If you’re looking to buy auto insurance, there are a lot of options and picking a good Texas insurance agent takes more work than just driving to the closest agent’s office. It’s assumed you’re not only searching for an excellent agent, but you also need great rates as well.
With insurance companies like independent agents, Allstate and State Farm all competing for your business, it can be hard to know which one will provide you with the best service and rates. To help decide, it’s easy to use insurance quotes online to get a list of agents and price estimates.
Compare online but buy from a local Jourdanton agent
Professional agents can answer important questions and give you someone to call. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is you may find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. And providing support for small agencies is important particularly in Jourdanton.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), the quote information is transmitted to insurance agents in Jourdanton who will return price quotes for your coverage. You never need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. How cool is that?! You can find the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with.
Multiple types of insurance agents in Jourdanton
When researching a good Jourdanton insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Jourdanton agents are categorized either independent or captive.
Independent Agents
Independent agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to get the best comparison.
Shown below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Jourdanton who may be able to give you price quotes.
American National Insurance Co – 701 Main St – Jourdanton, TX 78026 – (830) 769-1380
Steinle Insurance – 801 Oak St – Jourdanton, TX 78026 – (830) 769-3524
Agency Captives
Captive agents are contracted to one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. These agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Picking a car insurance agent requires more thought than just the price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Texas?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
Once you have satisfactory answers to your questions as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that can properly insure your vehicles.
What about online companies that don’t have local agents?
Auto insurance agents are perfect for certain consumers, but you can also find affordable Texas auto insurance direct online. Some specific companies that sell primarily through agents also allow consumers to quote and buy online, and that can save time if you want to do it yourself.
If you’re uneasy about selecting your own policy coverages, this is a normal reaction for first-time shoppers. Online car insurance companies that allow you to purchase coverage provide toll-free numbers for getting the best coverage.
Do online companies have better rates? Many people think so, but it’s hard to say for sure because there are a lot of things which can adversely affect your policy premium. Some people will tell you that a customer who purchases direcly from an online company saves the commission normally paid to an agent. But that assumption is generally incorrect because there are very high advertising costs so this can offset any savings.
For price-conscious consumers, the only way of knowing if local insurance agents or online providers are cheaper is to get rates from both and compare them. Lots of times people will get different prices when comparing agent prices to online quotes from exactly the same company.
More information can be read on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance through this link. Texas consumers can find disaster information, download brochures, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
Other informative sites include QuoteClickInsure.com and QuoteClickSave.com.
In conclusion
When shopping online for auto insurance, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.
People change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including questionable increases in premium, policy non-renewal, delays in responding to claim requests and not issuing a premium refund. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new insurance company can be easier than you think.