Are you looking for low-cost car insurance rates in Laredo, TX? Laredo shoppers have a choice when shopping for low-cost Mercury Mountaineer insurance. They can either waste time contacting agents to get rate comparisons or use the internet to get rate quotes. There is a better way to buy car insurance and we’ll show you the quickest way to quote coverages for a Mercury and find the best price possible from Laredo insurance agents and online providers.
We don’t have to point out that fact that car insurance companies want to keep you from comparing prices. Insureds who get price quotes annually will presumably switch to a new company because there is a great chance of finding a more affordable policy premium. A recent survey found that people who compared prices once a year saved an average of $70 a month as compared to drivers who didn’t regularly shop around.
If finding budget-friendly car insurance in Laredo is the reason you’re here, then having a good understanding how to quote and compare coverages can save time and make the process easier.
If you are already insured or just want cheaper rates, use these money-saving tips to cut your premiums while maintaining coverages. The purpose of this article is to help educate you on the best way to buy inexpensive insurance and some money-saving tips. You just have to use the best way to compare rates from multiple carriers.
Auto insurance discounts are available for cheaper rates
Some companies don’t necessarily list every possible discount very clearly, so the below list has some of the best known and also the lesser-known discounts that may be available.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Options like air bags or automatic seat belts could see savings of 20% or more.
- Telematics Devices – Insureds who allow driving data submission to monitor driving habits through the use of a telematics system such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive could see a rate decrease as long as they are good drivers.
- Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off with a few auto insurance companies.
- Own a Home – Being a homeowner can help you save on auto insurance because it requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Discount for New Cars – Insuring a vehicle that is new can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Having multiple cars on one policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
- Senior Citizen Rates – Older drivers may qualify for reduced rates.
- Student Discounts – Getting good grades may save as much as 25% on a Laredo auto insurance quote. Many companies even apply the discount to college students up until you turn 25.
- Membership in Organizations – Participating in a professional or civic organization is a simple method to lower premiums on auto insurance.
- Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the personal injury premium cost.
Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, that’s just not realistic.
The diagram below shows the difference between Mercury Mountaineer insurance prices with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no claims or driving citations, Texas state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and marriage discounts applied.
A list of auto insurance companies and their offered discounts are shown below.
- GEICO has savings for multi-vehicle, good student, federal employee, seat belt use, and emergency military deployment.
- Mercury Insurance offers discounts including low natural disaster claims, good student, type of vehicle, multi-car, professional/association, age of vehicle, and accident-free.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for alternative fuel, early shopping, mature driver, pay in full, distant student, and bundle discounts.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has discounts for multiple vehicles, paid in full, group or association, anti-theft, teen driver, and multi-policy.
- Liberty Mutual includes discounts for new move discount, hybrid vehicle, new graduate, preferred payment discount, safety features, and multi-policy.
- SAFECO may include discounts for accident prevention training, drive less, anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, and multi-car.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online quote discount, online signing, continuous coverage, multi-policy, good student, and multi-vehicle.
- USAA offers discounts for vehicle storage, family discount, military installation, safe driver, loyalty savings, defensive driver, and annual mileage.
Before you buy a policy, ask each company or agent which discounts you qualify for. Discounts might not be offered everywhere. To see a list of auto insurance companies who offer discounts in Laredo, click this link.
Buy Laredo Mercury Mountaineer insurance online
The following companies have been selected to offer quotes in Laredo, TX. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.
Coverage statistics and figures
The data table displayed next covers detailed analysis of insurance premium costs for Mercury Mountaineer models. Learning as much as possible about how rates are determined can be of help when making smart choices when selecting a policy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountaineer 2WD | $140 | $260 | $358 | $22 | $108 | $888 | $74 |
| Mountaineer AWD | $158 | $260 | $358 | $22 | $108 | $906 | $76 |
| Mountaineer Premier 2WD | $158 | $306 | $358 | $22 | $108 | $952 | $79 |
| Mountaineer Premier AWD | $158 | $306 | $358 | $22 | $108 | $952 | $79 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data represents married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Rates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can revise premium rates significantly.
The example below shows how choosing a deductible and can increase or decrease Mercury Mountaineer annual premium costs for different insured age categories. The rate quotes are based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Annual premiums comparing men and women in Laredo
The chart below compares Mercury Mountaineer insurance costs for male and female drivers. Data assumes no violations or accidents, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are factored in.
Cost difference between full coverage and liability
The diagram below shows the comparison of Mercury Mountaineer insurance premiums with full coverage compared to only the Texas minimum liability coverage. The data is based on no claims or driving citations, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.
Are you wasting money on full coverage?
There is no exact rule that is best for determining when to drop comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s pretend your Mercury Mountaineer book value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $7,000 after the deductible is paid. If it’s costing in excess of $700 annually for physical damage coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
There are a few situations where eliminating full coverage is not in your best interest. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should not eliminate full coverage.
Save Money with These Tips
Part of the car insurance buying process is learning the rating factors that help calculate your premiums. When consumers understand what determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that could result in cheaper rates. Many factors are used in the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, but other criteria are less apparent like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.
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Better drivers pay lower costs – Careful drivers pay lower auto insurance prices compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one moving violation can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers who have dangerous violations such as DUI or willful reckless driving may need to complete a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
The illustration below illustrates how speeding tickets and accident claims can influence Mercury Mountaineer auto insurance rates for different age groups. The premiums are based on a married female driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
- Do you really need roadside assistance? – There are a lot of extra coverages that can add up if you aren’t careful. Things like vanishing deductibles, death and dismemberment, and extra life insurance coverage are probably not needed. The coverages may be enticing when deciding what coverages you need, but if you’ve never needed them in the past think about removing them and cutting costs.
