How to Compare Laredo Dodge Journey Insurance

If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to find low-cost car insurance rates is to compare quotes once a year from insurance carriers that sell auto insurance in Laredo.

Step 1: Spend a few minutes and learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the measures you can take to prevent high rates. Many things that result in higher prices such as speeding and poor credit rating can be rectified by making minor changes to your lifestyle.

Step 2: Quote rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agencies can quote rates for a wide range of companies.

Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing rates to see if a cheaper rate is available in Laredo. If you can save some money, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.

One thing to remember is to use the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on each quote request and and to get price estimates from every insurance company. Doing this helps ensure an apples-to-apples comparison and and a good selection of different prices.

Astonishing but true, nearly 70% of customers kept their policy with the same company for four years or more, and almost 40% of drivers have never quoted rates to find cheap coverage. American drivers can save hundreds of dollars each year just by comparing rates, but most just don’t grasp the rate savings if they replace their high priced policy.

Just keep in mind that more quotes helps locate more affordable insurance. Some companies don’t provide price estimates online, so it’s important to also get price quotes from the smaller companies as well.

The companies shown below offer price quotes in Laredo, TX. If multiple companies are listed, we recommend you get prices from several of them to find the cheapest auto insurance rates.

Insurance rate breakdown

The rate information shown next covers detailed analysis of policy rates for Dodge Journey models. Being more informed about how policy premiums are calculated can be useful when making informed decisions when comparing rate quotes.

Cost estimates assume single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in zip code location which can raise or lower rates greatly.

Physical damage deductible comparison

One of the more difficult decisions when buying auto insurance is where should you set your physical damage deductibles. The comparisons below can help show how much more rates are when you choose different coverage deductibles. The first rate quote example uses a $250 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second set of prices uses a $1,000 deductible.

Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Table data does not factor in specific zip code location which can influence premiums substantially.

Based on the figures above, using a $250 deductible costs roughly $28 more each month or $336 every year than buying the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $750 more out-of-pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you average more than 27 months between claim filings, you would more than likely save some money if you opt for a higher deductible.

How much more does full coverage cost?

The illustration below visualizes the comparison of Dodge Journey car insurance costs when comparing full coverage to state minimum liability only. The rate quotes are based on no claims or violations, $1,000 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are factored in.

When to stop buying physical damage coverage

There is no definitive formula to exclude comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Dodge Journey book value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $4,000 after paying your deductible. If premiums are more than $400 annually for physical damage coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.

There are some scenarios where only buying liability is not recommended. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to keep full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not buy liability only.

Why you need to buy car insurance

Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Dodge in Laredo, buying car insurance is a good idea for several reasons.

• Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to carry specific limits of liability coverage 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 you have a lien on your Dodge Journey, most lenders will require that you have insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Dodge at a more expensive rate and force you to reimburse them for it.
• Insurance protects both your vehicle and your personal assets. Insurance will pay for all forms of medical expenses that are the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.

The benefits of having car insurance definitely exceed the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is overpaying over $865 each year so shop around at every renewal to ensure rates are inline.

The Dodge Journey Insurance Rate Equation

Lots of factors are taken into consideration when you get your auto insurance bill. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving history, but others are less obvious such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility.

More people means more accidents – Being located in small towns and rural areas is a good thing when it comes to insurance. Less people living in that area means reduced accidents in addition to lower liability claims. Residents of big cities have to deal with traffic congestion and longer commutes to work. More time on the road statistically corresponds to a higher accident and claim rate.

Alarm systems lowers rates – Buying a car with advanced anti-theft systems can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all help stop car theft and help bring rates down.

Your employer may affect prices – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Occupational choices like doctors, air traffic controllers, and stock brokers usually pay higher premiums than the average policyholder in part from high stress and long work days. On the other hand, careers like actors, students and homemakers get better rates.

Bad credit will cost you – Having a good credit score is a large factor in determining what you pay for insurance. Insureds that have good credit tend to be less risk to insure as compared to drivers with lower credit scores. Therefore, if your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you could be paying less to insure your Dodge Journey if you improve your credit rating.

Raise your coverage deductibles for better premiums – Insurance for physical damage to your car, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your Dodge from damage. A few examples of covered claims are a broken side mirror, hitting a deer, or theft. Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The more of the claim you’re willing to pay, the less your insurance will be.

Tickets are costly – Drivers who don’t get tickets have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Having a single moving violation can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. People who have license-revoking tickets like reckless driving or DUI may find they need to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.

