I doubt anyone looks forward to paying premiums for auto insurance, especially when they know they are paying too much. Numerous insurers battle for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates to find the absolute lowest rate possible.
It’s a great practice to price shop coverage as often as possible because insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. If you had the lowest price on Pathfinder insurance six months ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to one of the best ways to find great coverage at a great price.
Components of Your Nissan Pathfinder Insurance Prices
Many things are part of the equation when you get a price on insurance. Some factors are common sense like a motor vehicle report, but others are more obscure such as your marital status and annual miles driven.
- Marriage discount – Having a wife or husband may save some money when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse usually means you are more financially stable and insurance companies like that married couples file fewer claims.
- Reserve insurance claims for larger damages – Auto insurance companies in Texas generally give lower rates to people who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of more catestrophic claims.
- Little extras can really add up – There are quite a few additional coverages that sound like a good idea at the time on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for things like replacement cost coverage, towing coverage, and additional equipment coverage may not be needed and are just wasting money. They may sound like good ideas when you first buy your policy, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so get rid of them and save.
- What are good liability insurance limits? – Liability coverage is the protection when you are responsible for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense coverage to defend your case. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
- How your age affects costs – Youthful drivers in Texas are proven to be easily distracted with other occupants in the car therefore auto insurance rates are much higher. Adding a inexperienced driver onto a policy can be quite pricey. More experienced drivers tend to be more responsible, are lower risk to insure and are safer drivers.
- More traffic equals higher rates – Being located in areas with lower population is a positive aspect when talking about auto insurance. Fewer drivers and short commutes translates into fewer accidents in addition to lower liability claims People who live in big cities have congested traffic and more time behind the wheel. The longer drive time means more chance of being in an accident.
- Optional features impact auto insurance rates – Buying a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Systems that thwart theives like OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all help prevent your car from being stolen.
- Cars with good safety ratings cost less to insure – Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles reduce occupant injuries and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
Take policy discounts and save
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you might be missing out on some discounts that you may not know about. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at the time of purchase, but a few must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.
- Theft Deterent System – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices prevent vehicle theft and earn discounts up to 10% off your .
- Auto/Home Discount – If you can bundle your homeowners and auto insurance with the same insurance company you could save up to 20% and get you .
- Federal Employees – Active or former government employment could cut as much as 10% off on Pathfinder insurance with some auto insurance companies.
- Accident Waiver – This one is not really a discount per se, but some companies like State Farm and Allstate will let one accident slide before your rates go up if your claims history is clear prior to being involved in the accident.
- Drivers Ed for Students – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers sucessfully take a driver\s education course if it’s offered in school.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low annual miles could qualify for lower rates due to less chance of an accident.
- Renewal Discounts – Some larger companies give discounts for buying a new policy before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Policy discounts save money, but some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, that’s just not realistic. But all discounts should definitely cut the cost of coverage.
The best auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide are detailed below.
- GEICO has discounts for multi-vehicle, anti-lock brakes, multi-policy, military active duty, and good student.
- Travelers includes discounts for driver training, new car, save driver, continuous insurance, hybrid/electric vehicle, student away at school, and IntelliDrive.
- Nationwide may offer discounts for accident-free, defensive driving, family plan, multi-policy, business or organization, Farm Bureau membership, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for alternative fuel, youthful driver, bundle discounts, early shopping, mature driver, and business and professional.
- Esurance policyholders can earn discounts including Switch & Save, online shopper, multi-car, paid-in-full, anti-theft, and multi-policy.
- State Farm has savings for driver’s education, anti-theft, passive restraint, defensive driving training, accident-free, and safe vehicle.
- Progressive may have discounts that include multi-vehicle, good student, homeowner, multi-policy, online quote discount, and online signing.
- Mercury Insurance discounts include annual mileage, ease of repair, location of vehicle, age of vehicle, and type of vehicle.
When getting , it’s a good idea to every company which discounts you qualify for. Some credits may not apply in your state.
Additional reading for auto insurance information
Much more information about auto insurance in Texas is located on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance through this link. Texas consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, view a list of available companies, and read industry bulletins.
The following information may also be useful.
Better coverage you can count on
Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available from both online companies in addition to many San Antonio insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies may not offer the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional carriers sell through independent agents.
As you , don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where someone dropped liability coverage limits and learned later that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to buy enough coverage at the best possible price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.