Tightwads Tips for Saving on Shallowater Car Insurance

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

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies don't necessarily list all available discounts very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the more common as well as the least known discounts you could be receiving. If you're not getting every credit you qualify for, you're paying more than you need to.

Driver Safety - Taking part in a driver safety course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Good Student - A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
Student in College - Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
Auto/Home Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
Passive Restraint Discount - Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
Life Insurance Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

To see a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Texas, click here.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

Most companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm provide coverage price quotes on the web. The process is fairly simple as you just enter your personal and coverage information as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, their rating system will obtain credit information and your driving record and generates pricing information based on these and other factors. This streamlines rate comparisons, but the time it takes to visit different websites and fill out multiple forms is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it's very important to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find the best price on car insurance.

The preferred way to compare rates utilizes a single form that gets prices from a lot of companies. The form is fast, eliminates form submissions, and makes online shopping much more enjoyable and efficient. After your information is entered, it gets priced and you can select any one of the price quotes you receive. If a lower price is quoted, you simply finish the application and purchase coverage. The whole process takes 15 minutes at the most and you'll know if lower rates are available.

If you want to find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and input your coverage information. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you copy your coverages identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will be getting an apples-to-apples comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Tips to Get Lower Shallowater Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine your car insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in big savings.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate premiums.

Extra coverages can waste money - There are a ton of additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Coverages for rental car reimbursement, accidental death and additional equipment coverage are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
How's your driving record? - Drivers who don't get tickets have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single moving violation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers with flagrant tickets like DUI or reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.
Mature drivers pay less - Young drivers in Texas are known to get distracted easily behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. If you've ever had to add a youthful driver onto a policy can be quite pricey. Older drivers are more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
Big city or small town - Living in less populated areas is a positive aspect when it comes to car insurance. Urban drivers have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident.

Tailor your coverage to you

When choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a best way to insure your cars. Everyone's situation is a little different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you would benefit from an agent's advice.

Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
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?
What are the best liability limits?
Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?

If you can't answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

How can 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

Consumers can't get away from ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies have a common claim about savings after switching your coverage to them.

How does each company make the same claim?

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a profitable customer could be between 25 and 40, a clean driving record, and has excellent credit. A customer that hits that "sweet spot" will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when switching.

Drivers who are not a match for these standards must pay a higher premium and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That is how companies can truthfully make those claims. This illustrates why drivers must compare many company's rates. Because you never know which company will have the lowest rates.

And the best car insurance company is...

Cheap car insurance can be bought from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Shallowater, so you should compare both to have the best selection. Some companies don't offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just showed you a lot of techniques to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers may even find the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments 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 a lot of situations where someone dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later they didn't purchase enough coverage. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

Additional Texas consumer information

Even more information can be found at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about a company, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and view agent and company licensing information.

Additional helpful sites include this resource for Texas car insurance prices and this link which helps you find a Shallowater agent.