Texas consumers have many options when looking for affordable Ford Escape insurance. You can either spend your time driving around getting price quotes or utilize the internet to find the lowest rates. There are both good and bad ways to find car insurance online so you’re going to learn the absolute fastest way to price shop coverage for your Ford and obtain the lowest possible price either online or from Texas insurance agents.
Consumers need to do rate comparisons at least once a year since rates go up and down regularly. Just because you found the best price for Escape insurance six months ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Starting right now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re going to learn the easiest way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.
Finding affordable coverage is quite easy. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these techniques. But Texas vehicle owners can benefit from knowing how the larger insurance companies price insurance differently and take advantage of how the system works.
Ford Escape insurance rates are influenced by…
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.
The list below includes a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate prices.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Owning a car with an alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can help prevent your car from being stolen.
- Where you live is a factor – Choosing to live in a small town is a positive aspect when it comes to car insurance. City drivers have to deal with more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Lower population means reduced accidents and a lower car theft rate.
- High deductibles save money – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend before your car insurance pays a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. The more expense you have to pay, the less your car insurance will be for Escape insurance.
- Older drivers pay less – Teen drivers in Texas tend to get distracted easily in a vehicle so they pay higher car insurance rates. Mature drivers are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel.
- Your occupation can affect rates – Occupations such as real estate brokers, business owners and stock brokers have the highest rates because of high stress and lengthy work days. On the other hand, occupations like scientists, students and the unemployed get better rates for Escape insurance.
- Don’t let your coverage lapse – Driving with no insurance can get your license suspended and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage have a gap. And not only will your rates increase, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a revoked license or a big fine.
Do you qualify for a discount?
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the more common as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.
- Homeowners Discount – Owning a house can help you save on car insurance because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
- Defensive Driver – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount for Escape insurance depending on your company.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
- Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Organization Discounts – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when shopping for car insurance for Escape insurance.
Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Are insurance agents a thing of the past?
Certain consumers prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is you can get the lowest rates but also keep your business local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, your information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates and work with a local agent.
Deciding on a company requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- How long has their agency been open?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
What type of Texas insurance agent is right for you?
When searching for a reliable agent, there are two types of agencies from which to choose. Agents are classified as either captive or independent.
Captive Agents
This type of agents can only write with one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are not able to provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. They are trained well on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Some consumers prefer to buy from captive agents partially due to high brand loyalty and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agencies do not work for one specific company but rather can write business with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can switch companies and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to include price quotes from at least one independent agent to ensure the widest selection of prices. Most have the option of insuring with lesser-known insurance companies which may provide better rates.
To view a complete directory of car insurance agents in Texas, click here.
After receiving answers to your satisfaction to these questions and a low price estimate, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that will service your policy.
Can you really save $480 a year?
Car insurance providers like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all say the same thing about savings if you change your coverage to them. But how can every company make the same claim?
Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. A customer who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.
Drivers who don’t qualify for the requirements will be quoted higher rates and ends up with business not being written. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save that much money. That’s the way companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This emphasizes why it’s extremely important to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.
Your personal situation dictates your coverage
When it comes to choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Every situation is different.
For example, these questions can aid in determining if you would benefit from professional advice.
- What are the financial responsibility laws in Texas?
- Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
- Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Texas?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.
Even more information is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read state legal mandates and laws, learn about specific coverages, discover disciplinary actions, and read industry bulletins.
Final considerations
As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. Too many times, an insured cut physical damage coverage only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to compare Ford Escape insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
Budget-conscious Ford Escape insurance can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Texas, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.