Spending Too Much for Car Insurance in Riverside California? Here’s How to Save!

Expensive car insurance can dwindle your personal savings and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparison shopping is a great way to help make ends meet. Companies like State Farm and GEICO persitently shower you with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to see past the geckos and flying pigs and do the work needed to find the best deal.

You need to get comparison quotes once or twice a year since rates change regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates two years ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Don’t believe everything you read about car insurance online, so by reading this article, you’re going to learn some excellent ideas to find affordable car insurance.

How to Buy Riverside Car Insurance Online

There are a variety of methods to compare car insurance prices but some are more efficient than others. You could spend your day discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in Riverside, or you could use the internet to quickly compare rates.

Most of the best insurance companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit their information once, and every company provides a quote based on the submitted data. This saves time by eliminating form submissions to each individual car insurance company.

To enter your information into the quoting system, click to open in new window.

One minor caviat to using this type of system is you are unable to specify the companies to receive prices from. So if you prefer to pick from a list of companies to compare rates, we have a page of companies who write car insurance in California. Click here to view list.

However you get your quotes, be sure to compare identical deductibles and coverage limits with each company. If you enter higher or lower deductibles it’s not possible to make a fair comparison in Riverside.

Slick advertising tricks that work

Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Allstate and Progressive. All the ads make an identical promise that you can save after switching your coverage to them.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px" src="http://www.quoteclickinsure.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/ci175-7.jpg" alt="Riverside CA car insurance quote” />

But how can every company make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that is profitable for them. A good example of a preferred risk might be profiled as between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and drives newer vehicles. Any driver who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who are not a match for the “perfect” profile will be charged higher prices and this can result in business not being written. Company advertisements say “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently claim big savings.

That is why it’s extremely important to quote coverage with many companies. You cannot predict which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Don’t miss out on these money-saving discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you can get discounts that you may not know about. A few discounts will automatically apply at quote time, but some must be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you don’t get every credit possible, you are throwing money away.

• One Accident Forgiven – A few companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to the accident.
• Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
• Resident Student – Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Bundle and Save – If you have multiple policies with one company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
• Organization Discounts – Affiliation with a qualifying organization may earn a discount on car insurance.
• Theft Prevention Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than their less cautious counterparts.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Early Switch Discount – Select companies give a discount for switching policies prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
• Service Members Pay Less – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.

Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates you could get a free car insurance policy, companies don’t profit that way. But all discounts will cut your premiums.

Do I need special coverages?

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight whether you may require specific advice.

• Should I buy only the required California minimum liability coverage?
• Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
• What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
• Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
• What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
• Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?

If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.

Much more information about car insurance in California can be found on the website for the California Department of Insurance located here. Consumers can find out industry alerts, get help finding coverage, and read consumer alerts.

Better coverage you can count on

As you shop your coverage around, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. Too many times, someone dropped physical damage coverage only to regret that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Discount car insurance is definitely available online and also from your neighborhood Riverside agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.