How-to Guide to Finding an Auto Insurance Agent in Hondo

Finding good auto insurance in Hondo can be challenging since there are a lot of options and finding the best Texas insurance agency is harder than just calling the closest agent. Consumers need a great agent that can assess your needs, and also want to find the cheapest rates you can possibly find.

There is such a variety of insurance agents to purchase coverage from, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, so many choices can make it hard to compare company pricing.

Local Hondo auto insurance agents

Educated insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help submit paperwork. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, your information is emailed to local insurance agents in Hondo who will compete to get your business. There is no need to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent to your email. How cool is that?! You can find the lowest rates and work with a local agent.

Picking an insurance agent requires more thought than just the price. Here are some questions to ask:

  • Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
  • Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
  • Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
  • What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
  • Does the agency support the community they serve?

The type of insurance agency you choose is important

When searching for a reliable agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents from which to choose. Agencies in Hondo are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).

Captive Agents

Captive agents can only place business with one company and some examples include American Family, Liberty Mutual and AAA. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. Captives are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Some consumers prefer to choose to use a captive agent primarily because of the brand legacy and strong financial ratings.

Listed below is a list of captive agents in Hondo who can help you get comparison quotes.

  • Farm Bureau Insurance – 2916 Avenue E – Hondo, TX 78861 – (830) 426-3500
  • State Farm Insurance – 237 19th St – Hondo, TX 78861 – (830) 426-5301
Independent Agents

These agents do not work for one specific company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When comparing rates, we recommend you include multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection. Many write coverage with smaller companies who may have lower rates.

Listed below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Hondo willing to provide price quote information.

  • Devlin Insurance – 1510 Avenue M – Hondo, TX 78861 – (830) 426-2525
  • Hermann Sons Insurance – 577 Highway 90 E – Hondo, TX 78861 – (830) 426-3466

For a full directory of Hondo insurance agents, simply jump to this page.

Once you have good answers to all your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have just found a car insurance agent that is a good match to insure your vehicles.

Include online companies when price shopping

Car insurance agents are important, but Texas drivers can also buy direct from companies online. Some car insurance companies like State Farm and Allstate that sell primarily through agents additionally provide the ability to buy online, so this should also be taken into consideration.

If you’re anxious about not having professional advice when shopping online, that is quite common when buying online the first time. All companies provide options for answering any questions you have. In addition, they usually offer live help and 24/7 access to help you answer questions.

The best approach to find out if car insurance prices are lower online or from agents is to make apples-to-apples comparisons of both. Even though it sounds odd, people frequently get different pricing comparing agents to online prices from the SAME company. But it’s difficult to know whether online or agents have the lower rates unless you compare quotes for identical coverages from both ways.

Are online rates lower? That question is hard to answer due to the fact that there are many factors that can increase policy rates. It’s a logical assumption that a customer who purchases direcly from an online company saves by not paying a commission. For the majority of companies, however, it’s expensive to advertise and this tends to eat up any savings.

Better coverage you can count on

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

compare Texas insurance agents

People who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as extreme rates for teen drivers, lack of trust in their agent, high rates after DUI convictions and even unfair underwriting practices. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right auto insurance provider is actually quite simple.

Additional detailed information is located at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas drivers can view a list of available companies, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and find out industry alerts.