Amazingly, 70% of consumers have purchased from the same company for four years or more, and just short of a majority have never compared quotes from other companies. Many consumers in Texas could save almost $1,770 a year by just comparing quotes, but they don’t want to take the time to compare rates.
The most effective way to find the cheapest price for car insurance rates is to compare quotes once a year from providers that sell auto insurance in Dallas.
- Get a basic knowledge of what is in your policy and the measures you can take to lower rates. Many policy risk factors that increase rates like traffic citations, accidents, and your credit history can be improved by being financially responsible and driving safely. Continue reading for more details to prevent high prices and find discounts that you may qualify for.
- Request rate estimates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your existing rates to see if cheaper RC 200t coverage is available. If you can save money, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
A good tip to remember is to use the same coverage limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to get price quotes from all possible companies. This guarantees an accurate price comparison and the best price quote selection.
If you have a policy now or just want to reduce your rates, you can learn to get lower rates and still have adequate protection. Buying the cheapest car insurance in Dallas can be much easier if you know how to start. Smart shoppers just have to use the proper way to compare insurance rates from many companies at once.
Decisions You Make Can Impact Your Insurance Prices
Lots of factors are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, but some are not as apparent like where you live or your financial responsibility. Part of the insurance buying process is learning the factors that are used to determine the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get better insurance rates.
Pay more by driving carelessly – Having a clean driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Careful drivers get better prices than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one speeding ticket may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers unfortunate enough to have severe violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find that they have to to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
Vehicle features impact prices – Buying a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems can help prevent auto theft.
Insurance rates for married couples – Your spouse can actually save you money when buying insurance. Having a significant other may mean you are more stable financially and statistics prove married couples file fewer claims.
Do you save by driving less? – Driving a lot of miles in a year the higher the price you pay to insure it. Most companies charge rates based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. It’s a good idea to make sure your declarations sheet correctly shows the correct usage for each vehicle. A policy that improperly rates your RC 200t is just wasting money.
More policies can equal more savings – Some insurers will give better rates to people that have more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be five, ten or even twenty percent. Even with this discount applied, you may still want to compare other company rates to guarantee you are still saving the most.
Gender as a rate factor – The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. This data doesn’t prove that females are better drivers. Males and females are in at-fault accidents in similar numbers, but males have costlier accidents. They also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving.
Only buy what you need – There are a ton of extra add-on coverages that can waste your money if you aren’t diligent. Coverages for replacement cost coverage, better glass coverage, and membership fees could be just wasting money. These may sound like a good investment initially, but if you have no use for them consider taking them off your policy.
Your occupation can affect premiums – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for insurance? Jobs such as military generals, executives, and medical professionals generally pay higher premium rates in part from job stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, careers like actors, students and performers have the lowest average rates.
Cheaper Dallas auto insurance quotes with discounts
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you might be missing out on some discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but a few must be asked about in order for you to get them. If you are not receiving all the discounts possible, you are just wasting money.
- Accident Waiver – This isn’t a discount exactly, but companies like Progressive, Allstate, and Liberty Mutual permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you have no claims prior to being involved in the accident.
- Telematics Discount – Drivers that enable companies to spy on driving patterns remotely such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system may see discounts if their driving habits are good.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – If you have multiple policies and insure them both with the same insurance company you could get a discount of as much as 10 to 15 percent.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
- 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
- Switch and Save Discount – A few companies allow discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. The savings is around 10%.
Discounts lower rates, but some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though the math looks like all those discounts means the company will pay you, nobody gets a free ride.
A few popular companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts include:
- State Farm offers discounts including defensive driving training, good driver, good student, accident-free, and multiple autos.
- GEICO may include discounts for daytime running lights, five-year accident-free, seat belt use, federal employee, anti-lock brakes, military active duty, and membership and employees.
- Allstate has discounts for EZ pay plan discount, new car, defensive driver, FullPay discount, 55 and retired, multi-policy, and passive restraint.
- SAFECO may have discounts that include accident prevention training, teen safety rewards, bundle discounts, homeowner, and anti-lock brakes.
- Farm Bureau may offer discounts for multi-policy, safe driver, good student, multi-vehicle, driver training, 55 and retired, and youthful driver.
- Progressive has savings for online quote discount, homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and continuous coverage.
- AAA offers discounts for multi-policy, good student, AAA membership discount, multi-car, education and occupation, pay-in-full, and good driver.
When getting a coverage quote, ask every prospective company to apply every possible discount. Some credits might not be offered on policies everywhere. To see insurers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Texas, click here.
Cover all your bases
As you shop your coverage around, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Consumers switch companies for many reasons like unfair underwriting practices, being labeled a high risk driver, extreme rates for teen drivers and even policy cancellation. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching insurance companies is actually quite simple.
We just presented some good ideas how to reduce Lexus RC 200t insurance prices online in Dallas. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding low cost Dallas auto insurance quotes. You may even discover the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies.
Even more information is available at these sites:
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for 4×4 Vehicles in Dallas? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Low Income Drivers in Dallas? (FAQ)
- Auto Insurance FAQ (Farmers Insurance)
- New vehicle ratings focus on headlights (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)