Sick and tired of paying out the nose to buy car insurance? You are no different than millions of other consumers.
Consumers have many car insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s nice to have multiple companies, having more insurance companies makes it harder to adequately compare rates.
You need to compare rates occasionally since insurance rates fluctuate regularly. If you had the lowest price on ES 350 insurance two years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we’re going to show you the best methods to save on car insurance.
Finding affordable coverage is easy if you know what you’re doing. If you have car insurance now, you will be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. Nevertheless, Texas drivers must understand how the larger insurance companies market on the web and apply this information to your search.
How to Get Car Insurance in Texas
All major car insurance companies quote pricing on their websites. This process doesn’t take a lot of time as you just type in your required coverages as requested by the quote form. Once you submit the form, their rating system automatically retrieves information on your driving record and credit history and generates pricing information. Online price quotes makes it a lot easier to compare rates but having to visit different websites and enter the same data into a form can get tiresome after awhile. But it’s absolutely necessary to do this in order to get the lowest car insurance rates.
The quickest way to lower your car insurance bill uses one simple form that gets price quotes from a lot of companies. This type of form saves time, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes quoting online much easier to do. Immediately after you send the form, it is rated and you are able to buy any or none of the pricing results. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and purchase the new policy. The entire process just takes a couple of minutes and could lower your rates considerably.
In order to fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, click here to open in a new tab and enter your information. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended that you enter the limits and deductibles exactly as they are listed on your policy. This way, you will receive an apples-to-apples comparison based on identical coverages.
Pay less by taking advantage of these 5 discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t list every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down both well-publicized and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of 20% or more.
- Accident Free – Good drivers with no accidents pay less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
- Own a Home – Owning a house can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
- Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
To see a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Texas, click here to view.
But I want to work with a local agent
Some consumers would rather get advice from a local agent. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.
After completing this short form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who will give you bids to get your business. You never need to leave your house as quotes are delivered directly to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Choosing an insurance company needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
Insurance agents in Texas come in two varieties
If you’re trying to find a local agent, there are a couple of different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive).
Agency Captives
These agents work for only one company like Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. Captives cannot give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents receive extensive training on their company’s products which can be an advantage.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to find a new agent. When searching for an agent, we recommend you contact multiple independent agents for the best price selection.
For a full directory of insurance agencies in Texas, visit this page.
Upon getting acceptable answers to all your questions and an affordable coverage quote, you may have just found an insurance agency that meets your needs to properly service your car insurance policy.
Car insurance coverage basics
Having a good grasp of your policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on the average car insurance policy.
Collision insurance
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for things such as hitting a parking meter, hitting a mailbox, rolling your car, driving through your garage door and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Liability
This protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people by causing an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 25/50/25 that translate to a limit of $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability coverage protects against things such as loss of income, repair costs for stationary objects and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Texas state minimum liability requirements are 30,000/60,000/25,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
Comprehensive coverages
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hail damage, falling objects, hitting a bird and rock chips in glass. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Coverage for medical payments
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for expenses like surgery, hospital visits and dental work. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover you and your occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Lexus ES 350.
Since many Texas drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (30/60/25), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
What is YOUR best insurance company?
Budget-conscious Lexus ES 350 insurance can be sourced online and with local Texas insurance agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who do not offer online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.
While you’re price shopping online, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many cases where someone dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
Texas insurance information
More tips and info about car insurance can be found at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about a company, download brochures, and report car insurance fraud.