Car Insurance in Plano, TX - 10 Discounts You Might be Losing Out On

Having to pay for overpriced car insurance can take a big chunk out of your bank account and make it hard to pay other bills. Comparison shopping is free and is an excellent way to lower your monthly bill.

Numerous battle to insure your vehicles, and because of this it can be hard to compare and get the best coverage at the lowest rate

If you have car insurance now, you should be able to save some money using these methods. Buying car insurance in Plano is not that difficult. Although Texas car owners do need to know the way insurance companies price online insurance and take advantage of how the system works.

Save big with these ten discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts that many people don't even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you complete an application, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied before they will apply.

Defensive Driver - Completing a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
Auto/Home Discount - If you have multiple policies with the same company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
No Claims - Drivers who don't have accidents can earn big discounts when compared with drivers who are more careless.
Military Discounts - Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
Paperless Signup - Certain companies will give a small break for buying your policy on their website.
Braking Control Discount - Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
New Car Discount - Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Driving fewer miles can qualify you for better rates on cars that stay parked.
Good Student Discount - Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like it's possible to get free car insurance, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will cut your overall premium however.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no "perfect" insurance plan. Every situation is different so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions can help discover if your situation would benefit from professional advice.

Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies make the same claim about savings if you switch your policy. How do they all make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

All companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that earns them a profit. An example of a profitable customer could be a mature driver, has no prior claims, and has a short commute. Any new insured who matches those parameters receives the best rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Consumers who fall outside the "perfect" profile must pay higher rates which leads to business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

This illustrates why you should get as many comparisons as possible. It's just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

Additional information is available on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance found here. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, view agent and company licensing information, read consumer alerts, and read industry bulletins.

Affordable insurance is out there

The cheapest car insurance can be found from both online companies in addition to many Plano insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you shop your coverage around, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.