How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Auto Insurance in Los Altos

Paying for high-priced auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your bank account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparison shopping is a great way to slash your bill and have more diposable income.

Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive increase brand awareness with ads and it can be hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.

Which Auto Insurance is Cheapest in Los Altos, California?

The are a couple different ways of comparing price quotes from local Los Altos auto insurance companies. The recommended way to find the cheapest insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be accomplished in several different ways.

The first (and easiest) way to compare a lot of rates at once is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This type of form keeps you from doing repetitive form submissions for each company. One form submission gets you coverage quotes from multiple companies.

A more difficult way to shop for auto insurance online consists of going to the website of each company and fill out their own quote form. For instance, let's say you want comparison quotes from , and . You would have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Los Altos, click here.

The most time-consuming way of comparing rate quotes to local Los Altos insurance agencies. Buying insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you have a need for the trained guidance of a licensed agent. It is possible to compare the best prices online but buy from a local insurance agent. We'll cover that shortly.

However you get your quotes, ensure you are comparing exactly the same coverages for each comparison quote. If your comparisons have different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to determine the lowest rate in Los Altos. Slightly different coverages may cause a big price difference. Just remember that obtaining a wide range of quotes will improve the odds of getting lower pricing.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

It's important that you understand the factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that will entitle you to better auto insurance rates.

The list below includes some of the factors auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.

Optional equipment can affect rates - Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping auto theft.
High deductibles save money - The deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket before your auto insurance pays a claim. Physical damage coverage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and burglary. The more money you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the bigger discount you will receive.
Never go without insurance - Driving your car without having proper coverage is a misdemeanor and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage lapse. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage can result in a license revocation or jail time.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Careers like doctors, social workers and dentists tend to have the highest average rates in part from high stress levels and long work hours. Other occupations like pilots, historians and the unemployed receive lower rates.
Liability coverage is cheap - The liability section of your policy is the protection when a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Being married is a good thing - Being married actually saves money on auto insurance. Having a significant other means you're more responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Car insurance companies don't always publicize every discount in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.

Pay Upfront and Save - By paying your policy upfront rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
Own a Home - Simply owning a home can save you money because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
Seat Belt Usage - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
No Accidents - Drivers who don't have accidents can earn big discounts when compared to frequent claim filers.
More Vehicles More Savings - Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on one policy qualifies for this discount.
Paperwork-free - Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy digitally online.

A little note about advertised discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won't be that lucky.

For a list of insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Los Altos, click here.

Even more information is available at the California Department of Insurance website. California consumers can view a list of available companies, report car insurance fraud, find a variety of consumer forms, and read industry bulletins.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

Cheaper auto insurance is definitely available online and also from your neighborhood Los Altos agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies may not provide online quoting and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

You just read a lot of techniques to lower your auto insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the lowest premiums are with a lesser-known regional company. Smaller companies may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like .