If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to save money on auto insurance rates in Fort Worth is to annually compare prices from companies in Texas. Rate comparisons can be done by completing these steps.
- Step 1: Spend some time learning about how auto insurance works and the steps you can take to prevent high rates. Many policy risk factors that cause rate increases such as traffic tickets, fender benders, and an unacceptable credit rating can be remedied by paying attention to minor details. This article gives the details to keep prices down and get additional discounts that may be available.
- Step 2: Compare rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only quote rates from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can provide price quotes from multiple sources.
- Step 3: Compare the new quotes to the price on your current policy to see if cheaper XL-7 coverage is available in Fort Worth. If you find a lower rate quote and change companies, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Step 4: Provide proper notification to your current company to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit a signed application and payment for the new policy. Once coverage is bound, put the certificate verifying coverage in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
The most important part of shopping around is to make sure you’re comparing the same level of coverage on each quote and and to get price estimates from as many companies as possible. This ensures an accurate price comparison and a thorough price selection.
Inconceivable but true, about 70% of customers have stayed with the same insurance company for at least four years, and nearly half have never compared rates to find affordable insurance. Texas drivers could save nearly $1,800 a year by just shopping around, but they don’t believe the actual amount they would save if they switched to a cheaper policy.
How Car Insurance Companies Determine Suzuki XL-7 Insurance Prices
Lots of factors are used in the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some are pretty understandable like an MVR report, although others are more obscure such as your marital status or your vehicle rating. It’s important that you understand the factors that aid in calculating car insurance rates. When consumers understand what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make educated decisions that could result in big savings.
The items below are some of the items used by companies to determine premiums.
Only buy add-on coverages you need – Insurance companies have many additional extra coverages that may not really be needed on your car insurance policy. Insurance for rental car coverage, accidental death, and Farm Bureau memberships may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if you have no use for them remove them and pocket the money.
Drivers with high credit save – Having a bad credit score is likely to be a major factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. Therefore, if your credit score leaves room for improvement, you may save money insuring your Suzuki XL-7 if you improve your credit rating. Insureds that have very high credit ratings tend to be better risks to insure as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings.
Your address can modify price – Having an address in a rural area can save you money when trying to find low car insurance rates. City drivers have to deal with much more traffic and a longer drive to work. Lower population means less chance of accidents in addition to lower liability claims.
Vehicle risk affects costs – The performance level of the vehicle you need to insure makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates are usually for small economy passenger models, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Lower rates for safer cars – Cars with five star safety ratings cost less to insure. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and lower rates of occupant injuries means your insurance company pays less and cheaper rates on your policy. If your Suzuki earned at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may pay a lower rate.
Gender and insurance coverage premiums – The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. It does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women cause fender benders at a similar rate, but the men get into accidents with more damage. They also receive more costly citations like driving under the influence (DUI). Male teenagers cause the most accidents and thus pay the highest rates.
Just keep in mind that getting more free quotes helps increase your odds of locating a lower rate than you’re paying now. Some smaller insurers do not give rate quotes online, so you should also compare prices from them as well.
The following companies are ready to provide quotes in Texas. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you click on several of them to find the cheapest car insurance rates.
Three reasons to not skimp on insurance
Despite the high cost, maintaining insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.
- The majority of states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific minimum amount of liability protection in order to license the vehicle. 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 your XL-7 has a loan, most lenders will make it mandatory that you carry insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you default on your policy, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Suzuki at a significantly higher premium and require you to pay the higher price.
- Insurance protects not only your vehicle but also your financial assets. Insurance will also pay for many types of medical costs incurred in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the price paid, especially if you ever need it. Unknowingly, the average driver overpays more than $820 a year so it’s very important to do a rate comparison every year to save money.
