Have you fallen victim to overpriced car insurance? Trust us, there are many Harlingen consumers feeling the pinch from expensive car insurance.
You have so many insurance companies to buy insurance from, and although it’s nice to have a choice, it can be more difficult to adequately compare rates.
It’s a good habit to shop coverage around at least once a year due to the fact that insurance rates change quite often. Even if you think you had the best deal six months ago other companies may now be cheaper. Starting right now, forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we’re going to show you one of the easiest ways to find lower rates on car insurance.
Buying car insurance in Harlingen is not rocket science. Just about anyone who buys car insurance stands a good chance to be able to find better rates. But Texas car owners must understand how the larger insurance companies compete online and take advantage of how the system works.
Companies offer discounts so take them!
Auto insurance companies do not advertise every discount very well, so we researched some of the more common and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
- Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new car can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
- Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
- Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
- Multi-car Discount – Having more than one vehicle on the same car insurance policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Senior Discount – Mature drivers may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
- Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories can save substantially as compared to bad drivers.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
To see a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Texas, follow this link.
Factors that affect insurance rates
It’s important that you understand the factors that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.
- What type of vehicle do you drive? – The performance of the vehicle you are insuring makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. The lowest rates are usually for lower performance four cylinder passenger models, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- How credit affects car insurance rates – Credit history is a huge factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Therefore, if your credit is not that good, you could pay less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower credit scores.
- Choose a safe vehicle and save – Safer cars get lower rates. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and better occupant protection means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates.
- Men pay higher rates – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean women are better drivers. They both are in accidents in similar percentages, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI.
- Don’t buy coverages you don’t need – There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can buy when buying car insurance. Coverages for personal injury protection, towing coverage and membership fees may be costing you every month. They may seem good when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.
- Your car’s features help determine rates – Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder auto theft.
- Where do you drive? – Driving more miles each year the higher your rates will be. Most insurance companies apply a rate based on their usage. Vehicles that are left in the garage get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Verify your car insurance coverage is rated on the proper vehicle usage.
Your insurance agent down the street
A small number of people just want to sit down with an agent and that is just fine! One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you may find lower rates but also keep your business local.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this short form, the coverage information is submitted to agents in your area who will compete for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to drive around since price quotes are sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! It’s the lowest rates AND an agent nearby.
Selecting an insurer requires more thought than just the premium amount. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
Types of insurance agents
When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are two different agency structures from which to choose. Harlingen agents are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents work for only one company such as State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. They receive extensive training on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage.
Below are Harlingen captive agents willing to provide price quote information.
Allstate Insurance – 410 N Ed Carey Dr # B – Harlingen, TX 78550 – (956) 421-4153
State Farm Insurance – 2224 Camelot Plaza Cir – Harlingen, TX 78550 – (956) 440-9636
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company but instead can place your coverage with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies. When searching for an agent, you should always get quotes from several independent insurance agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Shown below are independent insurance agencies in Harlingen that are able to give price quote information.
Greer Insurance – 808 Palm Valley Dr E – Harlingen, TX 78552 – (956) 440-8334
R N Jones Agency Inc – 510 E Harrison Ave – Harlingen, TX 78550 – (956) 423-1147
Padron Insurance – 2307 N Ed Carey Dr – Harlingen, TX 78550 – (956) 428-1912
Klement Agency – Bass Blvd – Harlingen, TX 78552 – (956) 425-7375
For a full directory of licensed insurance agents in Harlingen, simply jump to this page.
Upon receiving reasonable responses to your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that can insure your vehicles.
Misconceptions in car insurance advertisements
Car insurance providers like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. They all say the same thing of big savings after switching to their company. But how can every company claim to save you money?
All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer could possibly be a mature driver, a clean driving record, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and therefore will save a lot of money.
Drivers who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay more money and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That’s the way insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, you should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
More consumer information in Texas
Additional detailed information can be read at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can read industry bulletins, find a variety of consumer forms, and view agent and company licensing information.
Best coverage at the best price
When shopping online for car insurance, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
In this article, we presented many ways to lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the lowest premiums are with a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.