It's easy to assume that car insurance companies don't want policyholders to compare prices from other companies. People who shop around for a cheaper policy will presumably switch companies because there is a good chance of finding lower rate quotes. A recent insurance study revealed that people who routinely compared quotes saved on average $865 annually compared to those who never compared rates.
If finding the lowest rates on insurance is your ultimate target, learning how to shop and compare coverage rates can save time and make the process easier.
It takes a few minutes, but the best way to find low-cost prices for Dodge Stratus insurance is to annually compare prices from insurers that sell auto insurance in El Paso. This can be done by following these guidelines.
Step 1: Spend some time learning about the coverage provided by your policy and the changes you can make to keep rates in check. Many risk factors that drive up the price such as distracted driving and poor credit history can be controlled by paying attention to minor details. Continue reading for instructions to help find cheaper rates and get bigger discounts.
Step 2: Compare rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes from multiple companies.
Step 3: Compare the quotes to the price on your current policy to determine if you can save on Stratus insurance in El Paso. If you find a lower rate quote, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
Step 4: Provide notification to your current agent or company to cancel your current coverage and submit the completed application along with a down payment for your new coverage. As soon as coverage is bound, place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance with your registration paperwork.
One important bit of advice is to try to compare similar deductibles and liability limits on every price quote and and to look at as many companies as feasibly possible. Doing this ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough selection of prices.
Affordable companies for Dodge Stratus insurance in Texas
The companies in the list below offer price comparisons in El Paso, TX. If more than one company is shown, it's a good idea that you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.
Do you qualify for discounts on Dodge Stratus insurance in El Paso?
Auto insurance can be pricey, but there are discounts available that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Many discounts should be triggered when you purchase, but some need to be specifically requested before they will apply.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage - This one is not really a discount per se, but a few companies such as Liberty Mutual and GEICO will allow you to have one accident without getting socked with a rate hike if you have no claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Homeowners Savings - Simply owning a home can earn you a little savings due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Student in College - Children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from El Paso and do not have a car could qualify for this discount.
- Student Discounts - Maintaining excellent grades may save as much as 25% on a El Paso car insurance quote. This discount can apply up to age 25.
- Drivers Education - Require your teen driver to enroll and complete driver's education in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Lower Rates for Military - Having an actively deployed family member could mean lower rates.
- Driver Training Discounts - Taking a defensive driving course may get you a small discount depending on where you live.
- Multi-policy Discount - If you can bundle your auto and homeowners insurance with the same company they may give you a discount of at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Paperless Signup - A few companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
- No Claim Discounts - Insureds who avoid accidents and claims get the best auto insurance rates as opposed to policyholders that have many claims.
Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the whole policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the appearance that having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies wouldn't stay in business.
A list of companies and their possible discounts include:
- American Family discounts include bundled insurance, accident-free, air bags, mySafetyValet, TimeAway discount, early bird, and multi-vehicle.
- Nationwide policyholders can earn discounts including business or organization, easy pay, defensive driving, accident-free, and good student.
- MetLife has discounts for multi-policy, claim-free, good driver, good student, accident-free, and defensive driver.
- 21st Century may have discounts that include good student, homeowners, driver training, air bags, anti-lock brakes, automatic seat belts, and 55 and older.
- Farmers Insurance includes discounts for pay in full, distant student, teen driver, mature driver, youthful driver, homeowner, and good student.
- Allstate offers discounts including good student, teenSMART discount, premier plus, early signing, and resident student.
Before purchasing a policy, check with each insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered in your state. To see providers who offer cheap Dodge Stratus insurance quotes in Texas, click here.
Smart Consumers Can Cut Their Insurance Rates
When buying auto insurance it's important to understand some of the factors that help determine auto insurance rates. If you understand what determines base rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower rates.
The list below includes some of the factors auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.
Don't skimp on liability insurance - The liability coverage on your policy is the protection if ever a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides legal defense coverage to defend your case. It is affordable coverage compared to other policy coverages, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
Always keep your auto insurance in place - Having a lapse in insurance coverage will be a fast way to increase your auto insurance rates. In addition to paying higher premiums, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could earn you fines and jail time. You may have to file a SR-22 with the Texas DMV.
Vocation reflects on prices - Occupations like judges, air traffic controllers, and dentists have higher premiums than the average policyholder because of stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, occupations such as actors, historians and homemakers receive lower rates.
