How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Car Insurance in Abilene

Scraping up a payment for overpriced car insurance can dwindle your savings account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Doing a price comparison is free and is an excellent way to make sure you're not throwing money away.

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

If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Finding affordable coverage in Abilene is easy if you know what you're doing. But Texas consumers do need to know how big insurance companies market on the web and use this information to your advantage.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down both the well known and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance.

More Vehicles More Savings - Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
Senior Citizens - Mature drivers can possibly qualify for reduced rates.
Accident Free - Drivers who don't have accidents can save substantially when compared with bad drivers.
Defensive Driving Course - Taking a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Student in College - Any of your kids who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
Anti-theft System - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Student Driver Training - Have your child enroll in driver's education in high school.
Pay Upfront and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
Paperless Signup - Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up on their website.

Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don't profit that way.

To see a list of insurers with the best car insurance discounts in Abilene, click this link.

How to Buy Abilene Car Insurance Online

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates from local Abilene car insurance companies. The best method to find the lowest rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done in several different ways.

The best way to get the best comparison quotes is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This form saves time by eliminating separate quote forms for each company. One form gets you coverage quotes from many national carriers.
A slightly less efficient method to shop for car insurance online consists of going to each individual company website to complete a price quote. For sake of this example, let's assume you want comparison quotes from , and . You would have to spend time on each company's site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Abilene, click here.
The hardest way of comparing rate quotes is to spend time driving to insurance agents' offices. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the personal advice of a licensed agent. Drivers can obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent and you'll learn how to do that later.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just make darn sure you compare the exact same coverages with each company. If each company quotes different limits and deductibles on each one it will be impossible to make an equal comparison in Abilene. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparison shopping, more quotes will increase your chances of finding lower pricing.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Abilene

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better car insurance rates.

Increase deductibles and save - Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be colliding with a building, vandalism, or theft. The higher the amount you're willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Men fork out a little more - Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don't assume that women are better drivers. Men and women have accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations such as lawyers, executives and accountants tend to pay higher rates than average attributed to stressful work requirements and long work hours. On the flip side, occupations like pilots, athletes and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying car insurance. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, accidental death and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea at first, but if you don't need them get rid of them and save.
Mature drivers pay less - More mature drivers are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers. Youthful drivers tend to be careless and easily distracted when driving therefore car insurance rates are much higher.

Insurance agents can help

When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone's needs are different so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
What are Texas no-fault laws?
Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive regularly use television and radio advertisements. All the companies make the same claim that you'll save big if you move to them. How do they all claim to save you money?

Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that is profitable for them. For example, a profitable customer might be between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. Any driver who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who don't qualify for the "perfect" profile must pay more money which leads to the customer not buying. The ad wording is "people who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. This is how companies can advertise the savings. This illustrates why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

Affordable insurance is out there

Discount car insurance is definitely available both online and with local Abilene insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

More detailed Texas car insurance information can be found at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to report car insurance fraud, learn about insurance regulations, read industry bulletins, and discover disciplinary actions.