Free Guide to Paying Less for Salinas Auto Insurance Online

Paying for high-priced auto insurance can overdraw your savings account, especially in this economy. Comparison shopping is a great way to slash your bill and have more diposable income.

Numerous battle for your insurance dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare and uncover the absolute lowest rate

How much can you save with discounts?

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you can get discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be specifically requested before you get the savings.

Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off with a few auto insurance companies.
Multiple Policy Discount - If you have multiple policies with one company you could get a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings of 20% or more.
Low Mileage Discounts - Driving fewer miles can qualify you for a substantially lower rate.
Payment Discounts - By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
Paperwork-free - A few companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy on their website.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don't apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will cut the amount you have to pay.

Good Decisions Result in Lower Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Keep rates low by being claim-free - Companies in California generally give better rates to insureds who are claim-free. If you file claims often, you can look forward to either higher rates or even cancellation. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.
Where you live can impact rates - Residing in small towns and rural areas can save you money when buying auto insurance. Lower population translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. City drivers tend to have traffic congestion and longer commute times. Longer commute distances means higher likelihood of an accident.
Traffic citations inflate rates - Even one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates twenty percent or more. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. If you have serious violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies and lower rates for you.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping auto theft.

How much car insurance do I need?

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Every insured's situation is different and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions can help discover if your insurance needs may require specific advice.

Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
What are the best liability limits?
Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
Do I qualify for additional discounts?

If you can't answer these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all have a common claim about savings if you switch to their company. How do they all say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as over the age of 50, has no prior claims, and has excellent credit. A propective insured that hits that "sweet spot" will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who don't meet the "perfect" profile will be quoted a higher premium and this can result in business not being written. The ads say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that much. This is how companies can truthfully make those claims.

This emphasizes why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

Learn more about auto insurance in California

Additional information is available on the website for the California Department of Insurance. Click here for link. California drivers can download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about a company, and find disaster information.

The best insurance company isn't always the cheapest

While you're price shopping online, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

In this article, we covered a lot of ways to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like .