Comparing Cheaper El Cerrito Auto Insurance

Tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? You are no different than many other California drivers. Lots of contend for your insurance dollar, so it's not easy to compare every and uncover the absolute lowest rate

It's important to compare prices before your policy renews because prices are constantly changing. Even if you got the lowest price six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to save money.

If you have insurance now or need new coverage, you can follow these tips to find better prices while maintaining coverages. Choosing the best insurance company for you in El Cerrito is easy if you know what you're doing. California vehicle owners just need to know the best way to shop their coverage around online.

More discounts equal less premium

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you can get discounts that many people don't even know exist. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you quote, but a few must be requested specifically before you get the savings. If they aren't giving you every credit available, you're paying more than you need to.

Save with a New Car - Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Drive Less and Save - Driving fewer miles could be rewarded with a substantially lower rate.
Sign Online - Certain companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
One Accident Forgiven - A few companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
Multi-car Discount - Having more than one vehicle on the same auto insurance policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
Service Members Pay Less - Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
Life Insurance Discount - Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most cut specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like it's possible to get free car insurance, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will cut your premiums.

To see a list of companies offering auto insurance discounts in El Cerrito, click here.

How to Compare El Cerrito Auto Insurance Rates

Most companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive give coverage prices online. This process is quite simple as you just type in into the quote form. Once you submit the form, the system will obtain credit information and your driving record and quotes a price. Online price quotes helps simplify price comparisons, but having to visit different websites and fill out multiple forms can get tiresome after awhile. Unfortunately, it is important to do this in order to get a lower rate.

The easy way to compare rates

The preferred way to lower your auto insurance bill uses one form that obtains quotes from a lot of companies. It's a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes price shopping online a lot less work. Once the form is submitted, your coverage is rated and you can choose any of the price quotes you receive.

If you find a better price it's easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. This process can be completed in a matter of minutes and may result in a nice savings.

To find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and fill out the form. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you enter your coverages identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will get a price comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Please use or commuting - The more miles you rack up on your car every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies charge to insure your cars based on how the vehicle is used. Cars left parked in the garage receive lower rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your auto insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
An active claims history can cost you - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance companies in California generally give better rates to people who are claim-free. Auto insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - Most insurance companies will give a discount to insureds who buy several policies from them. It's known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to 10 percent or more. Even though this discount sounds good, it's still a good idea to compare rates to ensure the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
Extra coverages can waste money - There are many extra bells and whistles that you can buy when buying auto insurance. Coverages like personal injury protection, towing coverage and term life insurance are some examples. They may seem like a good idea initially, but if they're wasting money get rid of them and save.
Being married is a good thing - Having a wife or husband can actually save you money on auto insurance. It means you're more mature than a single person and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
Battle of the sexes - The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Women and men cause accidents in similar numbers, but the males cause more damage. They also get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
Liability coverage is peace of mind - Liability insurance will protect you if ever you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder auto theft.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Consumers in California can't get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance by GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to have a common claim that you'll save big if you switch to their company.

How do they all claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All companies can use profiling for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" gets the lowest rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who do not match the "perfect" profile will have to pay a higher premium and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads say "customers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much. That's why companies can state the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Best coverage at the best price

As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an accident victim reduced collision coverage and learned later that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price.

Discount auto insurance can be found both online and also from your neighborhood El Cerrito agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

Much more information about auto insurance in California is located on the website for the California Department of Insurance found here. Visitors are able to file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, download brochures, read consumer alerts, and discover disciplinary actions.