Compare Austin Auto Insurance Prices With These Tips

Are you intimidated by the dozens of auto insurance company choices in Austin? Many other drivers are as well. Drivers have so many choices that it can turn into a challenge to find the lowest price.

If you have a policy now or need a new policy, you can learn to find better prices while maximizing coverage. The purpose of this post is to help educate you on the best way to quote coverages and some tips to save money. Arkansas drivers only need an understanding of how to shop for auto insurance on the web.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies do not list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so we researched some of the best known and the more hidden ways to save on auto insurance. If they aren't giving you every credit possible, you are throwing money away.

  • Pay Now and Pay Less - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
  • Clubs and Organizations - Affiliation with certain professional organizations could trigger savings when shopping for auto insurance.
  • Low Mileage Discounts - Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • No Charge for an Accident - A few companies permit an accident before your rates go up if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Discount for Good Grades - Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
  • Senior Discount - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive better auto insurance rates.
  • No Accidents - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less when compared to drivers who are more careless.

It's important to understand that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn't quite work that way.

compare Austin auto insurance rates

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. Understanding what determines base rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to big savings.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.

  • Save money with special equipment - Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.
  • Protect yourself with liability coverage - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage when a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
  • Safer cars cost less to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you.
  • Males pay more for insurance - Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn't mean men are worse drivers. They both are in accidents in similar numbers, but the men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI.
  • Traffic citations inflate rates - A bad driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Even one citation can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Careful drivers receive lower rates than their less careful counterparts. If you have dangerous violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Do you work long hours in a high stress job? - Careers like judges, executives and accountants tend to have higher rates than average attributed to job stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, occupations such as actors, athletes and retirees receive lower rates.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Arkansas drivers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings by State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all make the same claim of big savings if you change to their company.

How do they all say the same thing?

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a driver they prefer might be profiled as over the age of 40, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. A propective insured who matches those parameters is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who are not a match for the "perfect" profile will be quoted more money which leads to business not being written. Company advertisements say "people who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. That's the way insurance companies can confidently state the savings. This emphasizes why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Learn more about Arkansas auto insurance

More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Arkansas Insurance Department website. Arkansas drivers can view a list of available companies, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find disaster information.

In the end, you save

Insureds leave their current company for many reasons like extreme rates for teen drivers, questionable increases in premium, delays in responding to claim requests and even denial of a claim. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right auto insurance provider is less work than it seems.

Low-cost auto insurance can be sourced on the web and also from your neighborhood Austin agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how to reduce auto insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the lowest premiums are with a company that doesn't do a lot of advertising.