If you’re looking to buy auto insurance, there are a lot of options and selecting the best Abilene car insurance agent for your needs is more difficult than just randomly choosing from the yellow pages. The chances are good you’re not only searching for a professional agent, but you also want to find affordable coverage.
With Allstate, Farmers, State Farm and many independent agents having local Abilene offices, it can be hard to know which provider will have the cheapest rates and the best coverage. To help decide, consumers can get online quoting to assemble a group of insurance agencies and thier coverage prices.
What coverages do I need?
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions might help in determining if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
- Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
- Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Texas?
- Should I buy only the required Texas minimum liability coverage?
- How many claims can I have before being cancelled?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent.
Local Abilene agents and auto insurance
Good agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you may find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from local businesses is important especially in Abilene.
Once you complete this simple form, your information is submitted to agents in your area who will compete to get your business. You never need to even leave your home since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy! You can find the lowest rates and an insurance agent to talk to.
Two types of Abilene insurance agents
When researching an insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents from which to choose. Agencies in Abilene are categorized either captive or independent (non-captive).
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, an independent agent can move your coverage and that require little work on your part.
When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to contact at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Abilene who can help you get comparison quotes.
Nationwide Insurance – 4602 S 14th St – Abilene, TX 79605 – (325) 698-5885
Holdridge Insurance Agency – 542 Greenfield Rd – Abilene, TX 79602 – (325) 529-4561
Larry Chapman Insurance – 3524 N 6th St – Abilene, TX 79603 – (325) 677-7571
Western Surplus Lines Agency – 2 Village Dr # 300 – Abilene, TX 79606 – (325) 695-9820
Prefferred General Agency – 3305 N 3rd St – Abilene, TX 79603 – (325) 437-4350
Captive Agents
This type of agents are contracted to one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. They are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. They receive extensive training on the products they sell which can be an advantage.
Shown below is a list of captive insurance agents in Abilene that can give you rate quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 2302 S 14th St – Abilene, TX 79605 – (325) 677-9010
Allstate Insurance – 3136 S 14th St – Abilene, TX 79605 – (325) 692-4920
Farm Bureau Insurance – 3301 N 3rd St # 115 – Abilene, TX 79603 – (325) 672-2225
Farmers Insurance Group – 149 N Willis St – Abilene, TX 79603 – (325) 673-7606
For a complete listing of Abilene captive agencies, please click here.
Picking an auto insurance agent should depend on more than just the premium amount. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- How are they compensated?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
Once you have answers to your satisfaction to these questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have just found an insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles.
Online auto insurance companies
Local insurance agents are a valuable resource, but you can also buy Texas car insurance direct from companies that only sell online. Certain auto insurance companies who have local agents in Abilene additionally provide the ability to get a quote and buy online, so keep that in mind as an alternative to contacting agents.
If you’re anxious about not having an insurance agent’s advice when shopping online, that is normal but is not a big issue. Auto insurance companies that require consumers to choose their own coverages give you access to trained agents that you can contact for information. They also have a frequently asked questions page to clarify any questions you may have.
Is online auto insurance cheaper? It’s difficult to provide an answer since there are so many factors that impact your premium. Common logic is that purchasing direct online cuts out the middleman. In reality, advertising and marketing take a lot of money and that impacts the rates consumers pay.
Additional auto insurance information can be read on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Texas consumers can read consumer alerts, report car insurance fraud, and find out which companies have the most complaints.
Best coverage at the best price
Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, extreme rates for teen drivers, high prices or unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new auto insurance company is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
The cheapest auto insurance is definitely available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Abilene, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
