Auto Insurance
Auto Insurance is one of the most common forms of insurance, and almost every state requires you to have an auto insurance policy by law. Although auto insurance is required, paying attention to your coverage and considering higher limits is more important now than ever. Just having the state-required limits can leave you stranded financially, as this may not fully cover the cost of a serious accident.
For the marginal costs to improve your coverage, we are here to discuss every coverage question you may have. We often help improve our client’s limits, while saving them money. TexPro Insurance partners with some of Texas’ best auto insurance companies to make sure we are finding you the best rates!
What does personal auto insurance cover?
Nearly every state including Texas, requires auto owners to have hold and maintain auto liability insurance:
There are 2 types of liability insurance that come along with an auto policy:
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Bodily Injury Liability- covers bodily injuries to those you are liable for in an accident
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Property Damage Liability- covers property such as other autos and structures/buildings
Also required in Texas:
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Medical Payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP)- in Texas, you must select one of the two coverages. If you elect not, this will require a signed rejection.
Optional:
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Comprehensive
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Collision
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Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Coverage: This is optional in the state of Texas. However, if rejected, must sign off in writing. This is commonly included in the insurance applications if you do decide to reject.
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Glass
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Towing
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Rental
Texas Auto Insurance facts
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Must maintain continuous coverage
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For the state of Texas, the minimum auto limit levels are $30,000 per bodily injury/ $60,000 aggregate, and $25,000 property damage liability.
Strategies for Saving on Auto Insurance Premium:
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Use a Broker: Shopping auto insurance is extremely important; every carrier will have different rates, based on your personal driving details. Using an independent agent like us at TexPro Insurance is one of the best strategies: we shop many companies to find the best price.
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Lock In: If you have good driving history, we recommend shopping insurance companies and purchasing the longest policy term of 12 months; this will lock in your good driving rates for as long as possible, in the case that you do have an accident.
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Shop if you’ve had claims: If you’ve had claims or driving record history in the last 3-5 years, it is a good idea to shop every 6 months as these claims can potentially fall off and improve your rates. At TexPro Insurance, we automatically shop your policies at renewal to ensure our clients remain in the best scenario.
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Driver Monitoring: If you are looking to improve your premiums, many carriers now offer apps/vehicle plug-ins to monitor your driving. If you drive well under the monitored time duration (typically 90+ days), the carriers can extend an additional discount at renewal. Depending on the carrier, the discount available can be 30-40% maximum. In addition, most carriers will provide a 10% discount just for signing up.
Tips:
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Don’t use your phone while driving. If you need to make a phone call or send a text, it is always recommended to pull over. This is a good habit to help prevent claims and protect others on the road.
How “Full Coverage” Can Still Leave You Stranded
There is a popular saying among insurance buyers these days. You might hear your buddy say, “I have full coverage! I’m fully covered.” But is that really the case? What exactly is full coverage referring to? “Improve coverages? But I have FULL coverage?
What is full coverage referring to exactly?
Full coverage is referring to an auto insurance policy that includes comprehensive and collision coverage, which covers damages to their vehicle in most common accidents. This would cover damages to their vehicle subject to a deductible such as $500 or $1,000. When you DON’T have this magical thing called “Full Coverage”, it essentially means you just have liability only auto insurance. This would not cover any damages to your car if you were in an accident.
We often tend to neglect liability, and its importance. You can still have “full coverage”, yet have State Minimum level auto liability.
Depending on your state, the minimums vary. However for the state of Texas, the minimum levels are $30,000 per bodily injury/ $60,000 aggregate, and $25,000 property damage liability. Imagine in one instance hitting a Rolls Royce and sending the driver to the hospital for a week. Damages to his property (Rolls Royce) are $37,000, and his hospital bills are $72,000. Your ‘Full Coverage’ auto insurance leaves you completely stranded in an instance like this because you haven’t prepared for it.