Sick and tired of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other Texas drivers.
Online insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO and Farmers Insurance continually bombard you with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to avoid their marketing magic and find the best price available.
It’s smart to shop coverage around on a regular basis because insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you had the lowest price for Pilot insurance a few years ago there may be better deals available now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re about to find out how to use online quotes to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.
Do you qualify for a discount?
Car insurance companies don’t always publicize all available discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of both well-publicized and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
- Multi-car Discount – Insuring more than one vehicle with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less as compared to frequent claim filers.
- Save over 55 – Older drivers may qualify for reduced rates for Pilot insurance.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers may receive a discount up to 45% less for Pilot insurance than their less cautious counterparts.
- Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
- Early Signing – Some companies give discounts for switching policies before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
But buying car insurance online seems impersonal
A small number of people just want to buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain lower rates but also keep your business local.
To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, your information gets sent to local insurance agents who will compete for your coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. How cool is that?! You can find the lowest rates and work with a local agent.
Selecting a company should depend on more than just the premium amount. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
How to choose the best insurance agency in Texas
When researching a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two types of agencies that you can select. Texas agents are either independent or captive.
Captive Agents
Captive agencies work for only one company and examples are State Farm or Allstate. Captives cannot give you multiple price quotes so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agents are very knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you include price quotes from at least one independent agent to have the most options to choose from.
For a complete listing of agents in Texas, click here.
Once you have reasonable responses to your questions as well as a affordable price, you may have just found an insurance agency that can properly service your car insurance policy.
Beware of misleading car insurance ads
Companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the ads make the same claim that you can save after switching to their company. How do they all make almost identical claims?
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that makes them money. For instance, a driver they prefer might be over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential insureds who are not a match for this ideal profile must pay more money and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “people who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That’s why insurance companies can confidently state the savings. This illustrates why it is so important to get as many quotes as possible. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.
More information about car insurance
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find out industry alerts, file complaints about a company, learn about specific coverages, and learn about insurance regulations.
Compare but don’t skimp
Cheap Honda Pilot insurance can be sourced online as well as from independent agents in Texas, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When you buy insurance online, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many cases, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
We covered a lot of information how to save on Honda Pilot insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. They can often provide lower rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.