Want to learn how to save money and find more competitive Dodge Stratus insurance in Houston? If shopping for Houston car insurance quotes online is new to you, it’s easy to be baffled due to the large selection of insurance providers offering insurance in Houston.
Sadly, nearly 70% of customers kept buying from the same company for more than four years, and almost half have never taken the time to shop around. Drivers in Texas can save hundreds of dollars each year, but they don’t understand how simple it is to do a rate comparison.
It’s smart to get comparison quotes at least once a year due to the fact that insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price on Dodge Stratus insurance in Houston last year you will most likely find a better rate quote today. You’ll find a ton of advice on Stratus insurance online but in a few minutes you can learn some solid techniques on how to lower your auto insurance premiums.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to get lower rates using these tips. We hope to tell you the best way to buy inexpensive car insurance and some money-saving tips. Nevertheless, Texas drivers must learn how companies compete online because it can help you find the best coverage.
Compare Houston Dodge Stratus insurance quotes
When comparison shopping, comparing more rates from different companies helps improve the odds of finding better pricing. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide online rate quotes, so you also need to get quotes from those companies as well.
The car insurance companies shown below provide price quotes in Houston, TX. If several companies are displayed, it’s highly recommended you visit several of them in order to find the most affordable rates.
Three reasons to not skimp on insurance
Despite the high insurance cost for a Dodge Stratus in Houston, insurance serves a purpose in several ways.
- The majority of states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific minimum amount of liability protection if you want to drive legally. 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, most lenders will force you to have insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you default on your policy, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Dodge for a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.
- Insurance preserves your Dodge and your assets. Insurance will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, your insurance policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the cost, especially for larger claims. Today the average American driver overpays as much as $750 every year so we recommend shopping around at every policy renewal to ensure rates are competitive.
Six Things That Determine Your Insurance Costs
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that go into determining your premiums. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to big savings. Many different elements are part of the equation when quoting car insurance. Some are obvious like an MVR report, but others are more obscure such as your credit history or your commute time.
- Demanding vocation may mean higher rates – Occupations such as fire fighters, airline pilots, and financial analysts have higher rates than average because of stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. Other professions such as professors, athletes and retirees get better rates.
- Youthful drivers cost more – Beginning drivers in Texas have been known to be less responsible with other occupants in the car and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher. Parents adding a beginning driver onto a policy will cause a huge premium hike. More experienced drivers have been proven to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and receive fewer citations.
- Affects performance affects prices – The type of vehicle you drive makes a big difference in your car insurance bill. Since the Dodge Stratus is classified as a passenger car, insuring your vehicle will cost similar in price or lower when compared to the average rates in Houston. The lowest performance passenger models generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Eliminate unneeded extra policy coverages – There are many additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you don’t pay attention. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, high-cost glass coverage, and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. You may think they are a good idea at first, but your needs may have changed so remove them from your policy.
- How much liability insurance do you need? – The liability coverage on your policy will afford coverage if you are determined to be liable for damages from an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. Liability insurance is pretty cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Getting married can save on car insurance – Having a significant other can actually save you money on your car insurance bill. It is viewed as being more stable financially and insurance companies reward insureds because married drivers get in fewer accidents.
These discounts can reduce Dodge Stratus insurance rates
Auto insurance is expensive, but there could be significant discounts that can help lower your rates. Many discounts should be triggered when you purchase, but a few must be inquired about before you get the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Theft Deterrent – Vehicles optioned with advanced anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more on Stratus insurance in Houston.
- Club Memberships – Being in a civic or occupational organization in Houston may earn a discount on your next renewal.
- Military Rewards – Being deployed in the military could be rewarded with lower prices.
- Save with a New Car – Buying a new car instead of a used Stratus can cost up to 25% less since new model year vehicles are generally safer.
- One Accident Forgiven – This one is not really a discount per se, but companies like Allstate, State Farm and GEICO will forgive one accident without the usual rate increase with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Good Student Discount – Being a good student could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially when compared with accident-prone drivers.
- Telematics Discount – Drivers that enable driving data submission to scrutinize vehicle usage by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive may get a rate reduction if they are good drivers.
A quick disclaimer, most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But any discount will definitely lower your premiums.
