No one gets a kick out of paying for car insurance, especially when they know their premiums are too high. Companies like State Farm and GEICO persitently shower you with advertising and consumers find it hard to see through the deception and take the time to shop coverage around.
You need to compare prices quite often because car insurance prices change frequently. Just because you found the lowest quotes for Malibu insurance last year there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the best methods to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
The best way to compare insurance rates from multiple companies is to know auto insurance companies pay for the opportunity to compare their rates. The one thing you need to do is provide a little information like how much coverage you want, your general credit rating, whether you drive to work or school, and driver details. That information is instantly provided to insurance carriers in your area and they return cost estimates quickly.
To start a quote now, click here and see if a lower rate is available.
Car insurance ads bend the truth
Texas drivers can’t get away from all the ads that claim the cheapest auto insurance rates from the likes of Allstate and Progressive. All the companies have a common claim of big savings after switching to them.
But how can every company give you a better price? Just pay attention to how they say it.
Insurance companies have underwriting criteria for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured might be between 30 and 50, has few claims, and drives newer vehicles. A customer that matches those criteria receive the lowest rate quotes and will probably save money with a new company.
Consumers who don’t measure up to the “perfect” profile will probably be forced to pay higher prices which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “drivers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” will save that much if they switch. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do. Different companies use different criteria so drivers must do a rate comparison at every renewal. It is impossible to predict with any certainty which company will have better rates than you’re paying now.
You may qualify for discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t list every policy discount very clearly, so the list below contains a few of the more common and also the more inconspicuous savings tricks you should be using when you .
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents could pay up to 40% less for Malibu insurance as compared to drivers with claims.
- Driver Safety – Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could earn you a small percentage discount if your company offers it.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Good drivers with no accidents get the best car insurance rates when compared to bad drivers.
- Telematics Discount – Austin drivers who agree to allow their insurance company to analyze vehicle usage by using a telematics device like In-Drive from State Farm and Progressive’s Snapshot may get a rate reduction if they show good driving skills.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you can combine your home and auto policy with one insurance company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
Just know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck.
Large car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be read below.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for homeowner, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, online signing, multi-policy, good student, and continuous coverage.
- The Hartford may offer discounts for air bag, anti-theft, bundle, defensive driver, driver training, and vehicle fuel type.
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include good student, accident-free, good driver, annual mileage, anti-theft, multi-car, and location of vehicle.
- GEICO discounts include good student, anti-lock brakes, federal employee, driver training, defensive driver, and multi-policy.
- AAA may include discounts for AAA membership discount, good student, pay-in-full, multi-car, multi-policy, education and occupation, and anti-theft.
- State Farm includes discounts for good driver, defensive driving training, anti-theft, good student, and passive restraint.
If you are trying to find , ask every insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not apply in your area.
Car insurance is available from your local insurance agencies
Many people just want to talk to an insurance agent and that can be a great decision Professional insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. One of the benefits of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find the best rates and still have a local agent.
After completing this short form, the quote information is sent to insurance agents in Austin who will gladly provide quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t even need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent immediately to you. If you want to compare prices from one company in particular, don’t hesitate to find their quoting web page and complete a quote there.
Picking the best insurer needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Below are some questions you should ask.
- When do they do a full risk review?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
- Does the agency have a current Errors and Omissions policy?
- Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
If you need to find local Austin agents, there are a couple of types of agencies and how they work. Agents in Austin are classified as either captive agents or independent agents. Either type can handle car insurance, but it is important to understand how they are different since it can affect your selection of an agent.
Captive Agencies
Captive agents can only place business with one company such as Allstate, AAA, Farmers Insurance, and State Farm. These agents are unable to provide other company’s prices so keep that in mind. Captive agents are well schooled on what they offer and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
Independent Car Insurance Agents
Agents of this type often have many company appointments so they can quote policies with a variety of different insurance companies and find the cheapest rate. If they find a lower price, they can switch companies in-house without you having to go to a different agency.
When shopping rates, you definitely need to check rates from at a minimum one independent agency to get the most accurate price comparison.
After receiving acceptable answers to your questions as well as quotes, it’s a good possibility that you have found an insurance agency that is a good match to insure your vehicles.
Auto insurance 101
Understanding the coverages of a car insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. These are the normal coverages offered by car insurance companies.
Coverage for medical expenses
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for bills for X-ray expenses, doctor visits and pain medications. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Liability coverage
This can cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 which means $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability can pay for things like funeral expenses, court costs, structural damage and loss of income. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible. Texas requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (30/60/25 in Texas), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Comprehensive car insurance
This pays to fix your vehicle from 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 coverage pays for claims such as damage from flooding, rock chips in glass and hitting a deer. The maximum amount your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision coverage protection
Collision insurance pays for damage to your Malibu caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as scraping a guard rail, driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch and crashing into a building. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.
You can lower your rates
While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where an insured cut liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford and still be able to protect your assets.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to compare Chevy Malibu insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from some of the lesser-known companies. They may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.
Even more information can be read at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, view agent and company licensing information, and download brochures.
The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Austin