The words “bargain” and “auto insurance” really should not be used together, especially when comparison shopping for the best price on coverage for retired military. Because it’s not cheap, let’s start the ball rolling by going over a few of the things that impact insurance premiums, and find out if you can slash the price of your next policy.
One of the more important criteria that help determine the price you pay for insurance is your zip code in San Antonio. Areas with more people or more claims likely pay more, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents have the luxury of lower rates.
The following table ranks the most expensive areas in Texas for retired military to buy auto insurance in. San Antonio is ranked at #14 having an annual price of $1,671 for car insurance, which is approximately $139 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $2,016 |
| 2 | Houston | $1,909 |
| 3 | Brownsville | $1,908 |
| 4 | Laredo | $1,907 |
| 5 | Dallas | $1,837 |
| 6 | Pasadena | $1,812 |
| 7 | Mesquite | $1,807 |
| 8 | Grand Prairie | $1,793 |
| 9 | Amarillo | $1,786 |
| 10 | Garland | $1,778 |
| 11 | Irving | $1,736 |
| 12 | Beaumont | $1,720 |
| 13 | Lubbock | $1,682 |
| 14 | San Antonio | $1,671 |
| 15 | Fort Worth | $1,670 |
| 16 | Arlington | $1,642 |
| 17 | El Paso | $1,632 |
| 18 | Corpus Christi | $1,620 |
| 19 | Carrollton | $1,615 |
| 20 | Austin | $1,610 |
| 21 | McKinney | $1,609 |
| 22 | Plano | $1,576 |
| 23 | Waco | $1,522 |
| 24 | Abilene | $1,499 |
| 25 | Killeen | $1,473 |
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Table data uses estimated as the specific San Antonio residence address can impact auto insurance rates considerably.
The make and model of vehicle driven is probably the most important factor when comparing affordable auto insurance for retired military. Vehicles with high performance features, poor passenger safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than safer models. The data below illustrates auto insurance rates for some of the most economical vehicles to insure.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $978 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,037 |
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $1,044 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,077 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $1,150 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,161 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 2WD | $1,185 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $1,191 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,196 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $1,211 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $1,244 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,253 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $1,262 |
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Data variables include single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Rate quotes do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can alter rates considerably.
Looking at the rates, models like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Ford Escape, and Hyundai Elantra are most likely to be the most economical vehicles to insure for veterans.
Finding decent, affordable auto insurance is challenging, and deciding which companies have the cheapest car insurance rates for retired military will require even more rate comparisons. Every car insurance company uses different criteria for determining rates in each state, so let’s take a look at the most competitive car insurance companies in San Antonio.
It’s important to know that Texas car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially change the cost of a policy. Price variation is why it is critical to take the time to shop around when trying to get the most affordable insurance quotes for retired military. Prices can be determined by many factors and can change substantially, so the cheapest rate a year ago may now be one of the higher cost companies.
Best Insurance Companies for Vets
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,052 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,117 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | $1,199 |
| 4 | Germania Mutual | $1,244 |
| 5 | California Casualty | $1,396 |
| 6 | Esurance | $1,421 |
| 7 | State Farm | $1,495 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,521 |
| 9 | Safe Auto | $1,549 |
| 10 | Nationwide | $1,585 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,650 |
| 12 | Progressive | $1,664 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,705 |
| 14 | GEICO | $2,093 |
| 15 | Home State | $2,134 |
| 16 | MetLife | $2,227 |
| 17 | Encompass | $2,232 |
| 18 | Unitrin | $2,333 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,421 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,594 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
Travelers may have some of the most affordable car insurance rates in San Antonio at around $1,052 annually. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and California Casualty also qualify as some of the cheapest San Antonio, TX insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you currently have a policy with Germania Mutual and switched to Travelers, you might realize annual savings of approximately $192. Policyholders with California Casualty might save as much as $344 a year, and Esurance policyholders might lower prices by up to $369 a year.
To find the cheapest rates for your vehicle, click here to start your free quote or feel free to get quotes from the companies below.
