Easy Methods to Spend Less on Lathrop Car Insurance

Finding affordable Lathrop car insurance is hard for consumers new to comparing rates online. Drivers have so many options that it can quickly become a challenge to find the best price in Lathrop.

It's important to shop coverage around once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best rates last year a different company probably has better rates today. You can find a lot of wrong information about car insurance on the internet, so I'm going to show you some great ways to find cheap car insurance.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you should be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. This information will instruct you on the most effective way to quote insurance and some tips to save money. But California consumers do need to know the way companies market on the web.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't necessarily list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of both the well known as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance.

Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Student Driver Training - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course in high school.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers pay less as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Defensive Driving Course - Successfully completing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if you qualify.
Drive Less and Save - Keeping the miles down could qualify for better rates on cars that stay parked.
Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags can get savings of more than 20%.
Homeowners Pay Less - Owning a house in Lathrop may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
Lower Rates for Military - Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
Employee of Federal Government - Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off with select insurance companies.
Pay Upfront and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.

Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way.

Tips to Get Lower Lathrop Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

The list below includes some of the items used by your company to calculate rates.

Men fork out a little more - The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don't assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes are in accidents at a similar rate, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving.
Claim-free discounts can add up - If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance companies in California give better rates to people who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Jobs such as real estate brokers, executives and accountants have higher rates than average because of stressful work requirements and long work days. On the flip side, occupations such as farmers, athletes and the unemployed get better rates.
Extra add-on coverages are wasting money - There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can buy when buying car insurance. Coverages like rental car reimbursement, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.
Choose a safe vehicle and save - Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you.
High credit ratings translate to low rates - Credit rating is a important factor in your rate calculation. People with excellent credit tend to be more responsible than drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit score can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your by repairing your credit.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims would be a windshield shattered by a rock, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The more expense you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.

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

Car insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on television and other media. They all seem to make the same claim that you'll save big if you move your coverage to them. How do they all claim to save you money?

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a desirable insured might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and has great credit. Any driver who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.

Consumers who are not a match for the "perfect" profile will have to pay higher rates which leads to the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, drivers should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

More California car insurance information

More detailed California car insurance information can be read at the California Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, download brochures, and read industry bulletins.

Affordable insurance is out there

As you prepare to switch companies, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at a price you can afford.

Insureds who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as denial of a claim, extreme rates for teen drivers, high rates after DUI convictions and even delays in responding to claim requests. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is less work than it seems.

Budget-conscious car insurance is definitely available both online as well as from independent agents in Lathrop, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.