A few of the larger companies and a partial list of their discounts are:
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-vehicle, online signing, good student, online quote discount, homeowner, continuous coverage, and multi-policy.
- MetLife discounts include good student, defensive driver, accident-free, good driver, claim-free, and multi-policy.
- Mercury Insurance includes discounts for multi-policy, good student, location of vehicle, ease of repair, and accident-free.
- Nationwide may offer discounts for family plan, defensive driving, Farm Bureau membership, accident-free, multi-policy, business or organization, and easy pay.
- GEICO has savings for good student, air bags, seat belt use, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and driver training.
- AAA policyholders can earn discounts including education and occupation, multi-car, good student, good driver, and multi-policy.
When quoting, ask every company which discounts you qualify for. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be offered in your state. To see a list of insurance companies that offer discounts in Houston, click here.
Local Houston car insurance agents
Certain consumers prefer to visit with an insurance agent and often times that is recommended An additional benefit of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find cheap auto insurance rates and still buy from a local agent. Buying from and supporting small agencies is definitely important in Houston.
For easy comparison, once you complete this quick form, your insurance data gets sent to companies in Houston who want to provide quotes for your coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to drive around as quotes are delivered to your email. You can get cheaper auto insurance rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you want to get a price quote from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to navigate to their website to submit a rate quote request.
When finding a reliable insurance agency, you should know the types of agencies that you can select. Insurance agencies in Houston may be either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These type of agents are not required to write business for one company so as a result can place your coverage with any number of different companies and get the cheapest rates. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move your policy to a different company without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, you definitely need to get rate quotes from multiple independent agents so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare. They often place coverage with smaller companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Listed below is a partial list of independent insurance agents in Houston who can help you get free auto insurance quotes.
- Town and Country Insurance Agency – Houston, TX
10575 Katy Fwy # 150 – Houston, TX 77024 – (713) 461-8979 – View Map - Texas Insurance
210 W Greens Rd # B – Houston, TX 77067 – (281) 872-6100 – View Map - Suzanne Brown Agency-Insurance
11999 Katy Fwy #635 – Houston, TX 77079 – (281) 558-2210 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
These type of agents generally can only insure with one company such as Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. Exclusive agencies are unable to shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive agents receive extensive training on what they offer which helps them sell on service rather than price. Some insured continue to use the same exclusive agent partially due to high brand loyalty rather than having low rates.
Shown below are Houston exclusive insurance agencies willing to provide rate quotes.
- Anna Santa Ana – State Farm Insurance Agent
7710 Cherry Park Dr d – Houston, TX 77095 – (281) 550-0333 – View Map - Felicia Boudreaux – State Farm Insurance Agent
14901 TX-249 #105 – Houston, TX 77086 – (713) 464-2077 – View Map - Scott McNab – State Farm Insurance Agent
1005 Waugh Dr b – Houston, TX 77019 – (713) 520-5556 – View Map
Finding the right car insurance agent is decision based upon more than just a low price. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- When do they do a full risk review?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Houston?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in Texas?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
Upon receiving good answers to any questions you have and cheap Stratus insurance quotes, you’ve probably found an insurance agency that can properly insure your vehicles.
You can find cheap coverage
People switch companies for many reasons like policy cancellation, high prices, unfair underwriting practices or even poor customer service. No matter why you want to switch, finding a great new company is not as difficult as it may seem.
As you shop your coverage around, make sure you don’t reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut physical damage coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price.
We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to reduce Dodge Stratus insurance rates online in Houston. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
More tips and info about insurance can be found by following these links:
- Keeping Children Safe in Crashes Video (iihs.org)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance After a Speeding Ticket in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for 4×4 Vehicles in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for Teenagers in Houston? (FAQ)
- How Much is Houston Auto Insurance for Drivers Over Age 60? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Houston Car Insurance for Single Moms? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Teenage Males in Houston? (FAQ)
- How Much is Houston Auto Insurance for Ride Shares? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for Hybrid Vehicles in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Houston Auto Insurance for a 20 Year Old Female? (FAQ)
- Top Signs Your Brakes are Giving Out (State Farm)
- Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)
- What if I Can’t Find Coverage? (Insurance Information Institute)