Be aware that those policy prices are averages across all drivers and vehicles in Texas and do not take into consideration a specific vehicle garaging location for retired military. So the car insurance company that is best suited for you may not even be in the list above. That is why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
Does it make sense to buy full coverage?
Reducing the cost of car insurance is the goal of most drivers, and an easy way to save on the cost of insurance for retired military is to buy liability only. The illustration below visualizes the comparison of annual premium costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The data assumes no claims or violations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no policy discounts are applied.
On average, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an additional $1,963 per year over and above liability coverage. Many people question if you should buy full coverage. There is no definitive rule to exclude comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
How to find a good Texas car insurance company
Buying coverage from the highest-rated insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many different companies insure vehicles in San Antonio. The ranking information in the next section may help you choose which car insurance providers you want to consider buying from. The ratings below are only made up of large nationwide companies, so companies with more of a regional focus will not be included in these rankings.
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies Overall in San Antonio
- Travelers
- USAA
- Mercury Insurance
- AAA Insurance
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies in San Antonio Ranked by A.M. Best Rating
- Travelers – A++
- USAA – A++
- GEICO – A++
- State Farm – A++
- Titan Insurance – A+
- Esurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- The Hartford – A+
- Allstate – A+
- Nationwide – A+
Types of discounts on San Antonio insurance rates
Insurance providers that provide policies for retired military may additionally offer discounts that could potentially reduce rates by as much as 25% or more if you can meet the requirements. The best car insurance companies and some of the discounts include:
- GEICO offers premium reductions for daytime running lights, emergency military deployment, federal employee, military active duty, defensive driver, air bags, and seat belt use.
- Travelers has discounts for good student, payment discounts, hybrid/electric vehicle, multi-policy, and save driver.
- Nationwide offers discounts including defensive driving, family plan, easy pay, good student, and Farm Bureau membership.
- Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including mature driver, youthful driver, business and professional, bundle discounts, alternative fuel, switch companies, and pay in full.
- Esurance may include discounts for claim free, anti-theft, renters, multi-car, homeowner, and Pac-12 alumni.
- State Farm offers discounts for driver’s education, accident-free, passive restraint, good driver, anti-theft, and safe vehicle.
- Progressive may offer discounts for multi-policy, online signing, online quote discount, homeowner, good student, multi-vehicle, and continuous coverage.
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include low natural disaster claims, anti-theft, age of vehicle, accident-free, good driver, and ease of repair.
The chart below shows the comparison of premium costs with and without policy discounts. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, no accidents, no driving violations, Texas state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with anti-theft, claim-free, homeowner, multiple vehicle, vehicle safety, and marriage discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, theaverage amount saved on car insurance for retired military is 28% or $459.
You are probably paying too much for car insurance
San Antonio car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that may substantially change the policy premium. Simply getting older, increasing deductibles, or getting into an accident can trigger rate changes that may make certain companies more affordable than competitors.
In addition, auto insurance companies file new rates as often as every three months as an adjustment for underwriting gains or losses. Significantly higher losses can result in additional price hikes, while lower claims can cause lower-cost San Antonio car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the graph below shows a variety of companies that have the cheapest car insurance in San Antonio, TX for a 40-year-old male driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and a good credit history. Based on his current situation, Travelers may have the cheapest car insurance rates in San Antonio at $1,158 each year. This is $746 less than the average premium paid by Texas drivers of $1,904. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance are the rest of the best San Antonio, TX auto insurance companies.
The next chart shows rates after we give the driver from above a chargeable claim, slightly worse credit, and a couple of points charged on his driving record. Because every insurance company uses their own calculation for establishing rates, analyzing rates most likely will result in a different ranking of companies as shown below.
State Farm now has the cheapest rate in San Antonio with Mercury, Nationwide, USAA, and Safe Auto also having competitive pricing. This demonstrates why it is important to spend some time comparing rates to get cheap insurance rates for retired military. Auto insurance prices are influenced by many things and can change without notice, so the most economical company the last time you checked may now be costing you a lot of money.