Free Guide to Cutting Costs on Visalia Auto Insurance Online

Having to pay for overpriced auto insurance can empty your personal savings, especially in this economy. Comparison shopping is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to help make ends meet. Big companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive all promote huge savings with fancy advertisements and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates yearly since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal six months ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Starting now, ignore everything you know about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the only way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

If you have insurance now or need a new policy, you can learn to find better prices while maximizing coverage. Finding the best rates in Visalia is not that difficult. California consumers only need to know the tricks to buy auto insurance online.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies do not advertise all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list some of the best known as well as the least known savings tricks you should be using. If you aren't receiving every discount you deserve, you are throwing money away.

Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
Bundle and Save - If you have multiple policies with one insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
Passive Restraint Discount - Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course in school.
Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
New Vehicle Savings - Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
No Accidents - Drivers who don't have accidents can earn big discounts as compared to drivers who are more careless.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like it's possible to get free car insurance, you won't be that lucky.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone's needs are different so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions can help discover whether you may require specific advice.

When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
What are the best liability limits?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?

If you're not sure about those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It's fast, doesn't cost anything and can help protect your family.

How can GEICO, State Farm and Progressive save drivers who switch?

California drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make an identical promise about savings if you switch to their company.

How can each company say the same thing?

All companies have a preferred profile for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 50, has no prior claims, and has a high credit rating. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay a higher premium and ends up with business not being written. The ad wording is "customers that switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. This is how companies can truthfully state the savings. Because of the profiling, you should compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

Even more information is available at the California Department of Insurance website. California drivers can view agent and company licensing information, find out industry alerts, read industry bulletins, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

In the end, you save

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford.

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from a small local company. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as .