If you’re new to shopping for car insurance online, it’s easy to get overwhelmed because of the huge number of online companies vying for business in Fort Worth.
You should take the time to check car insurance prices occasionally because prices change quite often. Just because you found the lowest rates a year ago you can probably find a lower rate today. So ignore everything you know about car insurance because I’m going to teach you the proper way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.
Lower rates by qualifying for these eight discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always list all available discounts very well, so we break down some of the more common as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
- Life Insurance – Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
- Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
- Safe Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a home in Fort Worth may earn you a small savings because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
- Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education in high school.
- Employee of Federal Government – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
- 55 and Retired – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive better car insurance rates.
Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like you could get a free car insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
For a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in Texas, click here.
Neighborhood insurance agents
A small number of people just want to buy from a licensed agent. The best thing about getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the best rates and still choose a local agent.
To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Fort Worth who will compete for your business. You never need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find better rates AND an agent nearby.
Selecting a company requires more thought than just a low price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Who are their largest clients?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
If you want to contact a specific insurance agent in Fort Worth, visit this site.
Upon receiving acceptable answers to all your questions and a low price estimate, most likely you have located a company that can properly service your car insurance policy.
Car insurance coverages 101
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine the best coverages for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Comprehensive car insurance<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-4.jpg" alt="Fort Worth car insurance quote”/>
This pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hail damage, rock chips in glass, damage from flooding, a broken windshield and falling objects. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Liability coverages
Liability coverage protects you from damage that occurs to a person or their property. It protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability can pay for things like pain and suffering, medical expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and attorney fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but consider buying higher limits if possible. Texas requires minimum liability limits of 30,000/60,000/25,000 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.
Coverage for medical expenses
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for expenses such as prosthetic devices, dental work and EMT expenses. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible
Collision protection
This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as damaging your car on a curb, driving through your garage door and rolling your car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
This gives you protection when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your vehicle.
Since many Texas drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (30/60/25 in Texas), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Online resources for education
More tips and info about car insurance is located at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, file complaints about a company, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and read state legal mandates and laws.
In conclusion
When you buy insurance online, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
The cheapest car insurance can be sourced on the web and with local Fort Worth insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers do not offer online price quotes and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
We covered many tips how you can shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the most savings is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.