No one in their right mind looks forward to buying car insurance, in particular when their premiums are too high. Numerous insurance companies battle for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurers and get the definite lowest rate possible.
If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you can follow these tips to reduce the price you pay while maximizing coverage. Finding affordable coverage in San Antonio is easy if you know what you’re doing. Texas consumers just need to understand the proper methods to compare rates over the internet.
Car Insurance Prices in San Antonio
Getting a cheaper price on insurance is not rocket science. Consumers just need to spend a little time to get quotes from different insurance companies. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
- The most efficient way to compare a lot of rates at once is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for each company. Just one form gets you price quotes .
- A slightly less efficient method to find lower rates requires a trip to the website of each company and request a quote. For example, let’s say you want rates from Farmers, Allstate and Liberty Mutual. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to insurance companies in San Antonio, click here.
- The least efficient method to get comparison rates is driving around to different San Antonio agent offices. Shopping for car insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the professional guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, price shop online but buy from a local insurance agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you use apples-to-apples coverage information with each company. If each company quotes different deductibles it’s impossible to find the best deal in San Antonio.
These discounts can slash car insurance rates
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but companies offer discounts to cut the cost considerably. Most are applied when you complete an application, but a few must be manually applied before you get the savings. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.
- E-sign – A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing over the internet.
- College Student – Youth drivers living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
- Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.
To choose companies with discount car insurance rates in Texas, click here.
Comparing rates from local agents
Some consumers would prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is just fine! Licensed agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help submit paperwork. The best thing about price shopping on the web is that you can obtain better rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting small agencies is important especially in San Antonio.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is immediately sent to insurance agents in San Antonio who will battle for your coverage. There is no need to leave your computer due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. How’s that for easy!
Best car insurance agent in San Antonio
When researching an insurance agent, there are a couple of different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in San Antonio are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. Both types can write coverage properly, but it’s worth mentioning how they differ because it can influence the selection process.
Independent Agents
Independent agents do not work for one specific company but instead can place your coverage with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part.
When comparison shopping, you should always get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from.
Listed below is a list of independent insurance agencies in San Antonio that are able to give competitive price quotes.
Ed Sacre Insurance – 7330 San Pedro Ave # 170 – San Antonio, TX 78216 – (210) 525-1415
Alamo Area Agency – 6146 Spring Vly – San Antonio, TX 78247 – (210) 590-8600
Frost Insurance Agency Inc – 10000 W Ih 10 # 200 – San Antonio, TX 78230 – (210) 220-6420
Payless Auto Insurance – 4615 W Commerce St – San Antonio, TX 78237 – (210) 436-4366
Harold James Agency – 8930 Fourwinds Dr # 355 – San Antonio, TX 78239 – (210) 599-2178
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agencies write business for a single company and examples are American Family, State Farm and Allstate. These agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents.
Listed below is a list of captive insurance agents in San Antonio that can give you rate quotes.
Farmers Insurance Group – 1828 Grandstand Dr – San Antonio, TX 78238 – (210) 520-7820
Liberty Mutual Insurance – 700 N Saint Marys St – San Antonio, TX 78205 – (210) 527-9497
Allstate Insurance – 16845 Blanco Rd # 102b – San Antonio, TX 78232 – (210) 492-5744
Farm Bureau Insurance – 2391 NE Loop 410 – San Antonio, TX 78217 – (210) 656-2200
State Farm Insurance – 3505 Wurzbach Rd # 101 – San Antonio, TX 78238 – (210) 681-2790
For a complete listing of captive insurance agencies in San Antonio, simply jump to this page.
Selecting a car insurance agent should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. These questions are important to ask:
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
Once you have reasonable responses for all questions you ask as well as a affordable price, it’s possible that you found an insurance agent that will properly service your car insurance policy.
It’s not one size fits all
When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Every insured’s situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if your situation may require specific advice.
- Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
- Do I benefit by insuring my home with the same company?
- When should I not file a claim?
- Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
- Am I covered when driving a rental car?
- How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
- Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.
Lower your San Antonio Car Insurance Rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with big savings.
Listed below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into rates.
- Little extras can really add up – There are a ton of extra bells and whistles you can purchase when buying car insurance. Coverages like personal injury protection, better glass coverage and membership fees may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so get rid of them and save.
- The more you drive the more you pay – The more miles you rack up on your car each year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. The majority of insurers charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Vehicles that are left in the garage get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Verify your car insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven.
- Mature drivers pay less – Older insureds tend to be more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations. Youthful drivers are statistically proven to get distracted easily when behind the wheel and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
- High credit ratings translate to low rates – A driver’s credit rating is a important factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with poor credit. If your credit can use some improvement, you could be paying less to insure your by repairing your credit.
- Do you have enough liability coverage? – Liability insurance will protect you if ever you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide you with a defense in court up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
- Your car insurance rates can be influenced by your job – Careers like doctors, executives and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates due to high stress levels and long work hours. On the other hand, occupations such as farmers, students and retirees pay the least.
Don’t believe everything you hear
Consumers in Texas can’t ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. All the ads make an identical promise about savings if you move your policy.
How do they all claim to save you money?
All companies have a certain “appetite” for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a preferred risk could possibly be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and drives newer vehicles. A driver who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Potential customers who do not match this ideal profile will have to pay higher rates which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can claim big savings.
Because of the profiling, you should compare as many rates as you can. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.
Keep this in mind
We covered a lot of techniques to get a better price on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and GEICO.
When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, an insured dropped full coverage and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
Additional information is located on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance located here. Texas consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, get help finding coverage, find disaster information, and download brochures.
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