Increase physical damage deductibles and save - Your deductibles represent how much money the insured will be required to pay before your auto insurance pays a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be colliding with a stationary object, collision with a deer, and having a roll-over accident. The higher the amount you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the less your auto insurance will be.
Bad credit hurts insurance costs - Having a bad credit history can be an important factor in determining premium rates. So if your credit rating is low, you may save money insuring your Dodge Stratus by improving your credit score. Insureds that have high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with worse credit.
Youthful drivers pay high premiums - Youthful drivers in Texas tend to be more careless when driving with friends so auto insurance rates are higher. More mature drivers are shown to be more cautious, cost insurance companies less in claims, and are safer drivers.
Do you really need roadside assistance? - There are many extra coverages that sound like a good idea at the time when buying auto insurance. Insurance for roadside assistance, towing coverage, and membership fees are examples of these. The coverages may be enticing when talking to your agent, but if you have no use for them remove them from your policy.
Different people need different insurance coverages
When choosing coverage online or from an agent for your vehicles, there isn't really a perfect coverage plan. Your financial needs are unique and your insurance should unique, too. These are some specific questions could help you determine whether your personal situation might need an agent's assistance.
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Should I bundle my homeowners policy with my auto?
- Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
- When should I remove comp and collision on my Dodge Stratus?
- Does my personal policy cover me when driving out-of-state?
- If my car is totaled with they pay enough to replace it?
- What is covered by UM/UIM coverage?
If it's difficult to answer those questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area.
Compare rate quotes but work with a local El Paso insurance agency
Many drivers would rather buy from a licensed agent and often times that is recommended The biggest benefit of getting free rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get the best rates and also buy local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your information is sent to local insurance agents in El Paso who will give you quotes for your business. You won't need to find an agent because quoted prices will be sent directly to you. You can find better rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you need to compare prices from one company in particular, you can always go to their quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Choosing the best company shouldn't rely on just a cheap quote. Here are some questions you should ask.
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Where are claims handled?
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
- Is coverage determined by price?
- Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance in El Paso?
- Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
When researching a local agent, it's important to understand the different agency structures from which to choose. Car insurance agents in El Paso can be categorized as either exclusive agents or independent agents.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies
Exclusive agents can only write with one company and some examples include AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. Exclusive agencies are unable to shop your coverage around so keep that in mind. Exclusive agencies are well schooled in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.
Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in El Paso willing to provide price quote information.
David Rivas - State Farm Insurance Agent
4309 Fred Wilson Ave a - El Paso, TX 79904 - (915) 313-4070 - View Map
Lou Lobato - State Farm Insurance Agent
1810 Trawood Dr l - El Paso, TX 79935 - (915) 598-5401 - View Map
James Valenzuela - State Farm Insurance Agent
11617 Pellicano Dr - El Paso, TX 79936 - (915) 858-6262 - View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be independent are not employed by one company so they can quote policies with multiple insurance companies and find you cheaper rates. If premiums increase, they can switch companies in-house which requires no work on your part.
When comparing car insurance prices, we recommend you include at least one independent agent in order to compare the most rates.
Shown below are El Paso independent insurance agents that are able to give rate quotes.
Texas State Insurance Agency
1501 N Mesa St - El Paso, TX 79902 - (915) 838-1501 - View Map
Tony Ramos Insurance
7230 Gateway Blvd E H - El Paso, TX 79915 - (915) 599-1678 - View Map
Desert West Insurance Agency, Inc.
7500 Viscount Blvd #101 - El Paso, TX 79925 - (915) 751-6060 - View Map
How to find a good Texas auto insurance company
Buying coverage from a high-quality car insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many different companies there are to choose from in El Paso. The company information shown below can help you analyze which companies to look at comparing rates from.
Top 10 El Paso Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- Travelers - A++
- USAA - A++
- GEICO - A++
- State Farm - A++
- Titan Insurance - A+
- Esurance - A+
- Progressive - A+
- The Hartford - A+
- Allstate - A+
- Nationwide - A+
Top 10 El Paso 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%
In Summary
Some insurance providers do not provide online rate quotes and these regional carriers only sell through local independent agencies. Budget-conscious Dodge Stratus insurance can be sourced from both online companies and from local agencies, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates.
When searching for cheaper El Paso car insurance quotes, it's very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced full coverage and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Additional information is located at the links below
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
- Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
- Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)