Pricey insurance in Houston can sap your checking account and force you to cut corners elsewhere. Performing a price comparison can lower your rates and help to lower your monthly bill.
It’s hard to believe, but about 70% of customers have stayed with the same insurance company for at least the last four years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never quoted insurance rates at all. With the average insurance premium being $2,679, Houston drivers could pocket up to $1,800 a year just by comparing rates, but most tend to underestimate the large savings they would see if they switched. Due to the abundance of insurance companies to choose from that have cheap insurance for a Hummer H1 in Houston, it can be challenging to find the right insurance company.
Smart consumers take time to compare prices once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you had the best deal on Hummer H1 insurance in Houston at your last renewal there is a good chance you can find better prices now. You can find a lot of wrong information about H1 insurance on the internet, but in just a couple of minutes you can learn some guaranteed methods to lower your insurance bill.
Getting low cost insurance pricing isn’t really that difficult. Consumers just need to take a couple of minutes to compare rate quotes from some recommended companies.
It’s so simple to compare insurance quotes online replaces the need to drive to insurance agents’ offices. The fact that you can get quotes online eliminates this option unless you require the advice and guidance of a licensed agent. It is possible with some companies find lower rates online and have a local agent actually service the policy.
The auto insurance companies shown below are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in Texas. If the list has multiple companies, it’s a good idea that you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Auto insurance is an important decision
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Hummer in Houston, paying for auto insurance is required in Texas but it also protects you in many ways.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific minimum amount 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 loan on your Hummer H1, most lenders will require that you buy insurance to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Hummer for a much higher rate and force you to pay the higher price.
- Auto insurance protects not only your car but also your financial assets. It will also provide coverage for medical transport and hospital expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay attorney fees if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If you have damage to your Hummer as the result of the weather or an accident, your auto insurance policy will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance greatly outweigh the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. But the average driver in Texas is overpaying over $855 a year so smart consumers compare quotes at least once a year to make sure the price is not too high.
Seven Tips to Get Lower-cost Houston Insurance Prices
Many things are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are more obscure such as your credit history or how safe your car is. Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that help calculate auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to lower rates.
The following are most of the major factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rate level.
- Premiums are impacted by vehicle performance – The type of vehicle you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a big difference in determining your rates. The best insurance prices are usually found on lower cost passenger cars, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price. Because the Hummer H1 is classified as a standard SUV, insuring your vehicle will cost slightly more than the average rate where you live in Houston.
- Allowing your policy to lapse raises prices – Not having insurance is illegal and any future policy may cost more because you let your coverage cancel without a new policy in place. Not only will you pay higher rates, not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you fines and jail time. You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Texas motor vehicle department.
- Save money by having responsible credit – Having a bad credit score is a big factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower ratings. So if your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you could pay less to insure your Hummer H1 if you clean up your credit.
- Combine policies and save – Some auto insurance companies allow discounts to insureds that purchase more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even if you already get this discount, consumers should still get quotes from other companies to verify if the discount is saving money.There is a good possibility that you can save even more by buying insurance from more than one company.
- Safer cars save money – Cars with five star safety ratings cost less to insure. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity means your insurance company pays less and cheaper rates on your policy.
- Getting married can lower prices – Walking down the aisle may earn you lower rates when buying auto insurance. Marriage is viewed as being more stable financially and insurance companies reward insureds because drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
- How much liability coverage do you need? – Liability insurance will afford coverage in the event that you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides you with a defense in court which can cost a lot. It is affordable coverage when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
Discount Houston insurance rates
Some providers don’t necessarily list all discounts very clearly, so the list below details a few of the more common and the harder-to-find credits available to you.
- 55 and Retired – Seniors can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
- Pay Early and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save up to 5%.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not really a discount, but certain companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you are claim-free for a specific time period.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Buying a policy with multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you could earn a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
- No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents pay less when compared to bad drivers.
- Driving Data Discount – Drivers who elect to allow data collection to scrutinize their driving habits by using a telematics device such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive might get better premium rates if they have good driving habits.
- Organization Discounts – Affiliation with specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations is a simple method to lower premiums on your next insurance statement.
- Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to buckle up may be able to save a few bucks off the PIP or medical payment premium.
As a sidenote, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Despite the appearance that you could get a free insurance policy, you aren’t that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will cut your overall premium however.
