Easy Techniques to Pay Less on Citrus Heights Car Insurance

Comparison shopping for Citrus Heights car insurance is a challenge for people who are new to shopping for insurance online. People have so many options available that it can be a ton of work to locate the lowest price in Citrus Heights.

It's important to price shop coverage once or twice a year because rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best rates a year ago you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance online, so we're going to give you some great ways to slash your car insurance rates.

Finding affordable coverage in Citrus Heights is easy if you know what you're doing. In a nutshell, every vehicle owner who is required by state law to have car insurance will most likely be able to save money. But California car owners do need to know how insurance companies sell online.

Fast and Easy Citrus Heights Car Insurance Quotes

The are a couple different ways to compare quotes and find the best price. The recommended way to compare insurance prices is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

The first (and easiest) way consumers can make multiple comparisons is a comparison rater form click to view form in new window. This type of form saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for every car insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form gets you price quotes from multiple companies. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.

Another way to shop for car insurance online requires a trip to the website for each individual company to complete a price quote. For instance, we'll assume you want rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to input your insurance information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Citrus Heights, click here.

However you get your quotes, double check that you are using identical quote information for every company. If your comparisons have mixed coverages you will not be able to decipher which rate is best in Citrus Heights. Slightly different insurance coverages may result in large price differences. It's important to know that comparing more company's prices helps locate a better price.

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

It's important that you understand the factors that play a part in calculating your car insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices.

How many coverages with the same company - Some insurance companies give discounts to policyholders who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it's in your best interest to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Drivers may still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all hinder auto theft.
Liability coverage is peace of mind - Your policy's liability coverage will protect you in the event that you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
Males pay more for insurance - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn't mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men have accidents at a similar rate, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also get more serious tickets such as reckless driving.
Better credit scores mean better rates - Your credit score is a huge factor in your rate calculation. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have lower credit ratings. If your credit rating is low, you could be paying less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
More performance means more cost - The make and model of the car you drive makes a big difference in determining your rates. The cheapest insurance rates tend to be for small economy passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
Do you work long hours in a high stress job? - Occupations like real estate brokers, social workers and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates in part from stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. Conversely, occupations like farmers, engineers and retirees pay the least.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies do not list every available discount very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.

Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Pay Now and Pay Less - By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
Multiple Cars - Buying insurance for all your vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles with factory air bags may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
Discount for Swiching Early - Select companies give a discount for switching to them before your current policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
No Claims - Claim-free drivers pay less compared to frequent claim filers.
Military Discounts - Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Anti-lock Brakes - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you can get free auto insurance, companies don't profit that way.

For a list of providers with discount car insurance rates in California, click here.

More detailed California car insurance information can be read at the California Department of Insurance website. Consumers can read consumer alerts, view a list of available companies, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Final considerations

While you're price shopping online, never reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim they didn't purchase enough coverage. The aim is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Drivers leave their current company for any number of reasons including policy non-renewal, extreme rates for teen drivers, lack of trust in their agent and denial of a claim. No matter why you want to switch, switching car insurance companies is not as hard as you think.

Discount car insurance can be sourced from both online companies in addition to many Citrus Heights insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not provide online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.