Reader’s Question:

I need some advice regarding my auto insurance policy here in Houston, Texas because it seems so high even for an old car. I plan to get insured with another company as soon as my current policy expires. Could you tell me some ways on how to get lower premiums for my auto insurance policy?

Abel

Houston, TX

Auto insurance rates are not the same among insurers that is why your decision to shop around is quite a good idea. It will be a big mistake if you purchase an auto insurance policy in Houston, Texas without looking around first. It will considerably lower the amount that you pay for your auto insurance should you take advantage of the discounts that you are eligible for. You should know the things that can influence your auto insurance premiums so that you would have the best evaluation possible for you to save money.

First of all, since you have an older car, it might not be essential for you to get collision and comprehensive coverage for it. The amount that you pay for those types of coverage plus your deductibles may be more than the amount of the actual cash value of your vehicle. One other way to get cheaper car insurance rates is for you to get higher deductibles. You may also be qualified to get discount for multi-line if you put your car, homeowners and health insurances under the same provider. You can also get additional discount if you have more than one car insured from your insurer.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance policy, auto insurance premiums, used car

Reader’s Question:

I have lived here in Houston, Texas most of my life and we plan to move in the countryside soon. Also, if I switch to a low-profile vehicle and have safety devices, will my car insurance rates be different then?

Gareth

Houston, TX

Unlike Houston, Texas, the countryside is a rural area and it has lesser crime rates and fewer traffic jams. For this reason, your car insurance rates will normally be lower than what you pay now since you live in an urban area. That is because your vehicle would be less likely to be stolen, vandalized and be caught up in an accident. Getting lower car insurance rates may not be the only reason why you are moving to the countryside but doing so can definitely turn around your premiums.

Getting low-profile vehicle can also help you have lower car insurance rates. For the purpose of determining car insurance premiums, vehicles are rated on a risk scale. Generally a sports car and other high-performance, showy cars are considered higher risks since these cars are usually targeted more by thieves. Also, statistics show that the people who drive these types of vehicles are more likely to drive recklessly. So if you own just a wagon or a sedan, which is considered lower risks, you would likely have lower car insurance rates. And aside from owning a low-profile vehicle, your car insurance company will give you discounts for having safety devices installed in your vehicle, thus, lowering your insurance rates.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance rates

Reader’s Question:

My friend here in Houston, Texas, occasionally borrows my car. Do you think I should add him under my car insurance policy?

Betty

Houston, TX

It is highly recommended that you do two things: add your friend under your auto insurance policy as an “occasional driver”, or have your friend get a Non-Owner’s insurance policy under his name. In any case, it would not be wise to allow your friend there in Houston (or anyone, for that matter) to drive your vehicle without adequate auto insurance coverage. Also, under the financial responsibility laws of Texas, anyone who drives a vehicle (not necessarily the owner alone) is responsible (and is required to) acquire appropriate financial coverage in the form of auto insurance. The purpose of this law is to make sure that anyone who causes injury or damage to others during a car accident is able to provide the necessary monetary compensation.

In case you’re wondering, a Non-Owners Auto Insurance usually only provides liability protection, meaning that it will only protect you or your friend from having to pay large sums of money when he caused a car accident while driving your vehicle. So if your vehicle is damaged or totaled, it will be under the discretion of your auto insurance provider whether to reimburse you or pay for repairs. Also make sure you have enough collision and comprehensive insurance coverage if you will have someone else you’re your vehicle. You don’t want to regret not taking these steps to protect you if your friend end’s up totaling your vehicle.

Tags: car insurance, car insurance company, car insurance discounts, car insurance quotes

Reader’s Question:

It’s my first time to buy car insurance of my own here in Houston, Texas and I need some help to get lower rates. What are the things that I can do to help me lessen the premiums that I would pay for my car insurance?

