Ford Fiesta insurance image courtesy of QuoteInspector.com
If online insurance comparisons are new to you, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the large number of online insurance companies and websites all offering big savings in Austin.
A recent NerdWallet.com study revealed that nearly 70% of drivers have bought insurance from the same company for over three years, and just under half have never even compared rates from other companies. Consumers in Texas can cut their rates by as much as $1,770 a year just by shopping around, but they just don't understand how much they could save if they bought a different policy.
When comparison shopping, there are several ways to compare quotes from many insurance companies in Texas. The simplest method to compare rates is to perform an online rate comparison.
When comparing insurance rates, know that getting more free quotes provides better odds of finding a lower rate. Not every company does online rate quotes, so you should also compare price quotes on coverage from those companies, too.
The companies shown below offer free rate quotes in Austin, TX. If multiple companies are listed, it's a good idea that you visit two to three different companies to get the cheapest price.
Three reasons auto insurance is important
Despite the potentially high cost of Ford Fiesta insurance, insuring your vehicle serves a purpose in several ways.
- Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require a specific minimum amount of liability protection in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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 loan on your Ford Fiesta, more than likely the lender will have a requirement that you have comprehensive coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank may insure your Ford at a much higher rate and force you to pay for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance safeguards both your assets and your vehicle. It will also pay for all forms of medical expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays for attorney fees and expenses in the event you are sued. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, your auto insurance policy will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance more than cancel out the cost, especially for larger claims. But the average American driver is currently overpaying as much as $750 every year so you should quote and compare rates at every policy renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Components of Your Ford Fiesta Insurance Rates
Lots of factors are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some factors are common sense such as your driving record, although others are more obscure such as whether you are married or how financially stable you are.
- Driving citations can increase premiums - A bad driving record impacts premiums far more than you think. Having a single speeding ticket can increase the cost of insurance twenty percent or more. Drivers with clean records get better prices compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have received careless tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 form with their state's licensing department in order to legally drive a vehicle.
- Gender as a rate factor - Over time, data shows that females tend to be a little less risky than males. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Females and males tend to get into at-fault accidents in similar percentages, but the males have accidents that have higher claims. They also get higher numbers of serious violations such as reckless driving. Young males have the highest risk to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
- Only buy extra coverages you need - There are a ton of extra coverages that may not really be needed if you aren't careful. Insurance for things like rental car coverage, death and dismemberment, and extra life insurance coverage may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but if they're wasting money think about removing them and cutting costs.
- Getting married equates to better rates - Getting married can get you a discount on your auto insurance bill. It demonstrates that you tend to be more responsible and statistics show married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.
- Location can affect price - Being located in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when trying to find low car insurance rates. Drivers who live in large cities have traffic congestion and longer commute times. Lower population translates into fewer accident claims and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
- Poor credit decisions can cost you - An insured's credit rating is likely to be a major factor in calculating your premium rate. People with good credit tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than drivers with poor credit scores. Therefore, if your credit score is not that good, you may save money insuring your Ford Fiesta by spending a little time repairing your credit.
- Ford Fiesta claim probability - Companies use past loss statistics for each vehicle as a tool for profitable underwriting. Vehicles that tend to have a trend towards higher claim severity or frequency will have a higher cost to insure. The table below demonstrates the loss history for Ford Fiesta vehicles.
For each policy coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles as a whole is represented as 100. Percentage values below 100 mean the vehicle has better than average losses, while numbers above 100 indicate frequent claims or a tendency for claims to be larger.Auto Insurance Loss Data for Ford Fiesta Models
Make and Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Ford Fiesta 96 91 73 115 123 113 Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Cheaper Ford Fiesta insurance quotes in Austin
Car insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but you may qualify for discounts that can drop the cost substantially. A few discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but some must be inquired about in order for you to get them.
- New Car Discount - Buying a new car model can get you a discount because newer vehicles keep occupants safer.
- Distant College Student Discount - Any of your kids who live away from home to go to college without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Early Switch Discount - A few larger companies offer discounts for buying a new policy before your current Fiesta insurance policy expires. It could save around 10% when you buy Austin car insurance online.
