Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us, there are a lot of people in Texas just like you who feel imprisoned by their car insurance policy.
You have so many insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.
You should make it a habit to get comparison quotes before your policy renews because prices change frequently. Just because you had the best rates on LS1 coverage a couple years back you may be paying too much now. Starting right now, block out anything you think you know about car insurance because I’m going to teach you one of the quickest ways to find better rates and still maintain coverage.
How to Lower Your Car Insurance Cost in Texas
Effectively comparing car insurance prices can take time and effort if you don’t utilize the most efficient way to do it. You can waste hours discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in your area, or you can utilize online quoting to get pricing more quickly.
All the larger companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to only type in their quote data once, and each company then gives them pricing based on that data. This saves time by eliminating quote forms to each company. To use this form to compare rates click to open in new window.
One minor caviat to using this type of form is you cannot specify the providers you want to price. If you prefer to choose from a list of companies to receive pricing from, we have a listing of the cheapest car insurance companies in Texas. Click here for list of insurance companies in Texas.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but compare exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If you have differing limits it will be next to impossible to make an equal comparison. Slightly different coverage limits may result in large price differences. It’s important to know that comparing a large number of companies gives you a better chance of getting the best rates.
Cut your premium with these ten discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you can get discounts that you may not even be aware of. Most are applied at the time you complete a quote, but some must be asked for in order for you to get them.
- No Accidents – Claim-free drivers can save substantially as compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
- Defensive Driving Course – Completing a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Clubs and Organizations – Belonging to a qualifying organization may earn a discount on car insurance on LS1 coverage.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Owning a home can save you money because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts up to 30%.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to wear their seat belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Early Signing – Select companies give a discount for switching policies before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So when it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will cut the cost of coverage.
To choose insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Texas, click here to view.
What is the best insurance coverage?
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s needs are different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
- Should I buy additional glass protection?
- Do no-fault laws apply in Texas?
- Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Texas?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Texas?
- Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
- Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Much more information about car insurance in Texas is located on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Texas drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, get help finding coverage, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
The following articles may also be useful.
Auto insurance 101
Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are the usual coverages available from car insurance companies.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision)
Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like rock chips in glass, hail damage and damage from getting keyed. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Medical expense insurance
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses for things like chiropractic care, prosthetic devices, ambulance fees and rehabilitation expenses. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Coverage for collisions
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for things such as colliding with a tree, crashing into a building, colliding with another moving vehicle and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers
Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Saturn LS1.
Since many Texas drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (30/60/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time these limits are set the same as your liablity limits.
Liability auto insurance
Liability coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for claims such as structural damage, court costs, loss of income, medical services and funeral expenses. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford. Texas state minimum liability requirements are 30,000/60,000/25,000 but drivers should carry more coverage.
Shop smart and save
Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to compare Saturn LS1 insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the best price on car insurance is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. These companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.
When shopping online for car insurance, it’s not a good idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many instances, someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage to discover at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford.