Finding the cheapest Brownsville auto insurance on the internet may be difficult for consumers new to comparison shopping online. When there are so many online companies, how can anyone even start to compare every company to locate the cheapest available price?
It’s a good idea to price shop coverage at least once a year since rates are constantly changing. If you had the lowest price a year ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to find out one of the easiest ways to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.
Comparison of Auto Insurance in Brownsville, TX
All the larger auto insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive quote prices for coverage on the web. This process doesn’t take much effort as you just enter the amount of coverage you want into the quote form. When the form is submitted, the company’s rating system will order your credit score and driving record and returns a price based on these and other factors.
This streamlines rate comparisons, but the work required to visit several different sites and complete many quote forms is not the best way to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, it is important to perform this step if you want to find better prices.
There is an easier way!
The smarter way to find cheaper rates requires only one form that gets price quotes from a bunch of companies at once. It’s a real time-saver, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes price shopping online much more enjoyable. After your information is entered, it is quoted and you can select any or none of the quotes returned. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and purchase the new policy. The whole process takes just a few minutes to complete and you’ll know if lower rates are available.
If you want to compare pricing, click here to open in a new tab and begin entering your coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you copy identical to your current policy. This helps ensure you will get a price comparison for similar insurance coverage.
Verify you’re getting all your discounts
Auto insurance companies do not advertise every discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both well-publicized as well as the least known auto insurance savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you are throwing money away.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Having multiple cars or trucks on one policy qualifies for this discount.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with one company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
- Life Insurance Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Buying car insurance locally
Certain consumers would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. Licensed agents can point out coverage gaps and give you peace of mind. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is you may find the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Upon completion of this simple form, your insurance coverage information is sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide.
Selecting an insurer requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Texas?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- How long has their agency been in business in Brownsville?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
Is a captive or independent car insurance agent right for you?
When looking for local Brownsville agents, you need to know there are two different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents are either independent or captive. Both write coverage properly, but it’s good to learn the differences since it can impact the type of agent you choose
Agency Captives
Captive agents are contracted to one company and some examples include Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies are trained well on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers sometimes purchase coverage from captives mostly because of the prominence of the brand and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
The following are captive insurance agents in Brownsville that can give you price quote information.
- Farmers Insurance Group – 1514 E Los Ebanos Blvd – Brownsville, TX 78520 – (956) 541-7033
- Allstate Insurance – 900 E Alton Gloor Blvd – Brownsville, TX 78526 – (956) 554-4961
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency. When comparison shopping, we recommend you contact at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from. Many write coverage with lesser-known insurance companies which can be an advantage.
Shown below is a list of independent agents in Brownsville that can give you comparison quotes.
- S Petrarca Insurance – 700 Paredes Ave – Brownsville, TX 78521 – (956) 546-1551
- Teachers Agency – 405 W Jefferson St – Brownsville, TX 78520 – (956) 546-3663
- Bob Sales Insurance – 1313 E Alton Gloor Blvd # E – Brownsville, TX 78526 – (956) 542-5331
- Kay Conly Agency – 2401 Boca Chica Blvd – Brownsville, TX 78521 – (956) 542-0222
- Spencer Gaille Agency – 1140 Paredes Line Rd – Brownsville, TX 78521 – (956) 541-4848
To view a full list of Brownsville insurance agents, view this link.
Upon getting acceptable answers to any questions you have and locked in a price quote, you may have just found an insurance agent that is a good match to adequately provide auto insurance. But remember, policyholders can terminate coverage at any point so don’t think that you are obligated to your new company with no way out.
Auto insurance policy specifics
Learning about specific coverages of auto insurance can be of help when determining which coverages you need for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Collision coverages – This coverage covers damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for things like rolling your car, driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch and hitting a parking meter. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive coverages – Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like a broken windshield, damage from flooding and hitting a deer. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Liability – This coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show values of 100/300/100 which means a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability insurance covers claims such as funeral expenses, structural damage, attorney fees and bail bonds. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Texas requires drivers to carry at least 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.
Coverage for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for short-term medical expenses for things like hospital visits, nursing services, dental work and pain medications. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many Texas drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (30/60/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.
Summing up your auto insurance search
As you prepare to switch companies, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where someone dropped collision coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
Lower-priced auto insurance can be sourced from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Brownsville agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who may not provide online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
People leave their current company for many reasons like denial of a claim, questionable increases in premium, unfair underwriting practices and policy non-renewal. Regardless of your reason, finding a great new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
Additional Texas consumer information
Additional detailed information is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out which companies have the most complaints, and discover disciplinary actions.
Other informative sites include this resource for Texas auto insurance prices and see this list of insurance agents in Brownsville.