5 Discounts Avila Beach Consumers Forget when Shopping for Car Insurance

If you are a novice to online car insurance shopping, you can be overwhelmed by the hoards of car insurance companies competing for business in Avila Beach.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates periodically since rates are constantly changing. If you had the lowest price on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you're about to learn one of the easiest ways to find great coverage at a great price.

Shopping for affordable car insurance coverage in Avila Beach is easy if you know what you're doing. If you are insured now or need new coverage, you can follow these tips to find better prices while maintaining coverages. California drivers only need an understanding of the tricks to shop their coverage around online.

More discounts equal less premium

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you can get discounts to help offset the cost. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be inquired about prior to receiving the credit. If you don't get every credit you qualify for, you're paying more than you need to.

Bundle and Save - When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company you may earn at least 10% off all policies.
Air Bag Discount - Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
Service Members Pay Less - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
Good Student - A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
Discount for Life Insurance - Larger companies have a break if you buy life insurance.

It's important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce your premiums.

To see a list of companies with the best car insurance discounts in California, follow this link.

Avila Beach Car Insurance Comparisons

Most companies quote coverage prices on their websites. Getting quotes is pretty painless as you just type in your personal and coverage information into the quote form. Once you submit the form, the system will obtain your credit score and driving record and returns a price quote.

This helps simplify price comparisons, but the process of having to visit each company's website and repetitively enter the same data into a form can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. Unfortunately, it is important to do this if you are searching for a lower rate.

There is an easier way!

The preferred way to compare rates is to use a quote form that obtains quotes from multiple companies. It's a real time-saver, reduces the work, and makes comparison shopping much more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is quoted and you are able to buy any or none of the price quotes you receive.

If the quotes result in lower rates, you can click and sign and purchase coverage. It just takes a couple of minutes and can result in significant savings.

To find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and enter your information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you input coverages and limits exactly as they are listed on your policy. This makes sure you are getting comparison quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

It's not one size fits all

When choosing the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no "best" method to buy coverage. Each situation is unique.

Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if you may require specific advice.

What are the best liability limits?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
Should I buy only the required California minimum liability coverage?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Consumers in California can't get away from ads for cheaper car insurance by GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you move to their company.

But how can every company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies have a certain "appetite" for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured might be over the age of 50, a clean driving record, and has great credit. Any new insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and therefore will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who do not match this ideal profile will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "people who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much. That is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's just too difficult to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

In the end, you save

When you buy insurance online, don't be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, someone dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate.

We just covered many ways to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from a company that doesn't do a lot of advertising.

Consumers who switch companies do it for many reasons like policy non-renewal, poor customer service, unfair underwriting practices or high prices. It doesn't matter why you want to switch finding the right car insurance provider is actually quite simple.

Additional California consumer information

Additional car insurance information is located on the California Department of Insurance website through this link. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, find out industry alerts, and find disaster information.

Additional helpful sites include Wikipedia and this Avila Beach agent directory.