Easy Methods to Pay Less on Imperial Beach Auto Insurance

Are you intimidated by the number of auto insurance companies in Imperial Beach? You have a lot of company. There are so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a lot of work to find better rates.

It's important to check auto insurance prices every six months since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best deal a few years ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Starting right now, block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the proper way to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.

Don't pay full price with these discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Some trigger automatically at quote time, but some must be manually applied in order for you to get them.

Discount for Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
Multiple Vehicles - Having multiple vehicles on the same auto insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
Homeowners Discount - Owning a house in Imperial Beach may trigger a auto insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
Discount for Good Grades - A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
No Charge for an Accident - Certain companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
Sign Online - Certain companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, auto insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down your premiums.

To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in California, follow this link.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Imperial Beach, California

There are multiple methods to compare auto insurance prices and some are less time-consuming than others. You can waste a lot of time driving to insurance companies in Imperial Beach, or you could save time and use online quoting to achieve your goal.

Many insurance companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to send in one quote, and every company then returns a price quote based on that information. This eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions to each individual auto insurance company.

To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The only downside to using this type of form is you cannot specify which carriers you want to price. If you prefer to choose specific providers to compare rates, we put together a list of auto insurance companies in California. Click to view list.

Whichever way you use, ensure you are comparing identical information for every company. If the quotes have higher or lower deductibles it's not possible to decipher which rate is best in Imperial Beach. Just a small difference in coverages can make a big difference in price. Just remember that quoting more helps locate the best price.

What determines how much you pay?

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

The following are some of the factors companies use to determine rates.

Rate your vehicle for proper use - Driving more miles in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most companies price each vehicle's coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles left parked in the garage can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Do you know your deductibles? - Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and burglary. Your deductibles are how much you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more money you're willing to pay, the less your auto insurance will be.
Frequent auto insurance claims increase rates - Car insurance companies in California provide lower rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Do men or women drive better? - Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Women and men cause accidents at about the same rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
A clean driving record saves money - Your driving citation history has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Just one speeding ticket can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers have lower premiums compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
Marriage pays dividends - Being married can get you a discount when buying auto insurance. It is viewed as being more responsible and it's proven that being married results in fewer claims.

The auto insurance bait and switch

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. They all seem to say the same thing about savings after switching to them. How does each company say the same thing?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and has a short commute. A propective insured who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to these standards will have to pay more money which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads state "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That's the way companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Final considerations

As you shop your coverage around, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.

Cheap auto insurance can be purchased on the web and with local Imperial Beach insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.

Consumers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as delays in paying claims, lack of trust in their agent, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or poor customer service. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company is actually quite simple.

Learn more about California auto insurance

Additional information is available on the California Department of Insurance website located here. California drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, report car insurance fraud, and download brochures.