Rock Solid Methods for Buying Low-Cost San Antonio, TX Auto Insurance

Purchasing the cheapest San Antonio auto insurance online can be problematic for consumers new to price shopping online. Because there are so many choices, how can consumers effectively compare them all to find the cheapest rates?

It’s a good idea to get comparison quotes on a regular basis since insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. If you had the best deal a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance on the internet, so by reading this article, you’re going to learn the easiest ways to save money.

How to Lower Your Auto Insurance Cost in San Antonio

Most companies allow you to get prices for coverage on the web. This process is pretty painless as you simply type in the coverage amounts you desire into the quote form. After you complete the form, their system automatically retrieves your driving and credit reports and gives you a price quote.

This helps simplify price comparisons, but the time it takes to visit several different sites and enter the same data into a form gets old quite quickly. But it’s very important to get many rate quotes in order to get lower prices.

There is a better way to compare rates

A more efficient way to lower your auto insurance bill uses one simple form to obtain quotes from a lot of companies. It’s a real time-saver, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes quoting online a lot less work. As soon as the form is sent, your coverage is rated and you are able to buy your choice of the quote results. If a lower price is quoted, it’s easy to complete the application and buy the new coverage. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and may result in a nice savings.

To quickly compare pricing, click here to open in a new tab and complete the simple form. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you complete the form with the limits and deductibles identical to your current policy. Doing this guarantees you will get a rate comparison for exact coverage.

Beware of misleading auto insurance ads

Auto insurance providers like Allstate and Progressive continually stream ads on television and other media. They all have a common claim about savings after switching your policy. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies have a certain “appetite” for the right customer that makes them money. A good example of a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. Any driver who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Consumers who don’t meet these standards will be charged higher premiums which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. That is why it is so important to compare as many rates as you can. It’s just too difficult to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Lower the Price of Insurance with These Tips

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

• Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
• Lower rates with optional equipment – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
• Are you male or female? – Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, don’t assume that men are worse drivers. Women and men have accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also receive more costly citations such as reckless driving.
• More people means more accidents – Being located in less populated areas has it’s advantages when insuring your vehicles. Urban drivers have to deal with congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
• Rates may be higher depending on your occupation – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations such as doctors, social workers and stock brokers have the highest rates in part from high stress and long work hours. On the other hand, jobs such as farmers, students and homemakers get better rates.
• Little extras can really add up – There are many extra bells and whistles you can purchase on your policy. Coverages like personal injury protection, better glass coverage and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment initially, but if you don’t need them get rid of them and save.

Pay less by taking advantage of discounts

Companies don’t always publicize all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so here is a list some of the more common and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving.

• Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.
• Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
• Theft Prevention System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
• Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than less cautious drivers.
• Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents pay less as compared to bad drivers.

It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To see a list of companies with the best auto insurance discounts in San Antonio, click this link.

Buying car insurance locally

Certain consumers would prefer to visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is you can get lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is emailed to participating agents in San Antonio who will compete for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. How cool is that?! Get lower rates and an insurance agent to talk to.

Picking an provider requires more thought than just a low price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:

• Are they full-time agents?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
• Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
• Can glass repairs be made at your home?

Captive and independent San Antonio insurance agents

When researching an insurance agent, there are two types of insurance agents from which to choose. Agents are classified as either captive or independent (non-captive).

Agency Captives

Captive insurance agents work for only one company and examples are Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. They receive extensive training on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage. Consumers often purchase coverage from captives partially due to loyalty to the company and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

Below is a list of captive agents in San Antonio who can help you get price quote information.

• Allstate Insurance – 5152 Fredericksburg Rd # 195 – San Antonio, TX 78229 – (210) 341-5143
• Farmers Insurance Group – 2527 Goliad Rd # 200 – San Antonio, TX 78223 – (210) 333-0884
• Liberty Mutual Insurance – 700 N Saint Marys St – San Antonio, TX 78205 – (210) 527-9497
• Farm Bureau Insurance – 2391 NE Loop 410 – San Antonio, TX 78217 – (210) 656-2200
• State Farm Insurance – 15033 Nacogdoches Rd # 301 – San Antonio, TX 78247 – (210) 650-4464

Independent Insurance Agents

These agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency.

When searching for an agent, you should always get quotes from several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection. Most have the option of insuring with lesser-known insurance companies which can save you money.

Shown below are San Antonio independent agencies that can give you comparison quotes.

• Payless Auto Insurance – 4615 W Commerce St – San Antonio, TX 78237 – (210) 436-4366
• Whitaker Insurance Assoc Inc – 8626 Tesoro Dr # 310 – San Antonio, TX 78217 – (210) 824-3777
• Roten and Randol Agency – 1383 E Bitters Rd – San Antonio, TX 78216 – (210) 402-2918
• Adrain Reyes Agency – – San Antonio, TX 78214 – (210) 393-2581
• Pat O’Quinn Agency – 6222 Dezavala Rd – San Antonio, TX 78249 – (210) 558-3478

For a complete listing of insurance agents in San Antonio, view this link.

Upon getting acceptable answers to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, it’s possible that you found a car insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles.

Buy online or local, you save

Cost effective auto insurance can be found from both online companies as well as from independent agents in San Antonio, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

In this article, we presented a lot of information how to save on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies.

When you buy insurance online, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that it was a big error on their part. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

Even more information is located at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and learn about insurance regulations.

More related San Antonio auto insurance information:

• How to Find the Best Insurance Agent in San Antonio