Never Compare Austin Texas Auto Insurance Without Knowing These Money Saving Techniques

Feel like you’re a prisoner to high-priced auto insurance? Trust us, there are lots of people in the same boat.

You have so many insurers to pick from, and even though it’s nice to have multiple companies, it makes it harder to compare rates.

It’s a great practice to get comparison quotes every six months because rates change quite often. Even if you got the lowest rates a year ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting right now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because it’s time to teach you the best way to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.

Buying the cheapest coverage in Austin is easy if you know what you’re doing. Just about every vehicle owner who shops for auto insurance stands a good chance to be able to reduce their rates. But Texas vehicle owners need to learn the way companies compete online and use this information to your advantage.

Are you getting all your discounts?

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help bring down the price. Some trigger automatically at the time of purchase, but some may not be applied and must be asked for before being credited.

• Anti-lock Brake System – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of more than 20%.
• Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
• Drivers Education – Have your child complete a driver education course in high school.
• Defensive Driver – Completing a course in driver safety could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching policies before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
• Drive Less and Save – Low mileage vehicles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will cut the cost of coverage.

For a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Austin, click here.

Cheap Austin Auto Insurance Comparisons

To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing price quotes and find the best price. By far the easiest way to compare insurance prices is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

• Probably the best way to get quotes for comparison is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This method keeps you from doing separate forms to each individual auto insurance company. A single form gets you coverage quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices.
• A slightly less efficient method to find lower rates requires visiting the website for each individual company to complete a price quote. For example, let’s assume you want comparison quotes from Farmers, State Farm and GMAC. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to insurance companies in Austin, click here.
• The least recommended way to compare rates to and from local Austin insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the trained guidance of a local Austin agent. Drivers can price shop online but still have the advice of a local agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.

However you get your quotes, compare identical coverages and limits for every quote you compare. If you have mixed coverages it will be impossible to determine the best price in Austin. Slightly different limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that having more price comparisons gives you a better chance of getting a lower rate.

Quote often and quote early

While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are too many instances where an insured cut full coverage to discover at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

Budget-conscious auto insurance can be bought both online in addition to many Austin insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some auto insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.