Lance

Houston, TX

A car insurance company considers a lot of issues to determine your car insurance rates in Houston, Texas. Some of these factors include your age, the state where you reside, your driving history, etc. Even though you couldn’t do so much on these things, that are still some ways to get lower rates on your car insurance. Here are some suggestions of the things that you could do to help you lessen your premiums:

–Get higher deductible.
–Do away with non-compulsory coverage such as rental car insurance, towing and labor, etc.
–Get rid of comprehensive and collision coverage if you have an older vehicle which is worth less than $1,000, especially if you can manage to pay for repairs if needed.
–Make sure that you could get all the discounts that you are entitled to such as discounts for safety features on your vehicle.
–Maintain an unblemished driving history to avoid being in the higher risk category of drivers.
–Keep away from purchasing a car that is more likely to be stolen or would cost too much to repair.
–Always keep in mind that it is very important to shop around for your car insurance coverage. Car insurance rates for the same coverage on the same vehicle could vary greatly among various insurance companies.

Tags: car insurance, car insurance premium, car insurance rates

Reader’s Question:

I was good enough to get my license here in Houston, Texas suspended and that kind of snow-balled into my car insurance getting canceled as well, what I’m wondering about is I’m told that I will need to maintain an SR-22 form, what is it?

Carla

Houston, TX

An SR-22 is a type of form guaranteeing the state of Texas that you are carrying adequate financial capability (in the form of car insurance coverage) in the event that you cause injury or damage to property resulting from a car accident. This is mandated by the financial responsibility laws of your state and yes, repeat traffic offenders or those at-fault on a vehicular accident will be required to maintain an SR-22 for at least two or three years.

Since your auto insurance got canceled you will need to find another insurance provider there in Houston that will file this form for you, and submit it to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). There may be some administrative fees involved aside from any penalties you may be required to pay to get your license (or a temporary license) back so you can drive again. A good auto insurance agent will be able to give you all the information you need and whatever steps you need to do to file an SR-22 quickly and hassle-free.

It is very important that you maintain continues coverage for the duration of your SR-22. Getting involved in another car accident or managing to get your driver’s license (and much worse, getting caught driving without insurance coverage or while your license is suspended) revoked will only result into significantly heavier fines and penalties and much higher insurance rates.

Tags: auto insurance, auto insurance claims, car insurance, car insurance discounts

Reader’s Question:

My sister in Houston, Texas receives annually very high amount of vehicle insurance payments from her provider. I heard the rate of deductibles can reduce her insurance premium costs. What is deductible and how can deductible affect her vehicle insurance costs?

Diana

Houston, TX

The amount of deductible in your vehicle insurance policy in Houston, Texas does affect your sister’s policy premium costs. A deductible is a part of vehicle insurance policy that indicate the amount a policyholder pays first before his/her vehicle insurance coverage takes in charge of any expenses a policyholder might have due to roadway accidents. For instance, if you have $300 deductible in your policy, you have to pay that amount from the total cost of any damages and injuries, say $1,000, caused by the car accident you are involved in. Then your insurance provider will pay for the remaining $700.

In your case, to reduce your sister’s expenses from her vehicle insurance costs is to have high deductible. By doing so, your sister’s insurance provider will decrease the rate of her vehicle insurance because your sister manifests that she is willing to carry a huge weight of the expenses from a car accident. But you need to decide well on this and determine if you can afford to pay the amount of deductible you chose because his happened to be a usual mistake of some policyholders. They usually get higher deductible because they are overwhelmed of low insurance rate as its consequence. Just be reminded of this and know the possible combination of deductibles and policy coverage.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance rates

Reader’s Question:

I’ve been looking around through the web to find the best car insurance for me and I already have a list of several insurance companies. What is the best way for me to choose the right company for my car insurance here in Houston, Texas?

Blake

Houston, TX

Aside from knowing how much auto insurance you need and finding a cheap policy, you have to make sure that the car insurance company in Houston, Texas that you go with is reliable. You need to have a good idea as how this company deals with their customers in terms of filing a claim. To find out for sure, you may visit the Website of Texas Department of Insurance. This Website could publish “consumer complaint ratios” of every insurance provider that sell policies in the state of Texas. Because of this ratio, you’d be able to have an idea as to how many complaints an auto insurance provider got per 1,000 claims filed.

