It’s hard to fathom, but most consumers in Texas kept buying from the same company for well over three years, and 38% of customers have never shopped around. American drivers could pocket $850 a year, but they don’t know the large savings they would see if they switched to a cheaper policy.
If you want to save money, the best way to get more affordable Saturn Astra insurance is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from insurers in Laredo.
Step 1: Take a few minutes and learn about how insurance works and the changes you can make to prevent high rates. Many policy risk factors that increase rates such as careless driving and an unfavorable credit rating can be controlled by paying attention to minor details. This article gives more information to help prevent expensive coverage and find additional discounts.
Step 2: Request rate estimates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can quote rates from multiple insurance companies.
Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing rates to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save some money, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
A valuable tip to remember is to try to compare identical deductibles and limits on each quote and and to get price quotes from as many companies as you can. This enables the most accurate price comparison and and a good selection of different prices.
First Step: Get free Saturn Astra insurance quotes
When looking for inexpensive Laredo auto insurance quotes, there are a couple ways of comparing rate quotes from local Laredo insurance companies. The fastest way to lower the rate you pay for Saturn Astra insurance is to jump online and get quotes. Just keep in mind that comparing a wide range of rates will improve the odds of getting a lower rate.
The following companies are our best choices to provide free quotes in Laredo, TX. If multiple companies are listed, it’s highly recommended you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Choosing the best vehicle insurance in Texas is an important decision
Even though it can be expensive, insurance may be required for several reasons.
- Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability protection 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 your vehicle has a loan, more than likely the lender will force you to carry insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank may insure your Saturn at an extremely high rate and force you to pay the higher premium.
- Insurance safeguards both your Saturn Astra and your personal assets. It will also reimburse you for hospital and medical expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability coverage also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are sued as the result of an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of insuring your Astra more than offset the price you pay, particularly for liability claims. An average driver in America is overpaying more than $820 a year so shop around at every renewal to ensure rates are inline.
Laredo insurance discounts
Insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available that can help lower your rates. Many discounts should be triggered at the time of quoting, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about prior to receiving the credit.
- E-sign Discounts – A few insurance companies will provide an incentive just for signing your application over the internet.
- Senior Citizen Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
- New Car Discount – Buying a new car model is cheaper because newer models keep occupants safer.
- Payment Method – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of making monthly payments you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having an actively deployed family member can result in better insurance rates.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education if offered at their school.
- Telematics Discount – Drivers that enable companies to analyze vehicle usage by using a telematics device like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm might get better premium rates as long as the data is positive.
As a sidenote, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way.
A list of insurance companies and their offered discounts are outlined below.
- The Hartford may have discounts that include anti-theft, vehicle fuel type, good student, bundle, and air bag.
- American Family may offer discounts for good student, bundled insurance, mySafetyValet, TimeAway discount, multi-vehicle, Steer into Savings, and early bird.
- Progressive offers discounts for homeowner, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, multi-policy, and good student.
- Travelers policyholders can earn discounts including hybrid/electric vehicle, save driver, driver training, early quote, new car, home ownership, and payment discounts.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for youthful driver, good student, pay in full, early shopping, and business and professional.
- USAA has discounts for loyalty savings, military installation, annual mileage, defensive driver, family discount, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual offers premium reductions for multi-car, preferred payment discount, newly married, multi-policy, good student, and exclusive group savings.
Check with each insurance company how you can save money. Depending on the company, some discounts may not be available in your area. To find insurers with significant discounts in Laredo, follow this link.
Compare prices but work with a local neighborhood Laredo car insurance agent
Some people still like to sit down with an agent and that is a smart decision One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is you may find cheap rate quotes and also buy local. And supporting neighborhood agents is important especially in Laredo.
After completing this simple form, your coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will gladly provide quotes for your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. You can most likely find cheaper rates without a big time investment. In the event you want to compare rates from a specific car insurance provider, you just need to jump over to their website and complete a quote there.
When finding a reliable insurance agency, you should know the types of insurance agents that you can choose from. Car insurance agents are either independent agents or exclusive agents.
Independent Car Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Agents that choose to be independent often have affiliation with several companies and that is an advantage because they can write policies with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If they quote lower rates, an independent agent can move your coverage which is easy for the insured. If you need cheaper car insurance rates, you need to get rate quotes from several independent insurance agents to maximize your price options. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller mutual companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Below are independent agencies in Laredo that can give you comparison quotes.
- Gonzalez H P Insurance Agency
1910 Corpus Christi St – Laredo, TX 78043 – (956) 725-5015 – View Map - Laurel Insurance
4519 San Bernardo Ave – Laredo, TX 78041 – (956) 723-3785 – View Map - Amco Insurance
505 Lafayette St – Laredo, TX 78041 – (956) 722-5300 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
Agents of this type can only provide one company’s prices and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, or Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents receive extensive training on what they offer which helps them compete with independent agents. Some consumers prefer to use the same agent primarily because of the brand name and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive agents in Laredo that can give you price quote information.
- Allstate Insurance Agent: Raul R. Martinez Jr
3802 TX-359 Ste 5 – Laredo, TX 78043 – (956) 729-8884 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Robert Rogers
6410 McPherson Rd Suite 2 – Laredo, TX 78041 – (956) 724-1038 – View Map - Allstate Insurance Agent: Luis Cardenas
1418 E Saunders St Ste 1 – Laredo, TX 78041 – (956) 726-8944 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agent is decision based upon more than just the bottom line cost. Get answers to these questions too.
- Is there a local claims center in Laredo?
- Does their agency support local causes in Laredo?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- Is coverage determined by price?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
Car insurance coverage basics
Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (which is 30/60/25), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Frequently these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Coverage for medical payments – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for short-term medical expenses like doctor visits, pain medications, nursing services and chiropractic care. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Auto liability – This can cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property in an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see limits of 30/60/25 which stand for $30,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as structural damage, loss of income, pain and suffering and emergency aid. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Texas requires drivers to carry at least 30/60/25 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.
The next chart demonstrates why buying minimum limits may not be enough coverage.
Comprehensive coverages – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as damage from flooding, theft, falling objects, damage from a tornado or hurricane and hail damage. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision coverage – This will pay to fix damage to your Astra caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers things such as backing into a parked car, colliding with a tree and hitting a mailbox. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. You can also raise the deductible on your Astra in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Persistence pays off
Insureds change insurance companies for any number of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, poor customer service, denial of a claim or even high prices. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where someone dropped collision coverage only to find out they didn’t have enough coverage. Your objective should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate, but do not skimp to save money.
Budget-conscious Saturn Astra insurance is available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Laredo, so you need to shop Laredo auto insurance with both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these smaller providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
To read more, take a look at the articles below:
- Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much is Car Insurance for Teenagers in Laredo? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Laredo Auto Insurance Quotes for a School Permit? (FAQ)
- Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)
- New vehicle ratings focus on headlights (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
- Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)