Cheap Auto Insurance in Georgetown

Would you like an easy way to compare the cheapest auto insurance rates in Georgetown, TX? Feel like you have high-priced auto insurance? It’s a common feeling and you’re not alone.

Unimaginable but true, 70% of consumers have stayed with the same insurance company for at least four years, and nearly 40% of drivers have never shopped around. Many drivers in Texas could save an average of $1,800 each year by just comparing rate quotes, but most undervalue the amount of money they would save if they moved their coverage to a different company.

Drivers have many car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s nice to have a choice, lots of choices makes it harder to find the best rates for your vehicles.

Locating the most cost-effective car insurance policy in Georgetown is quite easy if you know the best way to do it. Essentially each driver who buys car insurance will most likely find a lower-cost company. Although Texas vehicle owners should learn how the larger insurance companies calculate their prices and use this information to your advantage.

Informed drivers can lower your rates

One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of a few of the rating criteria that are used to determine your car insurance rates. If you know what determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices. Many things are used when quoting car insurance. Most are fairly basic such as traffic violations, although some other factors are less apparent like where you live or how safe your car is.

The following are a partial list of the pieces used by insurance companies to determine your prices.

Liability insurance is critical – Liability insurance is the protection if ever a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides you with a defense in court to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to other policy coverages, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.

Only buy what you need – There are a lot of additional extra coverages that can waste your money if you aren’t careful. Coverages for replacement cost coverage, towing coverage, and extra equipment coverage may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good initially, but if you’ve never needed them in the past eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.

Premiums are affected by your credit score – Having a bad credit score is likely to be a major factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have excellent credit tend to file fewer claims as compared to drivers with poor credit scores. Therefore, if your credit score can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your vehicle by spending a little time repairing your credit.

Better prices with anti-theft devices – Selecting a car model that has a built-in theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention devices such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all help stop car theft.

Insurance rates in urban areas – Living in smaller towns and rural areas of the country has it’s advantages when talking about car insurance. Residents of big cities have to deal with more aggressive driving styles and much longer commute distances. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents and lower theft and vandalism rates.

To find more affordable rates, there are a couple of ways to compare prices from local Georgetown auto insurance companies. The fastest way to find affordable insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison.

Getting price quotes online is very simple and it replaces the need to spend time driving to local Georgetown insurance agencies. The ability to get quotes online eliminates the middleman unless you want the professional advice that can only be provided by a licensed insurance agent. You can, however, compare the best prices online and get advice from an agent in your area. When quoting auto insurance, remember that comparing more quotes will improve the odds of getting the best rates.

The companies shown below are our best choices to provide price comparisons in Georgetown, TX. If more than one company is shown, it’s a good idea that you compare several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Data assumes married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in specific location information which can lower or raise coverage rates greatly.

Do you need full coverage?

The diagram below shows the comparison of Chevrolet Tahoe auto insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The premium estimates are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, married male driver, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Chevrolet Tahoe rates are for example purposes only. To get rates for your specific vehicle, click here.

When to eliminate full coverage

There is no exact formula of when to phase out physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

For example, let’s pretend your Chevrolet Tahoe book value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most you would receive is $4,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $400 annually for full coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

There are some situations where only buying liability is not recommended. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not opt for liability only.

Why you need vehicle insurance in Texas

Despite the high cost of buying insurance in Georgetown, maintaining insurance is required by state law in Texas and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.

• The majority of states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require a specific level of liability coverage 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.
• If you have a lien on your vehicle, it’s most likely the lender will have a requirement that you have insurance to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totalled. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may insure your vehicle at a much higher premium rate and require you to fork over the higher price.
• Insurance safeguards not only your vehicle but also your financial assets. Insurance will also pay for all forms of medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your vehicle gets damaged, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.

The benefits of insuring your vehicle definitely exceed the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. The average driver in Texas is overpaying over $855 a year so shop around once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are competitive.

Companies offer many discounts on car insurance

Some insurance providers don’t necessarily list all possible discounts very well, so here is a list some of the best known and the more hidden discounts that may be available.

• Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings of 20% or more.
• Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your entire bill at once instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
• Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying a policy with multiple cars with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and will save you 10% or more.
• Membership in Organizations – Participating in qualifying employment or professional organizations may earn a discount on your next renewal.
• New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can get you a discount since newer vehicles are generally safer.
• Life Insurance Discount – Larger car insurance companies have a lower premium rate if you buy a life policy as well.
• Online Discount – A few companies will give you a small discount simply for signing on their website.
• Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course in school.
• Accident Forgiveness Coverage – Not really a discount, but certain companies may permit one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free before the accident.

A quick disclaimer, most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.

If you would like to see a list of insurers who offer free car insurance quotes in Georgetown, click here.

Comparing rates from local Georgetown auto insurance agents

A small number of people still like to get professional advice from a licensed agent and often times that is recommended One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that drivers can save money and get lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.

After filling out this short form, your insurance data is emailed to insurance agents in Georgetown who will give competitive quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. You can most likely find cheaper rates without a big time investment. If you wish to get a rate quote from a specific insurance company, you can always jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.

Finding a good company is decision based upon more than just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:

• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
• Will they take your side in the event of a claim?
• Does the company have a solid financial rating?
• Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
• Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?

The type of auto insurance agent you choose is important

If you are wanting to purchase insurance from a good Georgetown insurance agent, you must know there are a couple different agency structures from which to choose. Insurance policy providers can be described as either independent or exclusive.

Exclusive Agents

Agents that choose to be exclusive have only one company to place business with and some examples include State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot provide other company’s prices so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

The following is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in Georgetown that are able to give rate quotes.

More Georgetown agents

Independent Insurance Agents

Agents in the independent channel do not write with just one company and that allows them to write policies through many different insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, your agent can just switch to a different company and that require little work on your part.

When comparison shopping, you will definitely want to include at a minimum one independent agency in order to compare the most rates.

Shown below are independent agents in Georgetown who can help you get comparison quotes.

More Georgetown agents

Quote more and you will save more

We just covered quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on auto insurance in Georgetown. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheaper Georgetown auto insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the best rates are with the least-expected company. They may have significantly lower car insurance rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

A few companies may not offer rate quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers work with independent agents. Cheaper auto insurance in Georgetown can be bought online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both so you have a total pricing picture.

More information can be read at these links:

• What Determines the Price of My Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Toyota 4Runner in Austin? (FAQ)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest in Austin, Texas? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a 20 Year Old Male in Austin? (FAQ)
• How Much is Austin Auto Insurance for Safe Drivers? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for Government Employees in Austin? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Austin Auto Insurance for Teachers? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Austin Car Insurance Quotes for High Risk Drivers? (FAQ)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for a Learners Permit in Austin? (FAQ)
• Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)
• Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)