- Credit history impacts premium costs – Having a bad credit rating can be an important factor in determining what you pay. People that have very good credit scores tend to be better risks to insure than drivers who have bad credit. So if your credit history could use some work, you could pay less to insure your Mercury Mountaineer if you clean up your credit.
- Liability is important – Liability insurance will protect you in the event that a court rules you are at fault for an accident. It provides you with a defense in court to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Do you work long hours in a demanding occupation? – Do you have a high-stress occupation? Jobs like military generals, police officers, and accountants tend to pay higher rates than the rest of us attributed to high stress levels and long work hours. On the other hand, occupations like professors, students and performers pay the least.
Local Laredo insurance agents
Certain consumers would rather sit down and talk to an agent and that is a personal choice. Good agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find cheap rate quotes and still have an agent to talk to.
Once you complete this form (opens in new window), your information is submitted to local insurance agents in Laredo that can provide free Laredo auto insurance quotes to get your business. There is no reason to contact an agency due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. If for some reason you want to compare rates from a specific company, don’t hesitate to search and find their rate quote page and complete a quote there.
Picking the best insurer requires more thought than just the premium amount. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
- What company do they have the most business with?
- Do they reduce claim amounts on high mileage vehicles?
- Is insurance their full-time profession?
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
- How does the company pay claims for a total loss?
When narrowing the list to find a reliable agent, there are two different types of agencies and how they are slightly different. Agents in Laredo are considered either independent or exclusive. Either can sell auto insurance policies, but it’s a good idea to understand the subtle differences since it could factor into the kind of agent you use.
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agencies
Exclusive agents are contracted to one company like State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so you might not find the best rates. They are usually well trained on the products they sell which aids in selling service over price. Consumers sometimes use the same agent primarily because of the prominent brand name rather than low price.
Below is a short list of exclusive insurance agents in Laredo who may provide you with price quotes.
- Farmers Insurance – Pedro Sanchez
5916 San Bernardo Ave – Laredo, TX 78041 – (956) 722-8445 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Gabriel Medina
9807 Mines Rd #6 – Laredo, TX 78045 – (956) 645-2510 – View Map - Texas Farm Bureau Insurance – Juancarlo Rendon
507 E Expy 83 – Pharr, TX 78577 – (956) 787-8844 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents of this type do not work for one specific company so they can quote policies through many companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply switch companies in-house and the insured can keep the same agent.
If you are trying to find cheaper rates, you definitely need to get rate quotes from at a minimum one independent agency so that you can do a thorough price comparison. Many write coverage with small mutual carriers which can save you money.
Shown below is a list of independent agencies in Laredo willing to provide price quotes.
- Fred Loya Insurance
618 W Calton Rd – Laredo, TX 78041 – (956) 723-4414 – View Map - Gonzalez H P Insurance Agency
1910 Corpus Christi St – Laredo, TX 78043 – (956) 725-5015 – View Map - All Around Insurance Agency, LLC
3401 N Arkansas Ave – Laredo, TX 78043 – (956) 712-1255 – View Map
Once you have received acceptable answers to these questions as well as offering an affordable quote, it’s a good possibility that you have found an insurance agent that meets the requirements to adequately provide auto insurance.
Insurance in Texas serves several purposes
Despite the high cost, maintaining insurance is required for several reasons.
First, almost all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a minimum amount 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.
Second, if you took out a loan on your Mercury Mountaineer, most banks will require you to buy insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Mercury at an extremely high rate and require you to reimburse them a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, insurance safeguards both your Mercury Mountaineer and your assets. It will also reimburse you for many types of medical costs for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of buying enough insurance are definitely more than the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer overpays more than $865 each year so you should quote and compare rates at least once a year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Texas car insurance companies
Picking the highest-rated insurance provider can be challenging considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Laredo. The ranking data in the lists below may help you decide which companies to look at shopping prices with.
Top 10 Laredo Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- USAA – 91%
- AAA Insurance – 90%
- Esurance – 90%
- Mercury Insurance – 89%
- Nationwide – 89%
- Travelers – 88%
- Progressive – 88%
- Safeco Insurance – 88%
- State Farm – 88%
- Allstate – 88%
Top 10 Laredo Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Service
- USAA
- Travelers
- Mercury Insurance
- AAA Insurance
- Nationwide
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- The General
In conclusion
In this article, we covered a lot of tips how to find lower-cost Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Laredo. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote Laredo auto insurance, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with an unexpected company.
Lower-priced Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Laredo can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Laredo, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers may not provide internet price quotes and most of the time these smaller providers only sell through local independent agencies.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, an insured cut uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that they should have had better coverage. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Steps to buying affordable Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Laredo
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to save money on Mercury Mountaineer insurance in Laredo is to start doing a yearly price comparison from companies that sell auto insurance in Texas. You can shop around by following these steps.
- Learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the measures you can control to prevent rate increases. Many policy risk factors that result in higher prices like at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and a negative credit score can be improved by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Request price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agents can give you price quotes for a wide range of insurance providers.
- Compare the price quotes to your existing policy and determine if cheaper Mountaineer coverage is available. If you can save some money, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Give notification to your current company of your intent to cancel the current policy. Submit a completed policy application and payment for the new policy. Once received, put the new certificate verifying coverage along with your vehicle registration.
The key aspect of shopping around is to try to use the same amount of coverage on each quote request and and to get rates from every company you can. Doing this ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough price selection.
For more information, take a look at the following helpful articles:
- New vehicle ratings focus on headlights (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for a Chevrolet Equinox in Laredo? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Camry in Laredo? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Laredo Auto Insurance Quotes for High Risk Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Laredo Car Insurance Quotes for a Ford Fusion? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Ride Shares in Laredo? (FAQ)
- Warning systems don’t curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)