Price shopping your Brenham auto insurance is always nearly impossible for beginners to comparison shopping online. Consumers have so many companies to choose from that it can be a real challenge to locate the lowest price in Brenham.
Consumers should take time to do rate comparisons at least once a year because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates a year ago you can probably find a better price now. There is a lot of bad information regarding auto insurance online but we’re going to give you some tested techniques to quit paying high auto insurance rates.
Finding Auto Insurance Deals in Brenham
Getting better auto insurance pricing isn’t really that difficult. You just have to invest a little time to compare rate quotes online from several insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.
The first (and easiest) way to get quotes for comparison would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This method eliminates the need for separate quotation requests for each company you want a rate for. Completing one form gets rate comparisons from auto insurance companies with the best prices.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
A less efficient way to get comparison quotes requires a trip to each individual company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For sake of this example, let’s assume you want to compare rates from Nationwide, Progressive and GMAC. To get rate quotes you would need to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Brenham, click here.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make darn sure you compare the exact same coverage limits for every quote you compare. If each company quotes different values for each quote you can’t possibly determine which rate is truly the best in Brenham.
Can you really save that much by switching?
Consumers in Texas get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you change your policy.
How does each company claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured might be over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and chooses high deductibles. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.
Consumers who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile will have to pay more money and ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. That is how insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings.
Because of the profiling, you absolutely need to get quotes from several different companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
You have some control over your rates
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that help determine auto insurance rates. Understanding what determines base rates enables informed choices that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.
The following are a partial list of the pieces auto insurance companies consider when setting rates.
- Bump up deductibles to save – Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and windstorm damage. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Lower miles equals lower premium – The more miles you rack up on your car in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies apply a rate based on their usage. Cars used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. Double check that your auto insurance policy is rated on how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.
- Being married can save on auto insurance – Being married helps lower the price on auto insurance. Having a spouse translates into being more mature and statistics show being married results in fewer claims.
- More people means more accidents – Residing in a rural area can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. Drivers in populated areas have to deal with much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
- The type of vehicle makes a difference – The make and model of the vehicle you drive makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. The lowest base rates are generally reserved for small economy passenger vehicles, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
- Do men or women drive better? – Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men have accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage. Men also receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
- Traffic violations increase rates – Your driving citation history has a huge affect on how much you pay. Just one speeding ticket can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as DUI or reckless driving may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
- Don’t cancel a policy without a new one in place – Not having insurance is against the law and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage lapse. And not only will your rates increase, but not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.You may have to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Texas motor vehicle department.
Are you getting all your discounts?
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be applied when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied prior to receiving the credit. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Senior Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
- Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents pay less when compared to frequent claim filers.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts up to 30%.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Paperwork-free – A few companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies permit an accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky. But all discounts will reduce your overall premium however.
To see a list of providers with the best auto insurance discounts in Brenham, click here to view.
Affordable insurance is out there
We just presented some good ideas how to get a better price on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company.
Insureds leave their current company for a number of reasons such as delays in responding to claim requests, policy non-renewal, high prices or an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, finding a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
For more information
Additional auto insurance information can be found on the Texas Department of Insurance website found here. Texas drivers can learn about specific coverages, read industry bulletins, learn about insurance regulations, and find out which companies have the most complaints.