Tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul to insure your vehicles every month? You are no different than many other drivers in Texas.
You have so many insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s nice to have a choice, it can be more difficult to adequately compare rates.
You should make it a habit to compare rates periodically because rates go up and down regularly. Even if you got the lowest rates a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you’re about to find out the proper way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.
Locating the best coverage in Brownwood can be fairly easy. Basically, every vehicle owner who is shopping for auto insurance should be able to cut their insurance bill. But Texas drivers do need to know how insurance companies determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.
Discounts are basically free money
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at the time of quoting, but a few need to be manually applied prior to getting the savings.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of 20% or more.
- Own a Home – Owning a home in Brownwood may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
- Resident Student – Kids in college who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Save with a New Car – Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Defensive Driving Course – Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
- Life Insurance Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase life insurance.
- Use Seat Belts – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt can save up to 15% off your medical payments premium.
It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though it sounds like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you’re out of luck. But all discounts will help reduce your premiums.
Cheap Brownwood Auto Insurance Comparisons
To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways to compare rate quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. The best method to find competitive insurance rates is to get quotes online. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.
The single most time-saving way to get the best comparison quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison click here to open form in new window. This easy form eliminates the need for separate quote forms for every auto insurance company. A single, simple form will get you rate comparisons direct from many companies.
A slightly less efficient method to analyze rates requires you to visit the website of each company to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let’s assume you want rates from State Farm, Liberty Mutual and Progressive. To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site to input your insurance information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to insurance companies in Brownwood, click here.
The least recommended way to compare rates is to spend time driving to different Brownwood agent offices. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you require the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. However, consumers can price shop online but still have the advice of a local agent.
However you get your quotes, make sure you use exactly the same coverage information for each comparison quote. If you are comparing different liability limits you will not be able to determine the lowest rate in Brownwood. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. Keep in mind that obtaining a wide range of quotes will enable you to find a better price.
Save Money with These Tips
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.
- Poor driving leads to higher costs – Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Only having one citation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets like DUI or reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
- High credit ratings translate to low rates – Credit history is a important factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. If your credit history is not that good, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with high credit scores tend to be more responsible than those with lower credit scores.
- How your age affects price – Teenage drivers in Texas are statistically proven to get distracted easily behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Adding a youthful driver to your policy can really hurt. Older drivers are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.
- Higher deductibles cost less – Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims could be colliding with a building, damage from fire, or theft. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. The more you’re willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Protect your assets with liability insurance – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide you with a defense in court starting from day one. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not skimp.
- More claims means more premium – If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance companies in Texas award cheaper rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of larger claims.
- Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company and thus lower rates.
Online quotes with a local Brownwood insurance agent
Certain consumers prefer to get advice from a local agent. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is that you can obtain the best rates but also keep your business local. And supporting local businesses is especially important in Brownwood.
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, the quote information is sent to local insurance agents who will battle for your insurance coverage. There is no need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. How cool is that?! Get lower rates AND a local agent.
The difference between Brownwood car insurance agents
When finding a good Brownwood insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agents that you can select. Agents are classified as either captive or independent.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When comparison shopping, it’s a good idea to include at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Brownwood that can give you comparison quotes.
Bob Wall Insurance – 514 Early Blvd – Brownwood, TX 76802 – (325) 643-6550
Porter Insurance – 100 N Fisk Ave – Brownwood, TX 76801 – (325) 646-9586
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agencies write business for a single company such as American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They are unable to compare other company’s rates so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Listed below are captive agents in Brownwood that can give you rate quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 3712 Austin Ave – Brownwood, TX 76801 – (325) 643-4243
State Farm Insurance – 807 Center Ave # C – Brownwood, TX 76801 – (325) 646-8600
Farm Bureau Insurance – 2450 Highway 377 S – Brownwood, TX 76801 – (325) 646-5516
To view a complete directory of auto insurance agents in Brownwood, view this link.
Deciding on a car insurance agent should depend on more than just the price. Some important questions to ask are:
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Texas?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Who are their largest clients?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
Upon receiving positive responses to your questions and a low price estimate, you’ve probably found a car insurance agent that meets your needs to provide auto insurance coverage.
Can you really save that much by switching?
Auto insurance companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make the same claim of big savings after switching to their company. How do they all make almost identical claims?
All companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. A good example of a preferred risk could possibly be between 25 and 40, insures multiple vehicles, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.
Drivers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile will have to pay a higher premium and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way companies can advertise the savings.
Because of the profiling, you should get a wide range of price quotes. It’s impossible to know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Best coverage at the best price
As you prepare to switch companies, you should never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can get a better price on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the lowest priced auto insurance comes from an unexpected company. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
Additional auto insurance information is available on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance found here. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out industry alerts, file complaints about a company, and read state legal mandates and laws.