We don’t have to point out that fact that auto insurance companies want to keep you from comparing rates. People who shop around will most likely move their business because they have good chances of finding more affordable rates. A recent car insurance study revealed that drivers who compared prices once a year saved an average of $3,500 over four years compared to other drivers who didn’t regularly shop around.
If finding budget-friendly rates on insurance in Corpus Christi is your ultimate objective, then having an understanding of the best ways to shop for insurance premiums can save time and make the process easier.
If you want to save the most money, the best way to get more affordable auto insurance rates in Corpus Christi is to do a yearly price comparison from different companies that sell auto insurance in Texas.
Step 1: Try to comprehend how auto insurance works and the changes you can make to prevent high rates. Many policy risk factors that cause high rates like multiple speeding tickets and an imperfect credit history can be eliminated by making minor changes to your lifestyle. This article provides more information to prevent expensive rate increases and find additional discounts you may qualify for.
Step 2: Compare price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes from many different companies. View insurance agents
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you can save some money and decide to switch, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Step 4: Provide adequate notice to your current company of your intent to cancel your existing policy. Submit the application along with any required down payment for your new coverage. As soon as you have the new policy, place the new certificate verifying coverage in your glove compartment.
A key point to remember is to make sure you enter similar coverage information on each quote request and and to compare every insurance company. This helps ensure an apples-to-apples comparison and the best price selection.
Buying affordable car insurance in Corpus Christi can be much easier if you know how to start. If you have car insurance now, you will be able to reduce the price you pay using the techniques presented in this article. But Texas car owners must know how insurance companies determine premium rates because it can help you find the best coverage.
When comparison shopping, there are several ways to get quotes from many different Texas insurance companies. The easiest way by far to lower the rate you pay for Nissan Quest insurance is to perform an online rate comparison.
Getting rate quotes online is very simple and it replaces the need to drive around to all the different Corpus Christi insurance agencies. Comparing online rate quotes makes this unnecessary unless you have a need for the professional assistance of a licensed agent. You can, however, price shop your coverage online and still use a local agent.
When comparison shopping, obtaining a wide range of quotes increases your odds of finding better pricing.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide quotes in Texas. To get cheaper auto insurance in Corpus Christi, it’s a good idea that you compare several of them in order to find the cheapest rates.
Lower rates by qualifying for these five discounts
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you can get discounts to help offset the cost. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of purchase, but a few must be inquired about prior to getting the savings.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can stop better under adverse conditions and the ABS can save up to 10%.
- E-sign – A handful of larger companies provide a small discount for buying a policy and signing up on the internet.
- Memberships – Being in a civic or occupational organization in Corpus Christi could earn you a nice discount on your next renewal.
- Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers can save as much as half off their rates compared to accident prone drivers.
- Payment Method – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than spreading payments over time you can avoid monthly service charges.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Despite the appearance that all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
If you would like to see a list of companies who offer car insurance discounts in Texas, follow this link.
Three reasons to not skimp on auto insurance
Despite the high cost, buying auto insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.
First, most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability protection if you don’t want to risk a ticket. In Texas these limits are 30/60/25 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if your car has a loan, almost all lenders will stipulate that you carry insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender may insure your Nissan for a lot more money and require you to fork over for the much more expensive policy.
Third, insurance protects both your assets and your Nissan. Insurance will pay for hospital and medical expenses for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you have damage to your Nissan as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of insuring your Quest outweigh the cost, especially when you need to use it. According to a recent study, the average American driver is overpaying over $855 a year so you should quote and compare rates once a year at a minimum to make sure the price is not too high.
Neighborhood insurance agents
Some consumers still prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that drivers can get the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.
After completing this simple form, the coverage information is sent to participating agents in Corpus Christi that can provide free Corpus Christi car insurance quotes for your business. You won’t need to find an agent on your own since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. You can get cheaper auto insurance rates and a licensed agent to work with. In the event you want to compare prices from a specific insurance company, don’t hesitate to jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Deciding on an provider should depend on more than just the premium amount. Below are some questions you should ask.
- How experienced are they in personal risk management?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
Not all auto insurance agents are the same
If you are wanting to purchase auto insurance from a good insurance agency, it’s important to understand the different types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Agencies in Corpus Christi are considered either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive agents have only one company to place business with and examples are Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive insurance agents are usually well trained on sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Shown below are exclusive agents in Corpus Christi who can help you get price quote information.
Allstate Insurance: Jill Reed
4411 S Alameda St a – Corpus Christi, TX 78412 – (361) 452-8055 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: James Aleman
6262 Weber Rd Ste 112 – Corpus Christi, TX 78413 – (361) 806-2133 – View Map
Jessica Kelly – State Farm Insurance Agent
5337 Yorktown Blvd #2b – Corpus Christi, TX 78413 – (361) 854-3225 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company so they can write business with many different companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If prices rise, your policy is moved internally and that require little work on your part.
When comparing auto insurance rates, you definitely need to get quotes from independent agents so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
The following is a list of independent agents in Corpus Christi willing to provide comparison quotes.
Tejas Auto Insurance
4701 Ayers St #104 – Corpus Christi, TX 78415 – (361) 814-0030 – View Map
Fred Roy Insurance
4402 Weber Rd – Corpus Christi, TX 78411 – (361) 854-4847 – View Map
Joe Morales Insurance
5230 Kostoryz Rd # 18 – Corpus Christi, TX 78415 – (361) 852-4292 – View Map
Auto insurance coverages and their meanings
Having a good grasp of your policy can help you determine the right coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverages found on most auto insurance policies.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many Texas drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 30/60/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.
Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like damage from flooding, hitting a bird and vandalism. The highest amount your auto insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision coverage – Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for claims like hitting a parking meter, sideswiping another vehicle and colliding with another moving vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible on your Quest to get cheaper collision coverage.
Liability auto insurance – Liability coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. It protects YOU from legal claims by others, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see liability limits of 30/60/25 that translate to $30,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $60,000, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for claims like funeral expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, court costs and medical expenses. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible. Texas requires minimum liability limits of 30/60/25 but drivers should carry more liability than the minimum.
The next chart demonstrates why low liability limits may not provide adequate coverage.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses like dental work, rehabilitation expenses, surgery and hospital visits. The coverages can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage