Did a good deal turn into high-priced car insurance? Say no more because many consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy. There is such a variety of car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and even though it’s nice to be able to choose, so many choices can make it hard to adequately compare rates.
It is always a good idea to take a look at other company’s rates periodically because insurance prices change frequently. If you had the lowest price for Envoy XL insurance last year you can probably find a better rate quote now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the tricks you need to know to save money, get proper deductibles and limits, all at the lowest rate.
More discounts mean lower premiums
Some providers don’t always publicize every discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the below list has a few of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits available to you.
- Claim Free – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims can earn big discounts in comparison with insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can get you a discount because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military may lower your prices slightly.
- Responsible Drivers – Safe drivers could pay up to 40% less for Envoy XL insurance than drivers with accidents.
- Renewal Discounts – Some companies give discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. You may see this discount when you get .
- Online Discount – Many larger companies will give you a small discount for buying your policy on their website.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
- Homeowners Savings – Just being a homeowner can get you a discount because maintaining a house requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Telematics Devices – Insureds that choose to allow their car insurance company to analyze driving manner through the use of a telematics system like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm might see lower rates if their driving habits are good.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring all your vehicles on a single policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
A quick disclaimer, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Even though it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Popular car insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are outlined below.
- State Farm offers discounts for multiple autos, safe vehicle, passive restraint, accident-free, and driver’s education.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for early shopping, teen driver, good student, business and professional, homeowner, and distant student.
- Progressive includes discounts for homeowner, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, online signing, multi-policy, and online quote discount.
- GEICO offers discounts including air bags, federal employee, anti-lock brakes, membership and employees, defensive driver, and anti-theft.
- Auto-Owners Insurance discounts include anti-theft, student away at school, teen driver, safe vehicle, safe driver, paperless, and paid in full.
- The Hartford policyholders can earn discounts including anti-theft, defensive driver, bundle, good student, vehicle fuel type, and driver training.
- Farm Bureau has discounts for driver training, safe driver, 55 and retired, youthful driver, and multi-policy.
- USAA may offer discounts for driver training, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, good student, and safe driver.
Before purchasing a policy, check with each insurance company which discounts can lower your rates. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply to policies in your state. To locate providers who offer discounts, click this link.
Eight factors that determine insurance costs
Many factors are used when premium rates are determined. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, although some other factors are less obvious like where you live and annual miles driven. 
The factors shown below are some of the most rate-impacting factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rates.
- Deter theft and pay less – Selecting a car model that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your premiums. Theft deterrent systems such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent car theft and help bring rates down.
- Premiums for men may be higher – Statistics show that females tend to be a little less risky than males. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes cause at-fault accidents at a similar rate, but the males cause more damage. Men also statistically receive more major tickets such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Male teenagers tend to get in the most accidents and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
- Drive less and get lower prices – The more you drive annually the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies calculate prices based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars not used for work or commuting cost less to insure as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Double check that your car insurance policy correctly shows annual mileage, because improper ratings can cost you money. Improper usage on your Envoy XL can result in significantly higher rates.
- Defend yourself with liability protection – Liability insurance will provide protection if you are found to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost a lot. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
- No coverage gaps is important – Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse can be a sure-fire way to drive up your policy premiums. In addition to paying higher rates, getting caught without coverage might get you a fine, jail time, or a revoked license. Then you may be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with your state DMV.
- Pay less with a high safety rating – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have lower insurance rates. Vehicles built for safety reduce occupant injuries and lower rates of occupant injuries means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates. If your GMC Envoy XL has at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website you may pay a lower rate.
- Rates increase with policy add-ons – Insurance policies have a lot of additional extra coverages that may not really be needed but may not be useful. Add-on coverages like personal injury protection, better glass coverage, and Farm Bureau memberships are examples of these. They may sound like good ideas when buying your policy, but if you have no use for them remove them and pocket the money.
- High credit saves on car insurance – Having a good credit score can be an important factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have excellent credit scores tend to be better risks to insure than drivers who have bad credit. If your credit rating can be improved, you may save money insuring your GMC Envoy XL by improving your credit score.
When should I talk to an insurance agent?
Some people just want to get professional advice from a licensed agent and that is OK! Licensed agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help file insurance claims. The best thing about comparing rates online is you may find the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. Putting coverage with local insurance agencies is still important .
To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, your coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents that can give you for your car insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to leave your house because prices are sent to the email address you provide. If you wish to get a comparison quote from a specific company, you just need to visit that company’s website and submit a quote form there.
When finding a reliable insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Car insurance agents can be classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. Either one can handle car insurance, but we need to point out the difference between them since it can affect the type of agent you choose.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These type of agents are not restriced to one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with a variety of different insurance companies and get you the best rates possible. If prices rise, they simply switch companies in-house and you stay with the same agent.
When shopping rates, we recommend you get some free quotes from at a minimum one independent agency for maximum quote selection.
Captive Agencies
Agents in the captive channel have only one company to place business with and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, or Farmers Insurance. Captive agencies are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so always compare other rates. Captive insurance agents are well schooled on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.
To help find agents near you, see this complete selection of car insurance agents.
Choosing the best insurance agency requires you to look at more than just a cheap quote. Here are some questions to ask:
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
- What discounts might you be missing?
- Where would your vehicle be repaired?
- Will you work with the agent or an assistant?
A tidy conclusion
We’ve covered many tips how you can reduce GMC Envoy XL insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the best prices are with some of the smallest insurance companies. These companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive and GEICO.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where an insured cut physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
