Proven Techniques to Save on Cerritos Auto Insurance

Expensive auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your savings account and put a big crunch on your finances. Shopping your coverage around is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket. Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive all promote huge savings with fancy advertisements and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every discount in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If you aren't receiving every discount you deserve, you are throwing money away.

Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
Life Insurance - Some companies give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
Senior Discount - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get reduced rates.
Seat Belts Save - Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could cut 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
Good Student Discount - Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.

It's important to note that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because you may think all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck.

What determines how much you pay?

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that help determine auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

Frequent auto insurance claims increase rates - Companies in California award cheaper rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.
Rural vs Urban Areas - Residing in a rural area can save you money when buying auto insurance. Lower population means fewer accidents. City drivers tend to have traffic congestion and longer commutes to work. Longer commute distances can result in more accidents.
Men pay higher rates - Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Women and men are in accidents in similar percentages, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI. Young males tend to get in the most accidents and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
Always keep insurance in force - Allowing your coverage to lapse will be a quick way to bump up your auto insurance costs. And not only will your rates increase, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a revoked license or a big fine.
A clean driving record saves money - Even one moving violation can increase rates by twenty percent. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. If you have flagrant violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone's situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions can help discover whether you might need professional guidance.

Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in California?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Cerritos?

If you're not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It's fast, doesn't cost anything and may give you better protection.

How can Progressive, Allstate and GEICO save drivers who switch?

California drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all make an identical promise that you can save after switching to them.

How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, a driver they prefer might be profiled as between 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and has great credit. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Consumers who are not a match for the requirements will be quoted higher rates and ends up with business not being written. The ad wording is "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. This is how insurance companies can advertise the savings. This emphasizes why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

Learn more about auto insurance in California

Additional detailed information can be found at the California Department of Insurance website. California drivers can download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, learn about insurance regulations, and find a variety of consumer forms.

A tidy conclusion

As you prepare to switch companies, it's a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as .