Tightwads Guide for Saving on Hideaway Auto Insurance

Scraping up a payment for overpriced auto insurance can overdraw your personal savings and force you to make sacrifices. Doing a price comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to help make ends meet.

Big-name insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive increase brand awareness with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. Finding the best rates in Hideaway is easy if you know what you're doing. But Texas drivers do need to know how companies market insurance on the web and apply this information to your search.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

Shown below are a few of the "ingredients" auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

Higher deductibles cost less - Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before your auto insurance pays a claim. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, insures against damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be colliding with a building, damage from fire, and burglary. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the bigger discount you will receive.
Rate your vehicle for proper use - The higher the mileage driven in a year's time the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks left parked in the garage qualify for better rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Make sure your auto insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.
Choose a safe vehicle and save - Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Your stress level may be raising your rates - Occupations such as lawyers, business owners and dentists tend to have the highest average rates because of stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. Other occupations such as pilots, historians and retirees receive lower rates.
Liability coverage is peace of mind - Your policy's liability coverage is the protection if a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not cut corners here.

Compare Auto Insurance Today

All major auto insurance companies give coverage prices online. This process is quite simple as you just enter your required coverages as detailed in the form. After the form is submitted, the company's rating system will obtain credit information and your driving record and returns pricing information based on these and other factors. Online quotes helps simplify price comparisons, but the time it takes to visit a lot of sites and type in the same information is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it's very important to have as many quotes as possible in order to get better auto insurance pricing.

The preferred way to compare auto insurance pricing uses one form to get prices from a lot of companies. The form is fast, eliminates form submissions, and makes online shopping much more efficient. As soon as you send your information, your coverage is rated with multiple companies and you can pick your choice of the resulting price quotes. If a lower price is quoted, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and may result in a nice savings.

To find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and submit the form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you enter the insurance coverages identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will be getting a fair comparison for the exact same coverage.

These discounts can lower your rates

Companies don't list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both well-publicized as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using.

Multiple Cars - Buying coverage for all your vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Life Insurance - Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
Service Members Pay Less - Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
No Accidents - Drivers who don't have accidents can save substantially when compared with accident-prone drivers.
Own a Home - Owning a home in Hideaway can help you save on auto insurance because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Low mileage vehicles can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Save over 55 - If you're over the age of 55, you may receive better auto insurance rates.
Pay Now and Pay Less - If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
Organization Discounts - Participating in a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like it's possible to get free car insurance, companies don't profit that way.

To choose insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Hideaway, click here to view.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. All the companies make an identical promise that you'll save big if you change to their company. How can each company make almost identical claims?

All companies have a preferred profile for the driver that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer could possibly be between 25 and 40, has no prior claims, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Drivers who are not a match for the requirements must pay a higher premium and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. This is how companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It's impossible to know which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Different people need different coverages

When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions can help discover whether you would benefit from an agent's advice.

Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?

If you're not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance 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.

More detailed Texas auto insurance information can be found at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can report car insurance fraud, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find disaster information, and read industry bulletins.

Shop smart and save

Discount auto insurance is attainable online and also from your neighborhood Hideaway agents, so you should compare both to have the best selection. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When shopping online for auto insurance, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.