How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Car Insurance in Morro Bay

Are you tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other drivers in California.

Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. Finding affordable coverage in Morro Bay is easy if you know what you're doing. But California car owners do need to know how insurance companies price online insurance.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you may find discounts that many people don't even know exist. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before you will receive the discount.

Military Rewards - Being deployed with a military unit could mean lower rates.
Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job could cut as much as 10% off depending on your company.
Theft Prevention Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
Early Signing - Some companies give discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Driving fewer miles could qualify for a substantially lower rate.
Payment Discounts - By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
One Accident Forgiven - A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven't had any claims for a set time period.
Memberships - Belonging to a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount when buying car insurance.
Good Students Pay Less - A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. The good student discount can last until age 25.

Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will reduce the amount you have to pay.

To see a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Morro Bay, click here.

Cheap Morro Bay Car Insurance Comparisons

Comparing car insurance rates can be exhausting if you aren't aware of the most efficient way. You can waste a lot of time talking about coverages with local insurance agents in Morro Bay, or you could use the internet to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Many insurance companies take part in a program that allows shoppers to complete one form, and every company provides a quote for coverage. This prevents consumers from doing quote requests to each individual car insurance company. To submit your quote information now, click to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to using this type of form is you don't know exactly which carriers to get pricing from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to receive pricing from, we have a page of companies who write car insurance in California. Click here for list of insurance companies in California.

However you get your quotes, ensure you're using exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles with each company. If you use different liability limits you can't possibly make an equal comparison in Morro Bay. Slightly different insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when price shopping your coverage, more quotes will increase your chances of finding the best rates.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Morro Bay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance - Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Keep rates low by being claim-free - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Auto insurance companies in California generally give cheaper rates to people who file claims infrequently. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
How many coverages with the same company - Most insurance companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to 10 percent or more. Even though this discount sounds good, it's still a good idea to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still be able to find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
How's your driving record? - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Good drivers get better rates than bad drivers. Even a single ticket can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers with serious tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
Save money with special equipment - Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder auto theft.
Liability coverage is peace of mind - Liability insurance will protect you if you are found to be at fault for damages from an accident. It provides you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Battle of the sexes - The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Both sexes have accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species cause more damage. Men also tend to get more serious tickets such as reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
Mature drivers pay less - Mature drivers are more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and are safer drivers. Young drivers are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.

Is there truth in advertising?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. All the companies have a common claim that you'll save big if you switch to them. How can each company make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a profitable customer could be over the age of 50, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A customer that hits that "sweet spot" is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to the requirements must pay more money and this can result in business going elsewhere. The ads state "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's why companies can make those claims.

This illustrates why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. Because you never know the company that will have the lowest rates.

Do the work, save more money

Discount car insurance can be found from both online companies and with local Morro Bay insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

While you're price shopping online, it's not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced collision coverage and discovered at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Learn more today

Much more information about car insurance in California can be read on the website for the California Department of Insurance found here. Consumers can find disaster information, download brochures, read consumer alerts, and file complaints about a company.