Never Shop For Amarillo, TX Car Insurance Without Knowing These Money Saving Tips

Expensive car insurance can take a big chunk out of your checking account, especially in this economy. Shopping your coverage around is free and is an excellent way to make sure you’re not throwing money away. Lots of auto insurance companies contend to insure your vehicles, and it can be difficult to compare rates and uncover the absolute lowest rate

It’s a great practice to do rate comparisons periodically because insurance rates are variable and change quite frequently. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest price a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because it’s time to teach you the things you must know in order to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

These discounts can slash car insurance rates

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there could be available discounts to cut the cost considerably. A few discounts will automatically apply at quote time, but some must be manually applied in order for you to get them. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than their less cautious counterparts.
• E-sign – A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
• Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Defensive Driver – Completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.

It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce the cost of coverage.

For a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in Texas, click this link.

Tips to Get Lower Amarillo Rates

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

Shown below are some of the factors used by your company to calculate rates.

• Being married is a good thing – Being married helps lower the price on car insurance. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature and responsible and it’s proven that being married results in fewer claims.
• Big city or small town – Living in a rural area is a positive aspect when buying car insurance. Urban drivers have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Lower population means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate.
• Policy add-ons can waste money – There are quite a few additional coverages that can waste your money if you aren’t careful. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, accident forgiveness and additional equipment coverage are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
• Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
• High deductibles save money – Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and rolling your vehicle. The deductibles are how much you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
• Men are more aggressive – Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Both sexes are in accidents in similar percentages, but the males cause more damage. They also get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure and are penalized with high car insurance rates.

When might I need the advice of an agent?

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s needs are different so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions may help highlight if your insurance needs would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?
• Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
• What can I do if my company denied a claim?
• Am I covered when using my vehicle for business?
• How much liability coverage do I need in Texas?
• Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
• Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
• How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?
• Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?

If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.

Read more about Texas car insurance

Additional information is located on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance through this link. Texas consumers can get help finding coverage, find disaster information, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and learn about specific coverages.

More related Amarillo car insurance information:

• How-to Guide to Finding a Car Insurance Agent in Amarillo, TX

Final considerations

We just presented a lot of techniques to get a better price on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. These companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

As you restructure your insurance plan, never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, an insured cut full coverage to discover at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford.