down the aisle helps lower the price on your policy. Having a significant other translates into being more stable financially it has been statistically shown that married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.
- Rates increase with driving citations – Attentive drivers tend to pay less for car insurance as compared to those with violations. Only having one citation can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Drivers unfortunate enough to have dangerous citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
- Do you have enough liability coverage? – The liability coverage on your policy is the coverage that protects you when you are determined to be liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
- Companies want multiple policies – Lots of insurance companies provide discounts to customers who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. The discount can add up to 10 percent or more. Even if you already get this discount, it’s in your best interest to comparison shop to help ensure you have the lowest rates. You may still find a better deal by buying car insurance from a different company.
More tips and info about car insurance is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about a company, and read industry bulletins.
The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Houston
- 10 Must-Know Tips When Comparing Houston, TX Auto Insurance
- How to Get the Best Price from Houston, TX Auto Insurance Providers
- Insider Advice on Lower Houston Car Insurance
Don’t be fooled by advertising claims
Popular car insurance providers such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads in print and on television. All the ads convey the message that you’ll save big if you move your coverage to them. That’s great but how can every company charge you less for auto insurance?
Insurance providers can use profiling for the type of driver that will add to their bottom line. One example of a profitable customer might have to be between 30 and 50, has a clean driving record, and has a short commute. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” gets the lowest prices and will save quite a bit of money when switching.
Drivers who do not match the “perfect” profile will get a more expensive rate which leads to the customer buying from someone else. The ad wording is “drivers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save the amount stated. That is how companies can make those statements. Because of this risk profiling, drivers must get as many as possible. It’s just not possible to know with any certainty which company will have better auto insurance rates than you’re paying now.
One last thing about your coverage
Cheap Kia Forte insurance can be sourced online and from local agencies, so get from both of them to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies don’t offer online quoting and many times these small, regional companies work with local independent agents.
In this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for Kia Forte insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as GEICO and State Farm.