No car owner likes paying for car insurance, in particular when they are paying too much.
A recent car insurance study discovered that almost 70% of insureds have remained with the same car insurance company for four years or more, and nearly 40% of drivers have never shopped around. With the average car insurance premium being $2,679, Texas drivers could save $1,770 a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they just don’t want to find cheap rates by getting comparison quotes.
Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Farmers Insurance promote their brand names with catchy ads and it can be hard to see past the geckos and flying pigs and take the time to shop coverage around.
It’s a good habit to get comparison quotes once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance prices are constantly changing. Just because you had the best quotes on Chevy Cavalier insurance in Houston last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. There are a lot of ways to save on Cavalier insurance online but in this article, you’re going to get some tested techniques to buy car insurance cheaper in Houston.
Affordable Houston car insurance rates with discounts
Some insurers do not advertise every policy discount in an easy-to-find place, so the next list breaks down a few of the more common and the more hidden credits available to lower your premiums when you buy Houston car insurance online.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Taking a course that instructs on driving safety may get you a small discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Organization Discounts – Having an affiliation with a civic or occupational organization in Houston can get you a small discount when getting a Houston car insurance quote.
- Discount for Passive Restraints – Options like air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings of 25 to 30%.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Not all car insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you better premium rates if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Discount for Good Grades – Excelling in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
Discounts save money, but please remember that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts should help lower your overall premium however.
If you would like to see a list of companies that offer discounts in Houston, click this link.
When comparing car insurance rates, know that having more price comparisons helps improve the odds of finding the best price. Some smaller insurers do not give online Houston Cavalier insurance quotes, so it’s important to compare price quotes from them, too.
The companies shown below are ready to provide comparison quotes in Texas. If more than one company is shown, we suggest you compare several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Chevy Cavalier Insurance Rate Factors
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that play a part in calculating your insurance rates. When you understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower rates.
The following are most of the major factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your premiums.
- Safer cars cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores cost less to insure. Vehicles engineered for safety result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries means your insurance company pays less which can result in lower premiums. If your Chevy Cavalier has at least four stars on Safercar.gov you may be receiving a better rate.
- How much liability protection – Your insurance policy’s liability coverage provides coverage when you are found to be at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is relatively inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
- High credit scores save money – An insured’s credit score will be a significant factor in calculating your insurance rates. So if your credit history can be improved, you could pay less to insure your Chevrolet Cavalier by spending a little time repairing your credit. Insureds with high credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than those with poor credit scores.
- Lower stress equals lower rates – Jobs like lawyers, police officers, and emergency personnel generally have higher rates than the rest of us because of high stress levels and long work days. Conversely, jobs such as scientists, historians and the unemployed receive lower rates.
- Cheaper insurance rates using GPS tracking and theft deterrents – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Theft deterrent systems such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart auto theft and help lower rates.
- Fewer miles means better rates – The more you drive your Chevy in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies calculate prices partially by how you use the vehicle. Vehicles that have low annual miles get more affordable rates than those used for commuting. It’s a smart idea to ensure your policy states the proper vehicle usage, because improper ratings can cost you money. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Cavalier may be costing you.
- Save money with higher physical damage deductibles – Physical damage insurance, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your vehicle. Some instances where coverage would apply would be collision with another vehicle, collision with an animal, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Physical damage deductibles define how much you are required to spend in the event of a claim. The higher the amount you have to pay, the less your insurance will be.
Getting quotes from local Houston insurance agents
Some consumers would prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and doing that can be a smart decision One of the great benefits of getting free rate quotes online is the fact that you can find cheap insurance rates and also buy local. Buying insurance from local agencies is important especially in Houston.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this short form, your information is immediately sent to participating agents in Houston who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to leave your house as quotes are delivered instantly to you. Get lower rates and a licensed agent to work with. If you wish to compare prices from one company in particular, just jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Pick the best car insurance agent in Houston for you
When researching a reputable insurance agent or broker, it’s helpful to know the types of insurance agents and how they can service your needs differently. Agents are either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).
Independent Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Agents that elect to be independent are not restricted to one company so as a result can place your coverage with a variety of different insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If your premiums go up, they simply switch companies in-house and the insured can keep the same agent.
When searching for an agent, you should always get insurance quotes from at a minimum one independent agency in order to compare the most rates.
Shown below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Houston that can possibly get you free insurance quotes.
Hispanos Insurance Agency
8624 Long Point Rd – Houston, TX 77055 – (713) 827-1277 – View Map
Pasadena Insurance Agency, Inc.
99 Detering St #280 – Houston, TX 77007 – (713) 869-6991 – View Map
Champions Insurance Agency
15327 Gulf Fwy b – Houston, TX 77034 – (281) 484-4870 – View Map
Exclusive Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive can only provide pricing for a single company such as Allstate, AAA, Farmers Insurance, and State Farm. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so keep that in mind. Exclusive insurance agents receive a lot of sales training on what they offer and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
The following is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Houston that can give you rate quotes.
Ben Speer – State Farm Insurance Agent
1110 E NASA Pkwy Ste 300 – Houston, TX 77058 – (281) 204-8282 – View Map
State Farm: Ken Quach
6489 Wilcrest Dr – Houston, TX 77072 – (281) 498-1010 – View Map
Armando Valdez – State Farm Insurance Agent
12941 North Fwy #608 – Houston, TX 77060 – (281) 537-7890 – View Map
Deciding on a insurance agency should include more criteria than just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
- Can they help ensure a fair claim settlement?
If you feel you receive positive responses to any questions you may have as well as offering an affordable quote, you may have found an insurance agency that meets the criteria to adequately provide insurance.
Why do I need car insurance?
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Chevy Cavalier in Houston, maintaining insurance is mandatory in Texas but it also protects more than you think.
First, most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require a specific minimum amount of liability if you drive a 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.
Second, if your Chevy Cavalier has a loan, most banks will make it a condition of the loan that you have comprehensive coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If the policy lapses, the bank may insure your Chevy at a much higher premium rate and make you pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, insurance safeguards both your vehicle and your assets. It will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of having insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, especially if you ever need it. The average driver in Texas overpays more than $865 each year so compare quotes from several companies every year to make sure the price is not too high.
More quotes mean more auto insurance savings
We just presented some good ideas how you can find cheaper Chevy Cavalier insurance in Houston. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting the cheapest Chevrolet Cavalier rate quotes. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a small mutual company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower car insurance rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
When searching for cheaper Houston car insurance quotes, make sure you don’t skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many cases, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The aim is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Additional detailed information can be found at these sites:
- Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much are Houston Car Insurance Rates for Lyft Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 70 in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Honda Pilot in Houston? (FAQ)
- Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)
- Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)
- Electronic Stability Control FAQ (iihs.org)
- Keeping Children Safe in Crashes Video (iihs.org)