Insurance experts suggest the customers use this complaint ratio to check insurance companies. Since you created a record of various insurers, make a note of the ones with the least complaint ratios. After that, you will see on both records the top insurers and have an advantage as the one that you will go with. In case you can’t find complaint ratios for Texas, an insurance expert suggests that you evaluate the complaint ratios of other states for the same insurance company. If this insurance company gets numerous complaints in various other states, you may not like to go with this company.

Tags: car insurance, car insurance company

Reader’s Question:

Hi, a friend recently got involved in a car crash here in Houston, Texas and although no one got hurt, the other party involved decided to file a lawsuit a month later claiming trauma. Which part of someone’s auto insurance protects you from these?

Gabriel

Houston, TX

Hello Gabriel. Getting sued for negligence and causing a car accident is a lot of people’s worst nightmare. Even if no one got hurt during the accident the trauma of the experience may set in much later and, combined with the litigious nature of our society, anyone who may have been involved in a car crash can choose to file a law suit against you. This is where the liability protection or coverage clause of your insurance policy comes in. Here’s a few recommendations on how to make sure your auto insurance protects you from paying a colossal (we really mean colossal) amount of money if you are at fault in a car accident.

Make sure you have adequate Liability insurance. For Houston, Texas then minimum liability insurance coverage amounts required by your state is 20/40/15. That means in the event you injure someone in a car crash, your insurance will award $20,000 worth of damages to each person injured up to a maximum of $40,000 for all injured people per accident. You will also have $15,000 to cover for property damages. That may sound a lot already but reality is, you can be sued for more than those minimum amounts and anything beyond your liability coverage you’ll have to pay yourself. It is highly recommended that you get as high of a liability coverage as you can comfortably afford.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, car insurance company

Reader’s Question:

I am soon to renew my car insurance here in Houston, Texas and I never agreed to the insurance company’s conclusion on my car’s value. In case I switch insurance companies, what can I do if I still don’t agree on how they determine my car’s value?

Nikolai

Houston, TX

If you switch car insurance providers in Houston, Texas and still don’t agree with their conclusion of your car’s value, there are some things that you could do about it. Above all, if you keep records of maintenance that will be a proof that you had changed oil every 3,000 miles and had the vehicle checked regularly by a mechanic, make a duplicate of those records and show them to the insurance provider to prove that your vehicle was in perfect order. In case you have any special parts put in or done some upgrades and you have been paying premiums on for those enhancement, be certain that this will be considered on their assessment.

You may also obtain price quotes for replacement vehicles from at least three car dealers within your area and present these quotes to the car insurance provider. You could ask them to give you a list of car dealers within a certain distance who could sell you a vehicle at the quoted price they say that is the same as your vehicle. If you are still not contented, you may go to arbitration and hand over your case to a neutral party to help attain a negotiation or a binding decision.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, car insurance premium

Reader’s Question:

I’m a single, 20 year old working student here in Houston, Texas who has just been thrown out from my parent’s policy (long story). I can’t afford to pay very high insurance for my car, do you have any tips or suggestions?

Amanda

Houston, TX

Hi Amanda, the great news here is that nothing beats the feeling of independence, and satisfaction of being able to take care of your own bills. There are definitely ways to shave off much needed dollars on your car insurance rates there in Houston, Texas. Here’s a few tips on how you can keep your car insurance costs down:

Become A Safer Driver
The safer the driver the better rates you’ll be able to get. Most states and auto insurance providers offer discounts upon completion of accredited defensive driving courses or classes. Talk to your insurance company about a list of accredited driving schools there in Houston, Texas.

Maintain Good Grades
If your performing well academically, you can actually leverage this into a good student discount. See if you’re insurance provider offers this with your current policy.

Install Safety Mechanisms
If you can afford too, making your car safer against theft, and car accidents, by getting additional safety and security mechanisms will qualify you for additional discounts towards your insurance premiums.

Shop Around Online
The Internet is an increasingly popular, and reliable, resource getting accurate insurance quotes. Insurance portals can also give you points of comparisons between carriers to help you determine the best rates available. Try to get at least five or six quotes and decide if you can get a better deal with another provider.

Tags: auto warranty, auto warranty deals, car insurance