Free Guide to Cutting Costs on Petaluma Auto Insurance Online

No one in their right mind looks forward to buying auto insurance, especially knowing the cost is too high.

You have multiple to buy insurance from, and although it's a good thing to have a choice, having more makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to do rate comparisons periodically since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best rates a year ago you may be paying too much now. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance on the internet, so I'm going to show you some great ways to slash your auto insurance rates.

The purpose of this post is to familiarize you with the most effective way to quote insurance and some tricks to saving. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using this strategy. But California vehicle owners do need to know the methods companies use to sell online.

Petaluma Auto Insurance Comparisons

Most major insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive give pricing on the web. Getting online quotes is pretty easy as you just type in your personal and coverage information as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, their system will obtain your credit score and driving record and returns a price based on many factors. Being able to quote online makes comparing rates easy, but having to visit different websites and fill out multiple forms is monotonous and tiresome. But it's very important to compare as many rates as possible in order to get better auto insurance pricing.

A less time-consuming method to compare rates requires only one form that gets price quotes from more than one company. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes rate comparisons a little more enjoyable. After your information is entered, your coverage is rated and you can select any one of the returned quotes.

If you find a better price it's easy to complete the application and purchase coverage. This process can be completed in less than 10 minutes and you will know how your current rates stack up.

To quickly find out what other companies charge, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with your coverages just like they are on your policy. This way, you will have a price comparison based on similar coverages.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Petaluma

It's important that you understand the factors that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with big savings.

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

  • Women pay lower rates - Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. They both are in accidents at a similar rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get more serious tickets like reckless driving and DUI. Teenage male drivers are the most expensive to insure and thus pay the highest rates.
  • A clean driving record saves money - Just one ticket can increase rates twenty percent or more. Good drivers get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
  • Being married is a good thing - Getting married can get you a discount on auto insurance. It is viewed as being more mature than a single person and statistics show married couples file fewer claims.
  • High numbers of claims are not good - Car insurance companies in California generally give lower rates to people who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Most are applied when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before being credited.

  • Accident Forgiveness - Certain companies allow you one accident without raising rates as long as you don't have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Good Student - Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
  • Sign Online - A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
  • Senior Discount - Older drivers may be able to get reduced rates.
  • Federal Employees - Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.
  • Theft Prevention System - Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
  • Drivers Education - Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course if it's offered in school.
  • Early Switch Discount - Some companies give discounts for signing up before your current policy expires. It's a savings of about 10%.
  • Accident Free - Good drivers with no accidents pay less as compared to frequent claim filers.
  • Homeowners Savings - Owning a house in Petaluma can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.

Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

For a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts in California, click here.

Different people need different coverages

When it comes to choosing coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else's and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you could use an agent's help.

  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
  • Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in California?
  • Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
  • Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
  • Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
  • Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?

If you can't answer these questions, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don't have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Much more information about auto insurance in California can be read on the website for the California Department of Insurance found here. California drivers can learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about a company, get help finding coverage, and download brochures.

California auto insurance

Affordable insurance is out there

Budget-conscious auto insurance can be sourced on the web and with local Petaluma insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to lower your auto insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with a small mutual company. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than the large multi-state companies such as .

While you're price shopping online, it's very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, someone dropped full coverage and found out when filing a claim they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price.