Comparing Low-Cost Lake Dallas Car Insurance

Are you tired of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as the majority of other car owners in Texas.

Because you have many car insurance companies to choose from, it can be hard to locate the lowest price insurance company.

It's important to price shop coverage before your policy renews because rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best deal last year a different company probably has better rates today. So forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you're going to learn the proper way to lower your annual insurance bill.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Auto insurance companies don't always advertise all their discounts very well, so here is a list some of the more common as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving.

55 and Retired - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a discount up to 10%.
No Claims - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Safety Course Discount - Successfully completing a driver safety course could save 5% or more if you qualify.
Discount for Swiching Early - Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Driver's Ed - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course if offered at their school.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

Men are more aggressive - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. Now that doesn't mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes have accidents at about the same rate, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also get more serious tickets such as reckless driving.
Your stress level may be raising your rates - Jobs such as doctors, social workers and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates because of high stress levels and long work days. On the other hand, occupations like farmers, students and retirees pay the least.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that you can buy on your policy. Things like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and membership fees are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
What type of vehicle do you drive? - The make and model of the car you own makes a big difference in determining your rates. The lowest rates are generally reserved for small economy passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
Better credit scores mean better rates - Credit score is a important factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with poor credit. If your credit rating is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your rating.
Claim-free discounts can add up - If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance companies in Texas generally give discounts to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Liability coverage protects you - Your policy's liability coverage will protect you if ever you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It provides legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
Older drivers pay less - Young drivers in Texas have a tendency to be more careless in a vehicle so car insurance rates are higher. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers.

Is there truth in advertising?

Car insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all seem to have a common claim about savings if you change your policy. But how can every company make the same claim?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the right customer that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured could be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. A customer that hits that "sweet spot" will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.

Consumers who don't measure up to this ideal profile will have to pay higher rates and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's why companies can truthfully claim big savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Learn more today

Even more information is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Consumers can learn about insurance regulations, read industry bulletins, discover disciplinary actions, and learn about specific coverages.

Also read more on this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of insurance agents in Lake Dallas.

Shop smart and save

When trying to cut insurance costs, don't be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.

Cheap car insurance is attainable from both online companies in addition to many Lake Dallas insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.