Popular insurance companies and some of the discounts can be read below.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for online quote discount, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, good student, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for switch companies, mature driver, homeowner, multi-car, early shopping, and teen driver.
- Farm Bureau offers discounts including multi-vehicle, renewal discount, youthful driver, 55 and retired, and good student.
- State Farm includes discounts for safe vehicle, student away at school, anti-theft, Steer Clear safe driver discount, accident-free, and multiple policy.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including five-year accident-free, air bags, anti-theft, multi-policy, federal employee, and daytime running lights.
- SAFECO may have discounts that include accident prevention training, safe driver, drive less, homeowner, anti-theft, and teen safe driver.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts for new vehicle discount, new move discount, multi-policy, new graduate, hybrid vehicle, newly married, and exclusive group savings.
If you want affordable Hummer H1 insurance quotes, ask every prospective company which discounts you may be entitled to. A few discounts might not be offered on policies everywhere. To see providers that have a full spectrum of discounts in Texas, follow this link.
Don’t assume everyone needs the same insurance coverage
When it comes to choosing coverage online or from an agent for your vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Your situation is unique.
For instance, these questions might help in determining if you could use an agent’s help.
- Am I covered if I have no license?
- What states are considered no-fault?
- Are rock chip repairs covered?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my Hummer H1 to commute?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Texas?
- What is an SR-22 filing?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.
Car insurance quotes from local neighborhood Houston car insurance agents
Many people still prefer to sit down with an agent and we recommend doing that Agents are trained risk managers and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of comparing rate quotes online is the fact that you can find cheap car insurance quotes and still have a local agent.
After completing this quick form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who can give free rate quotes for your coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered immediately to you. If for some reason you want to compare prices from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to go to their quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Selecting a provider requires you to look at more than just a cheap price quote. These are some questions you should get answers to.
- Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
- If they are an independent agency in Houston, which companies do they recommend?
- Do they offer accident forgiveness?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
Not all auto insurance agents are the same
If you would like to find a reliable insurance agent, it’s helpful to know the different types of agents and how they can service your needs differently. Insurance agencies in Houston can either be exclusive agents or independent agents. Both write policy coverage, but it’s important to know the differences since it could factor into the selection process.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive work for only one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so always compare other rates. Exclusive agents are trained well on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Listed below are exclusive agencies in Houston who may provide you with price quotes.
James Banks – State Farm Insurance Agent
4809 Main St – Houston, TX 77002 – (713) 523-7100 – View Map
Felicia Boudreaux – State Farm Insurance Agent
14901 TX-249 #105 – Houston, TX 77086 – (713) 464-2077 – View Map
State Farm: Ken Quach
6489 Wilcrest Dr – Houston, TX 77072 – (281) 498-1010 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents in the independent channel often have many company appointments so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and get the cheapest rates. If prices rise, they can switch companies in-house and you don’t have to do anything.
If you are comparing rate quotes, it’s a good idea to get several quotes from multiple independent agents in order to compare the most rates.
Below are independent agencies in Houston who can help you get comparison quotes.
Gem Insurance Agencies
3355 W Alabama St #850 – Houston, TX 77098 – (713) 622-2330 – View Map
AA-USA-Insurance
702 W Sam Houston Pkwy S – Houston, TX 77042 – (713) 914-0354 – View Map
Texas Prime Insurance Agency, LLC
6750 West Loop S #430 – Bellaire, TX 77401 – (713) 750-9000 – View Map
Don’t give up on cheaper coverage
In this article, we covered a lot of information how to shop for Hummer H1 insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding cheaper Houston auto insurance quotes. You may even find the lowest prices are with a small mutual company.
Affordable Hummer H1 insurance in Houston is attainable on the web and from local insurance agents, so get free Houston auto insurance quotes from both of them to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who may not have internet price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agents.
Insureds switch companies for many reasons like delays in paying claims, not issuing a premium refund, lack of trust in their agent or even policy non-renewal. Whatever your reason, finding a new auto insurance company is actually quite simple.
To learn more, take a look at the articles below:
- Get the Right Protection (InsureUonline.org)
- How Much is Car Insurance for a Ford Fusion in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Houston Auto Insurance Quotes for a Ford Escape? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Houston Auto Insurance for a 20 Year Old Female? (FAQ)
- How Much is Car Insurance for Teachers in Houston? (FAQ)
- Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Determines the Price of My Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
- Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)