Sick and tired of wondering where the money will come from to pay car insurance each month? You’re in the same situation as millions of other drivers. Many car insurance companies compete for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurance companies and uncover the absolute lowest rate
It is always a good idea to compare premium rates every six months since insurance prices are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you had the best price on C350 insurance a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rate quotes now. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about car insurance online but in a few minutes you can learn some tested techniques to find affordable car insurance.
Are you qualifying for every discount?
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list the entire discount list very well, so the list below details some of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts that you may qualify for.
- Use Seat Belts – Forcing all vehicle occupants to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off the medical payments premium.
- Paperwork-free – Some of the larger companies will give a small break on their website.
- Early Signing – A few insurance companies offer discounts for renewing your policy before your current expiration date. It can save you around 10%.
- Accident Waiver – This one isn’t a discount, but a handful of insurance companies will let one accident slide without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a specific time period.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Theft Prevention System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs optioned with advanced anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and earn discounts up to 10% off your .
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for all your vehicles on the same car insurance policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
- Organization Discounts – Participating in a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.
- No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Onboard Data Collection – Drivers that enable their company to spy on vehicle usage by installing a telematics device such as Progressive’s Snapshot could save a few bucks if they have good driving habits.
We need to note that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, it’s just not the way it works.
Insurance companies that have these money-saving discounts include:
If you need , ask all the companies how you can save money. All car insurance discounts might not apply in your state.
Shopping for lower car insurance rates can be challenging if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way to do it. You can spend your afternoon driving to agents in Dallas, or you could use online quoting to achieve your goal.
Most major companies enroll in a system where prospective buyers enter their policy data once, and at least one company can give them a price based on that data. This prevents consumers from doing quotation requests to each individual car insurance company. To compare rates now click here (opens in new window).
The one downside to doing it this way is buyers cannot specifically choose the insurers you want pricing from. If you prefer to choose from a list of companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Texas. Click here to view list.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, do your best to enter exactly the same information for every quote you compare. If you enter different deductibles you will not be able to make a fair rate comparison in Dallas. Even a minor difference in coverage limits could throw off the whole comparison. Just remember that getting more free quotes will improve the odds of getting the best rates. Not every company provides prices over the internet, so it’s recommended that you also compare price estimates from them, too.
Auto insurance agents near you
Some people just want to get advice from a local agent and doing so can bring peace of mind An additional benefit of comparing rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get cheap rate quotes and still have an agent to talk to. Putting coverage with neighborhood agents is still important in Dallas.
By using this quick form, your information is sent to local insurance agents that can give you for your coverage. There is no reason to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent straight to your inbox. It’s the lowest rates without requiring a lot of work. If you want to compare prices from a specific company, don’t hesitate to navigate to their website to submit a rate quote request.
Choose an insurance agent wisely
If you want to buy car insurance from a good insurance agency, you need to know there are two types of agencies and how they function. Car insurance agents are categorized either captive or independent.
Independent Car Insurance Agents
Agents in the independent channel are not restriced to one company and that enables them to quote your coverage through many different car insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, your policy is moved internally which requires no work on your part. When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you include several independent insurance agents in order to have the best price comparison.
Captive Car Insurance Agents
Agents of this type write business for a single company and some examples include State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies are usually well trained on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Choosing an car insurance agent requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Here are some questions to ask:
- Are they in the agency full-time?
- Do they prorate repair cost based on vehicle mileage?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Can they help ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
Car insurance coverage breakdown
Having a good grasp of a car insurance policy can help you determine the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are the normal coverages available from car insurance companies.
UM/UIM Coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many Texas drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (30/60/25 in Texas), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things like rock chips in glass, a broken windshield, damage from a tornado or hurricane and hitting a bird. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Medical costs insurance – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for bills for pain medications, surgery, nursing services and dental work. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Collision – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against things such as colliding with a tree, crashing into a ditch, backing into a parked car and crashing into a building. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability auto insurance – This coverage can cover damage that occurs to people or other property. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 which stand for a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability coverage pays for claims like medical services, funeral expenses, structural damage and bail bonds. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford. Texas state law requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
Compare but don’t skimp
We just covered a lot of tips how to reduce Mercedes-Benz C350 insurance rates online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. These companies may only write in your state and offer lower auto insurance rates compared to the large companies like Allstate or State Farm.
While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t reduce needed coverages to save money. In too many instances, an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
To find out more about Texas car insurance
More information can be read on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance located here. Texas drivers can read industry bulletins, download brochures, find out which companies have the most complaints, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
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