Comparing the Cheapest Santa Maria Car Insurance

Have you had enough of not being able to afford each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other California drivers. Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually bombard you with advertising and it is difficult to sift through the bull and take the time to shop coverage around.

If you have a policy now or need new coverage, you can learn to find the best rates while maintaining coverages. Buying car insurance in Santa Maria is not that difficult. California consumers only need to know how to get comparison quotes on the web.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't list every discount in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list both the well known as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance. If you aren't receiving every discount available, you are throwing money away.

  • Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully complete driver's ed class if offered at their school.
  • Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared to drivers who are more careless.
  • Low Mileage Discounts - Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Pay Now and Pay Less - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
  • Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
  • Multiple Cars - Insuring all your vehicles on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
  • Auto/Life Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out auto and life insurance together.

A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

compare Santa Maria car insurance rates

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

Consumers in California get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all make the same claim about savings if you change your coverage to them.

How can each company claim to save you money?

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that earns them a profit. An example of a driver they prefer might be over the age of 40, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. Any driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don't qualify for the requirements will be quoted a higher premium which leads to the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's why companies can truthfully claim big savings. This emphasizes why you should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Learn more today

Even more information is available at the California Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to download brochures, read industry bulletins, find disaster information, and view a list of available companies.

And the best car insurance company is...

The cheapest car insurance is attainable both online as well as from independent agents in Santa Maria, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. A few companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it's not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.