Are you confused by the sheer number of car insurance company choices in Friendswood? Many other drivers are as well. Drivers have so many options that it can turn into a big hassle to compare prices.
Choosing the best insurance company for you in Friendswood is easy if you know what you’re doing. Basically, every vehicle owner who shops for car insurance will most likely be able to save money. Although Texas car owners do need to learn the way insurance companies determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.
Compare Friendswood Car Insurance Costs
The are a couple different ways of comparing price quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The easiest way to find competitive insurance rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
- The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This method saves time by eliminating separate forms for every car insurance company. A single form gets you coverage quotes from several companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
- A more difficult way to get quotes online consists of going to each company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, we’ll assume you want comparison quotes from Farmers, Progressive and GEICO. To find out each rate you need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Friendswood, click here.
- The most time-consuming way of comparing rate quotes is driving to insurance agents’ offices. Buying insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you have a need for the trained guidance only provided by licensed agents. Drivers can comparison shop online and still use a local agent and we’ll cover that in a bit.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just ensure you’re using the exact same information on every quote. If you are comparing different liability limits you will not be able to determine which rate is truly the best in Friendswood. Having just a slight variation in coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when price shopping your coverage, obtaining a wide range of quotes helps locate the best rates.
Discounts are great for lower rates
Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
- Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
- Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Sign Online – A few companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
- Driver Safety – Taking a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
- Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver’s ed class in high school.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
Keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way.
To choose insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts in Friendswood, click here.
Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that help determine the price you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.
- How credit affects car insurance rates – Your credit score is a large factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have excellent credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower credit scores. If your credit rating is low, you could save money insuring your by repairing your credit.
- A clean driving record saves money – A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Careful drivers receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Even a single moving violation can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. If you have severe violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- More claims means more premium – If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Insurance companies in Texas give discounts to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Insurance coverage is intended for the large, substantial claims.
- The more you drive the more you pay – Driving more miles in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Autos that are left in the garage can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
- Do you need those extra coverages? – There are many extra coverages that you can buy on your policy. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and term life insurance are examples of these. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Older drivers save more – Youthful drivers in Texas are known to be more careless in a vehicle so they pay higher car insurance rates. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
Car Insurance through a local agent
Certain consumers prefer to talk to a local agent and that is OK! One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is that you can obtain lower rates and still choose a local agent.
After filling out this short form, the quote information is instantly submitted to companies in Friendswood who will battle for your business. There is no reason to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy! You can find better rates AND a local agent.
Deciding on an provider needs to be determined by more than just the price. These are valid questions to ask:
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- How long has their agency been in business in Friendswood?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
Two types of Friendswood car insurance agents
When finding local Friendswood agents, there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Friendswood agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive).
Captive Insurance Agents
This type of agents can only write with one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Captives cannot provide prices from multiple companies so always compare other rates. They are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Some people will only purchase coverage from captives partially due to loyalty to the company and strong financial ratings.
Below is a short list of captive agencies in Friendswood willing to provide rate quotes.
- State Farm Insurance – 335 E Parkwood Ave – Friendswood, TX 77546 – (281) 482-4433
- Allstate Insurance – 700 S Friendswood Dr # G – Friendswood, TX 77546 – (281) 482-4483
Independent Insurance Agents
These agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When comparison shopping, you should always include at a minimum one independent agency to get the best comparison. Many write coverage with different regional companies which may provide better rates.
Shown below are independent agents in Friendswood that can give you price quote information.
- American National Insurance Co – 217 E Parkwood Ave # A – Friendswood, TX 77546 – (281) 482-3737
- Harrison Agency – 3102 W Bay Area Blvd – Friendswood, TX 77546 – (281) 557-1400
- Newsom Insurance – 107 S Friendswood Dr – Friendswood, TX 77546 – (281) 992-4181
For a complete listing of Friendswood insurance agents, please click here.
After receiving reasonable responses to any questions you have in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that will adequately provide car insurance.
When should I use an insurance agent?
When choosing adequate coverage, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique.
Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
- Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- What are Texas no-fault laws?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form.
Even more information can be read at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, find disaster information, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
Car insurance myths debunked
Companies like State Farm and Allstate regularly use television and radio advertisements. All the ads say the same thing about savings if you move to their company. How do they all make almost identical claims? It’s all in the numbers.
All companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver they prefer to insure. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 50, is a homeowner, and has a short commute. A propective insured who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Drivers who don’t qualify for these standards will be quoted a more expensive rate and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That’s the way companies can truthfully make those claims. This emphasizes why you absolutely need to get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Final considerations
Discount car insurance can be bought from both online companies and with local Friendswood insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.
While you’re price shopping online, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.
You just learned some good ideas how you can reduce car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the biggest savings come from a smaller regional carrier.