Reduce your car insurance rates with discounts
Some companies don’t necessarily list every discount available in a way that’s easy to find, so the below list has some of the best known as well as some of the hidden car insurance savings.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Drivers who insure multiple cars or trucks on the same car insurance policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
- Pay Early and Save – By paying your entire bill at once instead of paying each month you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Policy Bundle Discount – If you combine your auto and home policies with one insurance company they may give you a discount of as much as 10 to 15 percent.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving less can earn better car insurance rates on cars that stay parked.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save a little off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars with ABS and/or traction control can stop better under adverse conditions and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Own a Home and Save – Owning your own home or condo can save a few bucks since owning and maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
One thing to note about discounts is that some credits don’t apply to the whole policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Despite the appearance that you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.
Car insurance companies that may have these benefits are:
When quoting, ask every insurance company what discounts are available to you. Some credits might not be offered on policies in your state. To locate car insurance companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in Texas, click this link.
Compare prices but work with a local neighborhood Fort Worth car insurance agent
Certain consumers would prefer to talk to a local agent and doing so can bring peace of mind An additional benefit of getting free rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get cheap insurance rates and still buy from a local agent.
After completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information is sent to participating agents in Fort Worth that provide free Fort Worth car insurance quotes for your business. You don’t have to contact an agency since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. Get lower rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you want to get a comparison quote from a specific company, you can always search and find their rate quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Selecting an insurance company needs to be determined by more than just the quoted price. The following questions are important to ask.
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- How would your car be valued if totaled?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- Where would your vehicle be repaired?
- Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
If you want an insurance agent, it’s important to understand the different agency structures that you can select. Insurance policy providers can be categorized as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive insurance agents generally can only insure with one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They generally cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so keep that in mind. Exclusive agents are highly trained on the products they sell which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Consumers sometimes use the same agent mainly due to high brand loyalty rather than having the cheapest rates.
The following are exclusive insurance agents in Fort Worth who can help you get comparison quotes.
- Clint Goin – State Farm Insurance Agent
7420 N Beach St #234 – Fort Worth, TX 76137 – (817) 485-5660 – View Map - Jerry Yowell – State Farm Insurance Agent
4900 Overton Ridge Blvd Ste 211 – Fort Worth, TX 76132 – (817) 292-5775 – View Map - Jerry Bristow – State Farm Insurance Agent
6490 Camp Bowie Blvd – Fort Worth, TX 76116 – (817) 738-2184 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents of this type are not restricted to one company so they can quote policies with a variety of different insurance companies and find you the best rates. If they find a cheaper price, your agent can just switch to a different company and you can keep the same agent. If you are comparing insurance prices, you need to include rate quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to get the most accurate price comparison. Most independent agents also contract with companies you’ve never heard of who may have lower rates.
Below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Fort Worth willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Nationwide Insurance: The Hulett Agency Inc
11751 Alta Vista Rd Ste 401 – Fort Worth, TX 76244 – (817) 533-8027 – View Map - Luna Insurance Agency
4475 Hemphill St – Fort Worth, TX 76115 – (817) 744-8150 – View Map - Lucien Wright Insurance Services
6000 Western Pl #100 – Fort Worth, TX 76107 – (817) 335-3400 – View Map
After receiving good feedback as well as a affordable price, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that can service your policy. Keep in mind consumers can terminate coverage at any time so don’t assume that you’re stuck with a policy for a certain time period.
Different people need different auto insurance coverages
When quoting and choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Your situation is unique so this has to be addressed.
For example, these questions might point out if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
- How much cheaper are high deductibles?
- How can I force my company to pay a claim?
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
- Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
- Am I covered if I hit my neighbor’s mailbox?
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Cover all your bases
When shopping online for insurance, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are too many instances where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your objective should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost and still be able to protect your assets.
You just read a lot of tips how to get a better price on Suzuki XL-7 insurance in Fort Worth. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may even discover the lowest priced insurance comes from some of the lesser-known companies. These companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.
More information can be found below:
- Five Tips to Save on Auto Insurance (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Fort Worth Car Insurance Rates for Safe Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Fort Worth Car Insurance for Hybrid Vehicles? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for a Hyundai Santa Fe in Fort Worth? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for High Mileage Drivers in Fort Worth? (FAQ)
- Vehicle Insurance in the U.S. (Wikipedia)
- Rental Car Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
- How to shop for a safer car (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)