The chart below highlights how traffic violations and at-fault fender-benders impact Dodge Journey insurance premiums for each age group. The rates are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Are females or males drivers cheaper? – Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean males are worse at driving than females. Both genders have auto accidents in similar numbers, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically get ticketed for serious violations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.

The illustration below shows the comparison of Dodge Journey yearly insurance costs for male and female drivers. The data assumes no claims or driving citations, full coverage, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no policy discounts are applied.

Do you really need to file those insurance claims? – Auto insurance companies in Texas award lower rates to insureds who only file infrequent claims. If you file claims often, you can expect increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.

Loss statistics for a Dodge Journey – Auto insurance companies factor in insurance loss information to help calculate premium rates. Vehicles that historically have higher number or severity of losses will have a higher premium rate.

The table below demonstrates the compiled insurance loss statistics for Dodge Journey vehicles. For each policy coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles, regardless of manufacturer or model, is considered to be 100. Percentage values below 100 represent a good loss history, while percentages above 100 show a trend for more claims or a tendency for claims to be larger.

Verify you’re getting every discount

Some companies don’t list the entire discount list in an easy-to-find place, so we researched some of the best known and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings.

• Discount for Swiching Early – A few insurance companies give discounts for buying a policy prior to your current Journey insurance policy expiration. It’s a savings of about 10%.
• Defensive Driver Discount – Taking time to complete a defensive driver course can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
• Accident-Free Discounts – Claim-free drivers get the best auto insurance rates as compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Savings for New Vehicles – Buying a new car model is cheaper because newer vehicles keep occupants safer.
• Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for several vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Bundled Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies and insure them with the same company you may earn over 10 percent off each policy depending on the company.
• Data Collection Discounts – Insureds that choose to allow driving data collection to monitor driving manner by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot could possibly reduce rates if they are good drivers.
• Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. You can use this discount normally well after school through age 25.
• Government Employees – Federal government employees can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.

Just know that many deductions do not apply to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Despite the appearance that all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don’t profit that way.

The illustration below visualizes the comparison of Dodge Journey car insurance costs with and without discounts. The data assumes a male driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, Texas state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-car discounts applied.

Larger auto insurance companies and their possible discounts are shown below.

• Mercury Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including professional/association, low natural disaster claims, type of vehicle, accident-free, and good student.
• Farmers Insurance offers discounts including bundle discounts, business and professional, distant student, youthful driver, and good student.
• Farm Bureau may offer discounts for multi-vehicle, renewal discount, multi-policy, good student, safe driver, 55 and retired, and youthful driver.
• State Farm includes discounts for defensive driving training, multiple autos, anti-theft, multiple policy, and accident-free.
• Allstate may have discounts that include anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, multi-policy, defensive driver, good student, and premier plus.
• GEICO has discounts for good student, anti-theft, defensive driver, driver training, air bags, seat belt use, and emergency military deployment.

If you need lower rates, check with every company which credits you are entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not apply in Laredo.

Car insurance agents are professional risk managers

Many people prefer to talk to a local agent and that is not a bad decision One of the benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you can get cheaper premium rates and also buy local. And providing support for neighborhood insurance agencies is especially important in Laredo.

After completing this short form, your insurance data is transmitted to local insurance agents in Laredo who will give you bids and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to find an agent on your own since price quotes are sent to you. You can get cheaper car insurance rates without requiring a lot of work. In the event you want to get a rate quote from a specific car insurance provider, don’t hesitate to jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.

Deciding on an company needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price quote. Any agent in Laredo should have no problem answering these questions:

• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
• What is their Better Business Bureau rating?
• Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
• How are claims handled?
• Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
• What insurance companies do they work with in Laredo?
• Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
• Can you get a list of referrals?

Auto insurance savings summarized

People change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including poor customer service, being labeled a high risk driver, high rates after DUI convictions and high prices. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new company can be pretty painless.

Cheaper auto insurance in Laredo can be sourced from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies do not offer rates over the internet and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent agencies.

As you shop your coverage around, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Additional auto insurance information is available at these links:

• How Much Auto Coverage do I Need? (Insurance Information Institute)
• How Much are Laredo Auto Insurance Quotes for Used Cars? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Sentra in Laredo? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Laredo Auto Insurance for a 20 Year Old Female? (FAQ)
• Parking Tips to Reduce Door Dings (State Farm)
• Understanding Your Insurance Deductible (Insurance Information Institute)
• Tread Depth and Tire Safety (State Farm)
• What is a Telematics Device? (Allstate)