Tightwads Instructions on Saving on Bonham Car Insurance

Are you sick and tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? You are no different than millions of other consumers.

Lots of contend for your insurance dollar, so it's not easy to compare every to find the absolute lowest price

It's important to check car insurance prices once or twice a year because rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best rates a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance online but I'm going to show you some great ways to save money.

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Choosing the best insurance company for you in Bonham is easy if you know what you're doing. But Texas car owners do need to know the way insurance companies price online insurance.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Auto insurance companies don't always publicize all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the more hidden car insurance savings.

New Car Discount - Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Bonham may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.
Early Signing - A few companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Good Students Pay Less - A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
Sign Online - Certain companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
Drive Less and Save - Driving fewer miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Memberships - Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
College Student - Children living away from home attending college and do not have a car may be able to be covered for less.

Drivers should understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn't make money that way.

To see a list of companies offering car insurance discounts in Bonham, follow this link.

Fast and Easy Bonham Car Insurance Quotes

There are multiple methods you can shop for car insurance and some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can waste a lot of time talking about coverages with insurance agencies in Bonham, or you can utilize the internet to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

Many insurance companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to submit one quote, and each participating company then returns a price quote. This eliminates the need for quote requests to each individual car insurance company. To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to comparing rates this way is you are unable to specify which carriers you want to price. So if you want to select specific providers to compare rates, we have a page of low cost car insurance companies in Texas. Click here for list of insurance companies in Texas.

Which method you use is up to you, but double check that you are using the exact same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote you get. If you compare different liability limits it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Bonham. Just a small difference in insurance coverages can make a big difference in price. It's important to know that quoting more will enable you to find the best rates.

What determines how much you pay?

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining your car insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

Listed below are some of the items companies use to determine rates.

The more you drive the more you pay - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you will pay for car insurance. Most companies rate vehicles based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles left parked in the garage get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your car insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your car from being stolen.
How many coverages with the same company - Most companies will give a discount to policyholders who buy several policies from them. It's known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and burglary. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The more expense you're willing to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Is your vehicle built for speed? - The make and model of the car you own makes a big difference in your rates. Lower performance four cylinder passenger cars receive the most favorable rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
How's your driving record? - Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Good drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Just one ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers who have serious citations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
Marriage brings a discount - Getting married can actually save you money when buying car insurance. It is viewed as being more mature than a single person and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.

The car insurance bait and switch

Car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all seem to say the same thing that you'll save big if you switch to them. How do they all make the same claim?

All companies can use profiling for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured could be a mature driver, has no tickets, and has excellent credit. A customer who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who don't measure up to the "perfect" profile will have to pay a higher premium which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads say "people who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That's why companies can make those claims. Because of the profiling, drivers must quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Final considerations

While you're price shopping online, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim they didn't purchase enough coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate.

Budget-conscious car insurance can be found from both online companies and with local Bonham insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

More detailed Texas car insurance information can be read at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, view a list of available companies, read consumer alerts, and report car insurance fraud.