Grand Prairie, TX Auto Insurance Buying Tips You Aren't Supposed to Know

Nobody looks forward to buying auto insurance, in particular when the cost is way too high. Drivers have so many insurers to choose from, and even though it’s nice to be able to choose, it makes it harder to locate the cheapest rates.

Shopping for the best auto insurance coverage in Grand Prairie is not that difficult. If you have a current auto insurance policy or need new coverage, you can use these tips to shop for the lowest rates while maximizing coverage. Texas vehicle owners just need to learn the tricks to shop their coverage around over the internet.

Do you qualify for a discount?

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but companies offer discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but less common discounts must be manually applied before they will apply. If you don’t get every credit possible, you are throwing money away.

Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
Discount for Good Grades – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Save with a New Car – Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than their less cautious counterparts.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

To choose providers who offer auto insurance discounts in Texas, click this link.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

It’s important that you understand the factors that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

Too many auto insurance claims drive up costs – Companies in Texas generally give cheaper rates to drivers who do not file claims often. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to higher rates. Insurance coverage is designed for the large, substantial claims.
Sex matters – The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men are in accidents at a similar rate, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI.
Rate your vehicle for proper use – The more miles you rack up on your car each year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your auto insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.
Don’t let your coverage lapse – Driving your car without having proper coverage is a misdemeanor and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage have a gap. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
Liability coverage is cheap – Liability insurance is the protection if a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Choose a safe vehicle and save – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Clean credit earns discounts – A driver’s credit score is a big factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. So if your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than those with poor credit.
Performance level impacts rates – The performance of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a huge difference in determining your rates. Economy passenger vehicles generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.

Aren’t my neighborhood agents an option?

Some consumers just want to buy from a licensed agent and that is just fine! Professional agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you peace of mind. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. And providing support for small agencies is important especially in Grand Prairie.

After filling out this simple form, your insurance data is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will compete for your insurance coverage. There is no need to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier!

How to choose the best insurance agent in Grand Prairie

When finding an insurance agent, you need to know there are two different agency structures that you can select. Agencies in Grand Prairie are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive). Both types can write coverage properly, but it’s important to know how they are different because it can influence buying decisions.

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part. When comparison shopping, we recommend you get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency for the best price selection. save money concept

Listed below is a list of independent agents in Grand Prairie who can help you get comparison quotes.

Nationwide Insurance – 2308 Bardin Rd # 101 – Grand Prairie, TX 75052 – (972) 602-8000
USA Agency – 2100 N Highway 360 – Grand Prairie, TX 75050 – (972) 623-1688
Firemark Insurance Agency – Dfw Office – Grand Prairie, TX 75052 – (972) 647-1222
American Hallmark Insurance – 321 E Jefferson St – Grand Prairie, TX 75051 – (972) 264-0166
Atlas General Agency – 2080 N Highway 360 # 270 – Grand Prairie, TX 75050 – (972) 975-0003

Captive Agents

This type of agents can only write with one company such as AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. These agents are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captives are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Shown below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Grand Prairie that are able to give price quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 4610 Matthew Rd – Grand Prairie, TX 75052 – (972) 988-6050
State Farm Insurance – 3117 S Carrier Pkwy – Grand Prairie, TX 75052 – (972) 262-2672
Farmers Insurance Group – 626 Dalworth St – Grand Prairie, TX 75050 – (972) 264-4457

To view a full list of captive insurance agents in Grand Prairie, please click here.

Deciding on an insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:

Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
How often do they review policy coverages?
Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?

After receiving reasonable responses to these questions and a low price estimate, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that meets your needs to provide auto insurance coverage.

The fine print in auto insurance ads

Consumers can’t get away from ads that promise big savings from the likes of 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies say the same thing that you can save if you move your coverage to them.

How can each company make the same claim?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver they prefer to insure. For instance, a desirable insured might be over the age of 40, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. A driver who fits that profile will get very good rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.

Consumers who don’t meet the requirements will be quoted higher prices and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do.

This emphasizes why you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It’s not possible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Some additional reading

Much more information about auto insurance in Texas can be found on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Consumers can file complaints about a company, get help finding coverage, and find disaster information.

These articles may also be worth reading.

Summing up your auto insurance search

In this article, we presented many ideas to shop for auto insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the biggest savings come from a small local company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and GEICO.

Discount auto insurance can be purchased from both online companies in addition to many Grand Prairie insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. A few companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Grand Prairie, TX Auto Insurance Buying Tips You Aren’t Supposed to Know