Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us, you’re not alone.
You have multiple auto insurance companies to buy insurance from, and although it’s nice to have a choice, it can be more difficult to find the best rates for your vehicles.
Choosing the best insurance company for you in Burleson is not rocket science. In a nutshell, everyone who is required by state law to have car insurance should be able to reduce their rates. But Texas drivers do need to learn the way insurance companies compete online and take advantage of how the system works.
Burleson Car Insurance Quote Comparison
Comparing car insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don’t know the easiest way. You could waste time driving to local insurance agents in Burleson, or you could use the web to accomplish the same thing much quicker.
Many companies participate in a marketplace that enables customers to submit one quote, and each company returns a rated price for coverage. This eliminates the need for quote requests for each company.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here to open in new window.
One minor caviat to using this type of form is you don’t know exactly which companies you want pricing from. If you wish to select from a list of companies for rate comparison, we put together a list of car insurance companies in Texas. View list of Texas insurance companies.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles for every company. If you have unequal deductibles or liability limits you can’t possibly make an equal comparison in Burleson. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just remember that getting more free quotes will increase your chances of finding the best offered rates.
Car insurance ads bend the truth
Companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive regularly use ads in print and on television. All the ads have a common claim that you can save if you move to them. How do they all say the same thing?
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a preferred risk could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, insures multiple vehicles, and drives newer vehicles. Any driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.
Drivers who are not a match for these standards will be charged a higher premium and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state “people who switch” not “people who quote” save money. That’s the way companies can advertise the savings. That is why you should quote coverage with many companies. It’s impossible to know which company will fit your personal profile best.
Discounts are basically free money
Auto insurance companies do not list every available discount very clearly, so we researched both the well known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.
- Student in College – Children living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus may be able to be covered for less.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Sign Online – Certain companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
- 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Which insurance is the “right” coverage?
When buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions could help you determine whether your personal situation may require specific advice.
- Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
- Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
- When would I need additional glass coverage?
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Texas?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Even more information can be read at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Consumers can read consumer alerts, read state legal mandates and laws, and find out industry alerts.
Car insurance coverage information
Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find the usual coverages offered by car insurance companies.
Liability insurance – This protects you from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 bodily injury coverage, $100,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability can pay for claims such as legal defense fees, pain and suffering and bail bonds. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but consider buying as much as you can afford. Texas requires drivers to carry at least 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – This protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law (30/60/25 in Texas), their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – This covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as fire damage, vandalism, damage from flooding and hail damage. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision – This will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers claims such as crashing into a ditch, colliding with a tree and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Insurance for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for expenses for EMT expenses, nursing services and dental work. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Buy online or local, you save
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where an insured cut liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
In this article, we presented some good ideas how to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the best price on car insurance is with some of the lesser-known companies. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
Cheaper car insurance is available both online and with local Burleson insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.