Free Guide to Paying Less for Austin Car Insurance Online

Are you sick and tired of paying out the nose each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as most other car owners in Indiana.

Having so many car insurance companies to choose from, it can be hard to find the lowest price provider.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates once or twice a year because rates are constantly changing. If you had the best price six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you're about to learn one of the easiest ways to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

Finding affordable coverage in Austin is quite easy. If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Nevertheless, Indiana car owners do need to know the methods companies use to determine prices and apply this information to your search.

Austin Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates enables informed choices that can help you get big savings.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" car insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

Credit scores impact car insurance rates - Your credit rating is a important factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have high credit scores tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit scores. If your credit rating can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating.
High numbers of claims are not good - If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on higher rates. Insurance companies in Indiana provide discounts to policyholders who are claim-free. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safer cars reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates.
What type of vehicle do you drive? - The make and model of the vehicle you drive makes a big difference in determining your rates. The lowest rates are for small economy passenger vehicles, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
How's your driving record? - Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Careful drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Just one citation can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Drivers who get severe violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Sex matters - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don't assume that men are worse drivers. They both have accidents in similar percentages, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving.
Don't let your coverage lapse - Driving without insurance is illegal and you will pay a penalty because you let your coverage have a gap. Not only will rates go up, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.You may have to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Indiana DMV.

How to Compare Car Insurance Costs in Austin

There are several ways you can shop for car insurance and some are more efficient than others. You can spend your afternoon talking to agents in Austin, or you could save time and use the internet for quick rates.

Most of the larger companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and at least one company can provide price quotes based on the submitted data. This eliminates the need for quote forms to each individual car insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

One minor caviat to using this type of system is that you can't choose which providers you will receive quotes from. So if you want to select specific insurance companies for rate comparison, we have a listing of car insurance companies in Indiana. View list of Indiana insurance companies.

Which method you use is up to you, but double check that you are using apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits on every quote. If you enter different values for each quote it's not possible to make a fair comparison in Austin. Just a small difference in coverage limits may cause a big price difference. It's important to know that obtaining a wide range of quotes gives you a better chance of getting better pricing.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise every available discount very well, so we took the time to find some of the more common as well as the least known car insurance savings.

Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
Driver's Ed - Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver's ed class in high school.
Service Members Pay Less - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
Sign Early and Save - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
Good Students Pay Less - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
55 and Retired - If you're over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for better car insurance rates.
Use Seat Belts - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
No Accidents - Claim-free drivers can save substantially compared to accident-prone drivers.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don't profit that way.

To choose providers with the best car insurance discounts in Indiana, follow this link.

Is there truth in advertising?

Companies like State Farm and Allstate regularly use television and radio advertisements. All the ads say the same thing of big savings if you move to their company. But how can every company make the same claim?

All the different companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. For example, a preferred risk could be over the age of 40, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. A customer who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Consumers who don't measure up to this ideal profile will be charged higher rates which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. That's why insurance companies can confidently state the savings. That is why you need to get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know the company that will have the lowest rates.

More tips and info about car insurance can be found at the Indiana Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find out industry alerts, download brochures, find disaster information, and learn about specific coverages.

Other informative sites include NAIC.org's Understanding your Policy and this directory of Austin insurance agents.

Shop smart and save

We just showed you a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with the least-expected company. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like .

As you restructure your insurance plan, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.