8 Ways to Save on Car Insurance in Columbus Texas

No one in their right mind likes having to buy car insurance, particularly when the price is too high. You have so many to pick from, and although it's nice to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

Buying the lowest cost protection in Columbus is simple if you know the tricks. If you have a current car insurance policy or need new coverage, you can follow these tips to find the best rates while maintaining coverages. Texas consumers only need to know the best way to buy car insurance over the internet.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you quote, but some must be specifically requested prior to getting the savings. If you're not getting every credit you qualify for, you're paying more than you need to.

Federal Employees - Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off with a few car insurance companies.
Good Student - A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
Distant Student - Children who live away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
Discount for Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance.
Driver Safety - Successfully completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Low Mileage Discounts - Fewer annual miles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Accident Forgiveness - Certain companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
Theft Prevention Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and earn discounts up to 10%.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will bring down the cost of coverage.

To see a list of insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Texas, follow this link.

Car Insurance Comparison Rates in Columbus, TX

Most companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO provide coverage price quotes on their websites. Getting quotes is fairly simple as you simply type in your personal and coverage information as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, the system will obtain credit information and your driving record and returns a price quote. This streamlines rate comparisons, but the time required to go to different websites and fill out multiple forms can get tiresome after awhile. But it's very important to do this if you want to find the best price on car insurance.

Quote rates the easy way

The preferred way to compare rates is to use a quote form to obtain quotes from several different companies. The form is fast, eliminates form submissions, and makes price shopping online much more enjoyable. After your information is entered, it gets priced and you can select any one of the price quotes you receive.

If you find a better price you can simply submit the application and purchase coverage. The whole process only takes a few minutes and you will find out if you're overpaying now.

To find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. If you have a policy now, it's recommended you type in the limits and deductibles as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you will get a price comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Tailor your coverage to you

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a "best" method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else's and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you will benefit from professional help.

Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Texas?
Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.

How can Progressive, Allstate and GEICO save drivers who switch?

Consumers in Texas can't get away from ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing about savings after switching your coverage to them.

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

Insurance companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that is profitable for them. An example of a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and has excellent credit. Any new insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save when switching.

Potential customers who are not a match for these standards will be quoted a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That is how companies can truthfully make those claims.

This emphasizes why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's just too difficult to predict which company will have the lowest rates.

In the end, you save

We just covered a lot of tips how to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from a small mutual company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as .

While you're price shopping online, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.

Additional Texas consumer information

Additional information is available on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance found here. Visitors are able to download brochures, file complaints about a company, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and view agent and company licensing information.

Additional helpful sites include this site for car insurance rates in Texas and this list of insurance agents in Columbus.