How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Auto Insurance in Live Oak

Having to pay for overpriced auto insurance can overdraw your checking account and put the squeeze on your family's finances. Comparing price quotes is a smart way to tighten up your finances.

With so many choices, it is very difficult to pick the most cost effective company.

It's important to price shop coverage on a regular basis since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest price a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding auto insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to save money.

Buying car insurance in Live Oak is quite easy. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. Nevertheless, Texas vehicle owners do need to know the way companies sell online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Save big with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always publicize all their discounts very well, so we researched some of the best known as well as the least known auto insurance savings.

  • Discount for Life Insurance - Larger companies have a break if you buy life insurance.
  • Sign Online - A few companies give back up to $50 simply for signing online.
  • Multiple Cars - Insuring all your vehicles on the same auto insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • Bundle and Save - When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
  • No Claims - Drivers who don't have accidents pay much less as compared to bad drivers.
  • Driver's Ed - Have your child complete a driver education course if offered at their school.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.

It's important to understand that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way.

To see a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in Texas, follow this link.

Texas auto insurance quotes

Auto Insurance Prices in Live Oak, Texas

There are several ways to compare rate quotes from local Live Oak auto insurance companies. The best method to find competitive insurance rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

  • The best way consumers can make multiple comparisons is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This method prevents you from having to do separate quotes for each company you want a rate for. One form submission gets you price quotes instantly.
  • A harder way to get quotes online requires a trip to the website for each individual company to request a price quote. For examples sake, we'll pretend you want comparison quotes from , and . To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is more popular.

    To view a list of companies in Live Oak, click here.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples quote information for each price quote. If the quotes have mixed coverages it's impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Live Oak. Just a small difference in coverage limits may result in large price differences. Just remember that comparing more company's prices provides better odds of finding a better price.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into rates.

  • Proper usage rating affects rates - The higher the mileage driven in a year's time the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers price each vehicle's coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than those used for commuting. Double check that your auto insurance declarations sheet properly reflects the correct usage for each vehicle, because improper ratings can cost you money.
  • Marriage brings a discount - Having a wife or husband helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. It usually means you are more mature and responsible and it's proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
  • High deductibles save money - Physical damage coverage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive.
  • Consolidate policies to earn discounts - Some companies will give a discount to people who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, you still need to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
  • Do you work long hours in a high stress job? - Jobs such as judges, architects and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates because of job stress and long work days. On the other hand, professions such as pilots, students and retirees pay the least.
  • Claim-free discounts can add up - Car insurance companies in Texas provide discounts to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you change your policy. But how can every company say the same thing?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Drivers who fall outside this ideal profile will have to pay higher premiums which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads state "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Shop smart and save

When shopping online for auto insurance, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, drivers have reduced collision coverage and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.

Low-cost auto insurance can be sourced on the web in addition to many Live Oak insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

For more Texas auto insurance information

More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, get help finding coverage, report car insurance fraud, and read consumer alerts.

Additional helpful sites include Wikipedia and this page where you can research Live Oak insurance agents.