Tightwads Guide for Saving on Castroville Auto Insurance

Have you had enough of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as most other car owners in Texas. Big companies like GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with catchy ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

If you are insured now or need new coverage, you will benefit by learning to find better prices while maintaining coverages. Finding the best rates in Castroville is quite easy. Texas drivers only need an understanding of the most efficient way to shop for auto insurance online.

Castroville Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates enables informed choices that could result in better auto insurance rates.

The list below includes a few of the "ingredients" auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

Drive a safer car and pay less - Safer cars are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
A lapse in coverage is a bad thing - Driving your car without having proper coverage is against the law and you will pay a penalty because you let your coverage have a gap. And not only will your rates increase, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations such as lawyers, architects and dentists tend to have the highest average rates due to job stress and long work hours. Other occupations such as farmers, historians and the unemployed receive lower rates.
With age comes lower rates - Mature drivers are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets. Youthful drivers tend to get distracted easily in a vehicle and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Men fork out a little more - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don't assume that men are worse drivers. Men and women are in accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying when buying auto insurance. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, accidental death and term life insurance are examples of these. They may seem good initially, but if they're wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Protect yourself with liability coverage - The liability section of your policy will protect you if you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Bundling policies can get discounts - The majority of companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. If you currently are using one company, it's still a good idea to comparison shop to ensure the best deal. Consumers may find better rates by buying auto insurance from a different company.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies that sell car insurance don't always list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount available, you are paying more than you should be.

Service Members Pay Less - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
Use Seat Belts - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
No Accidents - Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared with accident-prone drivers.
Student in College - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for better auto insurance rates.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Keeping the miles down can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Defensive Driving Course - Taking a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.

It's important to understand that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn't quite work that way.

To choose insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Castroville, follow this link.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Consumers in Texas can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies say the same thing of big savings if you move to their company.

How can each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Consumers who are not a match for the requirements must pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "customers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. That's why insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. This illustrates why you should get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find disaster information, find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

A tidy conclusion

Low-cost auto insurance is definitely available both online and also from your neighborhood Castroville agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who may not provide online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it's a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.