Perplexed by the crazy number of auto insurance companies in Sugar Land? You’re not the only one! Consumers have so many options available that it can easily become a lot of work to find better rates.
Lower the Price of Insurance with These Tips
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that go into determining your auto insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
Listed below are a few of the “ingredients” used by your company to calculate your rates.
- Your spouse saves you money – Having a wife or husband can get you a discount on auto insurance. Having a significant other usually means you are more mature and it’s statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.
- Your occupation can affect rates – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for auto insurance? Occupations like lawyers, executives and stock brokers have the highest rates in part from high stress levels and lengthy work days. On the other hand, occupations such as farmers, students and homemakers get better rates.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
- Extra coverages can waste money – There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good at first, but if you don’t need them get rid of them and save.
- What are your deductibles? – Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, collision with an animal, or theft. The deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
- High crash test scores lower rates – Safer cars get lower rates. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates.
Comparison of Auto Insurance in Sugar Land, TX
There are a variety of methods to compare auto insurance quotes, but some are less time-consuming than others. You can waste a few hours (or days) discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in Sugar Land, or you could save time and use the internet to quickly compare rates.
Many popular insurance companies take part in a program where prospective buyers submit their information once, and every company then returns a price quote. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions for every auto insurance company.
To compare rates using this form now click here (opens in new window).
The one disadvantage to comparing rates this way is you cannot specify the companies to receive prices from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to compare, we have a listing of low cost auto insurance companies in Texas. Click here for list of insurance companies in Texas.
Whichever method you choose, make sure you use identical quote information for each price quote. If you are comparing different limits and deductibles on each one it’s impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Sugar Land.
Cut your auto insurance rates with discounts
Companies don’t always list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both well-publicized and also the lesser-known ways to save on auto insurance. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Senior Citizens – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
- Own a Home – Owning a home in Sugar Land may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
- New Car Discount – Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Employee of Federal Government – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with certain companies.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
- Accident Forgiveness – A few companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Organization Discounts – Being a member of certain professional organizations could trigger savings on auto insurance.
- Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. It’s a savings of about 10%.
A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free auto insurance policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
To choose companies with discount auto insurance rates in Sugar Land, click here to view.
But don’t I need an insurance agent?
A small number of people would rather talk to a local agent. Agents can answer important questions and help you file claims. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is you can get better rates but also keep your business local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, the quote information is immediately sent to participating agents in Sugar Land who will battle to get your business. You don’t have to drive around because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!
Selecting a company requires more thought than just a cheap price. Some important questions to ask are:
- Who are their largest clients?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- What insurance companies do they work with?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
Captive and independent Sugar Land insurance agents
When researching an insurance agent, you must know there are a couple different types of agents that you can select. Insurance agencies in Sugar Land are categorized either independent or captive. Either one can insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the differences because it can impact the selection process.
Agency Captives
Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with and examples are Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so always compare other rates. Captives are very knowledgeable on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage. Some consumers prefer to choose to use a captive agent mostly because of high brand loyalty and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Below are Sugar Land captive insurance agents who can help you get comparison quotes.
- Farmers Insurance Group – 13401 Southwest Fwy # 211 – Sugar Land, TX 77478 – (281) 277-1277
- State Farm Insurance – 4645 Highway 6 – Sugar Land, TX 77478 – (281) 980-1151
- Allstate Insurance Co – 7002 Riverbrook Dr # D – Sugar Land, TX 77479 – (281) 937-0888
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with lots of companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To move your coverage to a new company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you include price quotes from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection. Most have the option of insuring with different regional companies who may have lower rates.
Shown below is a short list of independent agencies in Sugar Land that can give you price quotes.
- Turner Don Insurance Agency – 13333 Southwest Fwy – Sugar Land, TX 77478 – (281) 242-8880
- Teague Insurance Agency – 4434 Bluebonnet Dr – Sugar Land, TX 77478 – (281) 240-0240
- Insurance Reporting Svc Inc – 3207 Rifle Gap Ln – Sugar Land, TX 77478 – (281) 265-3769
- Ronald Liu Insurance – 13313 Southwest Fwy # 175 – Sugar Land, TX 77478 – (281) 242-3456
- Fred Chladek Agency – 13313 Southwest Fwy # 290 – Sugar Land, TX 77478 – (281) 242-8400
For a full directory of auto insurance agents in Sugar Land, please go to this site.
After receiving acceptable answers to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that is a good match to insure your vehicles.
When might I need help?
When buying adequate coverage, there really is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s needs are different.
Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether or not you may require specific advice.
- When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Is my vehicle covered for smoke damage?
- What are Texas no-fault laws?
- Am I getting all the discounts available?
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Texas?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Additional detailed information is located at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can read consumer alerts, find out industry alerts, and learn about insurance regulations.
Best coverage at the best price
Discount auto insurance can be found online and also from your neighborhood Sugar Land agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
We just showed you many ways to shop for auto insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the best price on auto insurance is with the least-expected company.
People leave their current company for a number of reasons such as extreme rates for teen drivers, denial of a claim, high rates after DUI convictions and questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is not as difficult as it may seem.