Are you regretting the purchase of overpriced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you there are many people just like you. Big-name insurance companies like Allstate and Progressive all claim big savings with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and take the time to shop coverage around.
If you are insured now or are shopping for new coverage, you will benefit by learning to shop for the lowest rates and still get good coverage. Finding affordable coverage in Fort Worth is quite easy. Texas vehicle owners just need to know the proper methods to get comparison rates online.
Cheap Fort Worth car insurance rates with discounts
Some insurance providers don’t always publicize every available discount very well, so the list below gives a summary of a few of the more well known and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving when you .
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars and trucks with ABS and/or traction control have fewer accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. You can use this discount normally up until you turn 25.
- Driver Education Discount – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers enroll in driver’s education in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Switch and Save Discount – A few larger companies allow discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. It could save around 10% when you .
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
- New Vehicle Savings – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Fort Worth drivers who agree to allow their insurance company to spy on vehicle usage remotely such as Progressive’s Snapshot might get better premium rates as long as they are good drivers.
- Life Insurance – Select insurance carriers reward you with a small discount if you purchase some life insurance too.
- Claim Free – Insureds with no claims or accidents get the best car insurance rates when compared with frequent claim filers.
Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any amount of discount should help reduce your overall bill.
The best car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are shown below.
- GEICO has savings for air bags, membership and employees, multi-vehicle, daytime running lights, military active duty, and seat belt use.
- MetLife may offer discounts for accident-free, good student, good driver, defensive driver, multi-policy, and claim-free.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, multiple policy, multiple autos, and passive restraint.
- Progressive includes discounts for homeowner, online quote discount, good student, multi-vehicle, and online signing.
- Mercury Insurance discounts include type of vehicle, ease of repair, anti-theft, good student, low natural disaster claims, and age of vehicle.
- 21st Century may include discounts for student driver, homeowners, air bags, anti-lock brakes, automatic seat belts, and theft prevention.
- Allstate offers premium reductions for good student, multi-policy, economy car, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, teenSMART discount, and eSmart discount.
When getting a coverage quote, ask each insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. A few discounts may not be offered in Fort Worth.
Will just any policy work for me?
When choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions could help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
- Do no-fault laws apply in Texas?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- Is my Hyundai Tucson covered for flood damage?
- How do I file an SR-22 for a DUI in Texas?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.
You may need advice from a local insurance agent
Many drivers just want to visit with an insurance agent and doing that can be a smart decision Most agents can point out coverage gaps and help file insurance claims. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that you can find cheap car insurance quotes and also buy local.
To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, the coverage information is submitted to insurance agents in Fort Worth that provide for your insurance coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent to your email. If you need to get a price quote from a particular provider, you can always visit that company’s website and complete a quote there.
Picking the best provider requires more thought than just the price. Some important questions to ask are:
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Where would glass claims be handled in Fort Worth?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in Texas?
- Are they in the agency full-time?
- Do they have designations such as AIC, CPCU, or CIC?
If you are wanting to find a good insurance agency, there are a couple of types of insurance agents that you can choose from. Car insurance agencies can be classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. Both types can write car insurance policies, but it is a good idea to know how they differ because it can influence which type of agent you select.
Captive Agencies
Agents of this type can only provide one company’s prices and some examples include Allstate and State Farm. Captive agents cannot give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive insurance agents are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques and that enables them to sell even at higher rates.
Independent Agents
Independent agencies are normally appointed by many insurers so they can write business with multiple insurance companies and find the cheapest car insurance rates. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply switch companies in-house and you stay with the same agent. When comparing rates, you absolutely need to get some free quotes from at a minimum one independent agency for the best price selection.
Well known brands might not be cheapest
Consumers can’t get away from all the ads that promise big savings by companies like State Farm and Allstate. They all seem to have a common claim that you’ll save big if you move your car insurance policy to them.
How is it possible that every company can charge lower premium rates? Just pay attention to how they say it.
Insurance companies have specific criteria for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For instance, a driver they prefer should be between the ages of 30 and 50, has never had a claim, and has excellent credit. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters will get a cheap rate quote and will cut their rates substantially.
Consumers who cannot meet this ideal profile will see higher premium rates and the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” can save as much as they claim. This is how insurance companies can advertise the savings. Because of this risk profiling, you really need to get price quotes at each policy renewal. It is impossible to guess which car insurance company will have better auto insurance rates than you’re paying now.
Additional resources for Texas consumers
More detailed Texas car insurance information is located at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, view agent and company licensing information, read industry bulletins, and find out industry alerts.
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Parts of your car insurance policy
Knowing the specifics of a car insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are the usual coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for immediate expenses for things like hospital visits, prosthetic devices and surgery. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Auto collision coverage
Collision coverage pays for damage to your Tucson resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things like crashing into a ditch, hitting a mailbox, crashing into a building and colliding with a tree. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as theft, damage from a tornado or hurricane, damage from getting keyed and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Liability auto insurance
Liability insurance can cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability coverage protects against things such as legal defense fees, structural damage, attorney fees, medical services and pain and suffering. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Texas state law requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but drivers should carry more coverage.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Hyundai Tucson.
Since many Texas drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (which is 30/60/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked.
What is YOUR best insurance company?
Some car insurance companies may not have the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies work with independent agencies. Cheap Hyundai Tucson insurance can be found online and with local Fort Worth insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates.
In this article, we presented a lot of information how to lower your Hyundai Tucson insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from a small mutual company. They can often provide lower auto insurance rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as GEICO and State Farm.