Uncover the Secrets to Saving Money on San Antonio Texas Car Insurance

Finding lower premiums on San Antonio car insurance can seem to be difficult for beginners to comparison shopping online. Consumers have so many choices that it can be a lot of work to locate the lowest price in San Antonio.

Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in San Antonio, Texas

There are several ways to compare rate quotes from local in San Antonio, Texascar insurance companies. One of the best ways 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.

Probably the best way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form click here to open form in new window. This type of form keeps you from doing multiple quote forms for every car insurance company. One form submission will return quotes from multiple companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.

A more time consuming way to compare rate quotes is spending the time to visit each individual company website to complete a price quote. For examples sake, let’s assume you want comparison quotes from Auto-Owners, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site to input your insurance information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to insurance companies in San Antonio, click here.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but make sure you use exactly the same coverages with every price quote. If you enter different deductibles it’s not possible to decipher which rate is best in San Antonio. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits can make a big difference in price. And when quoting car insurance, remember that having more price comparisons will increase your chances of finding better pricing.

Do drivers who switch really save $489 a year?

Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads in print and on television. All the companies make an identical promise that you’ll save big after switching to their company. How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies can use profiling for the driver they prefer to insure. An example of a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no driving citations, and has excellent credit. A driver who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential customers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile must pay higher premiums and this can result in business not being written. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save money. This is how companies can truthfully claim big savings.

This illustrates why you need to get quotes from several different companies. It’s impossible to know which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes some of the factors companies use to determine premiums.

  • Don’t buy coverages you don’t need – There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying car insurance. Things like personal injury protection, accidental death and term life insurance may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.
  • A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Not having insurance is a misdemeanor and car insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.Then you may be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Texas DMV.
  • Lower miles equals lower premium – Driving more miles in a year’s time the higher your rate. Most companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Vehicles left parked in the garage qualify for better rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage.
  • Better credit scores mean better rates – Having a bad credit rating is a huge factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower ratings. If your credit score can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
  • Safe vehicles cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
  • Discounts for married couples – Getting married actually saves money on car insurance. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Type of vehicle determines base rates – The performance of the vehicle you are insuring makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates tend to be for lower performance four cylinder passenger models, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.

Take discounts and save

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically prior to getting the savings.

  • Save with a New Car – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Homeowners Savings – Owning a home in San Antonio can help you save on car insurance because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
  • Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accident claims.
  • Seat Belts Save – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
  • Driver Safety – Taking part in a driver safety course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • E-sign – A few companies will give a small break for buying your policy on their website.

Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So when it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

A tidy conclusion

We just covered some good ideas how you can reduce car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with a smaller regional carrier.

compare rates in Texas

Insureds leave their current company for a variety of reasons including denial of a claim, high rates after DUI convictions, extreme rates for teen drivers or even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a great new company can be pretty painless.

While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced full coverage only to regret that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

More information can be found on the Texas Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. Consumers can read state legal mandates and laws, learn about insurance regulations, and download brochures.

The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in San Antonio