- Driver Training Discounts - Taking time to complete a safe driver class can save you 5% or more and make you a better driver.
- Pay Early and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront rather than spreading payments over time you can actually save on your bill.
Don't be shocked that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Even though the math looks like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you aren't that lucky.
A few of the larger companies and some of the discounts are included below.
- 21st Century may include discounts for defensive driver, automatic seat belts, teen driver, homeowners, student driver, early bird, and good student.
- Progressive may offer discounts for good student, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online signing, and multi-policy.
- State Farm offers discounts for multiple policy, student away at school, anti-theft, Drive Safe & Save, good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and safe vehicle.
- Nationwide has discounts for family plan, business or organization, defensive driving, accident-free, multi-policy, and anti-theft.
- Esurance includes discounts for multi-car, claim free, renters, anti-theft, online shopper, and good driver.
- The Hartford may have discounts that include defensive driver, bundle, anti-theft, good student, and driver training.
If you are trying to find cheaper Austin car insurance quotes, ask each company which discounts you qualify for. Some discounts may not be offered in every state.
Get rate quotes but buy from a local Austin insurance agency
Many drivers would prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent and often times that is recommended The biggest benefit of getting free rate quotes online is you may find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to.
By using this form (opens in new window), the quote information is transmitted to local insurance agents that give free quotes for your business. You never need to search for any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered to you instantly. You can find the lowest rates and work with a local agent. In the event you want to get a comparison quote for a specific company, you would need to navigate to their website to submit a rate quote request.
Finding a good company needs to be determined by more than just the price. Before buying a policy in Austin, get answers to these questions.
- How often do they review coverages?
- Is there a Errors and Omissions policy in force?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Are they paid to recommend certain coverages?
If you prefer to buy car insurance from a good insurance agency, there are a couple of different types of agents and how they work. Car insurance agencies are either exclusive or independent.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
These type of agents are contracted to one company like Allstate and State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so they really need to provide good service. These agents are very knowledgeable on what they offer and that enables them to sell even at higher rates. Some consumers prefer to use the same agent mainly due to the brand name rather than having the cheapest rates.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive agents in Austin that are able to give price quote information.
- Larry Evins - State Farm Insurance Agent
4534 West Gate Blvd #202 - Austin, TX 78745 - (512) 327-0303 - View Map - Richard Munoz - State Farm Insurance Agent
5446 W US Hwy 290 Service Rd #104 - Austin, TX 78735 - (512) 892-3527 - View Map - Stuart Nalewaik - State Farm Insurance Agent
1717 W 6th St #214 - Austin, TX 78703 - (512) 382-6019 - View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These type of agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles through lots of different companies and find you cheaper rates. If your premiums go up, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won't have to switch agencies. When comparing car insurance rates, you should always get quotes from at least one independent agent to get the most accurate price comparison. Many can place coverage with smaller companies which could offer lower prices.
Shown below are independent agents in Austin that are able to give comparison quotes.
- Watkins Insurance Group
3834 Spicewood Springs Rd - Austin, TX 78759 - (512) 452-8877 - View Map - Stanley Insurance Agency
512 W Stassney Ln #113 - Austin, TX 78745 - (512) 445-5555 - View Map - Austin Insurance Group
9705 Burnet Rd #314 - Austin, TX 78758 - (512) 339-2901 - View Map
If you feel you receive satisfactory answers to these questions as well as a price you're happy with, you may have just found a car insurance agent that meets the requirements to properly insure your vehicles.
A little work can save a LOT of money
While you're price shopping online, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best cost, but don't skip important coverages to save money.
Cheap Ford Fiesta insurance in Austin is available on the web and from local insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies may not provide rates over the internet and many times these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agencies.
In this article, we presented a lot of techniques to get a better price on Ford Fiesta insurance in Austin. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies.
Additional information can be read below:
- Protect Yourself Against Auto Theft (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Ride Shares in Austin? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for a Ford Escape in Austin? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for Good Drivers in Austin? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Austin? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for a Nissan Altima in Austin? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Austin Car Insurance Quotes for High Risk Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Nissan Rogue in Austin? (FAQ)
- Protecting Teens from Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- New Honda safety features benefit drivers of all ages (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Liability Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)