Castro Valley Auto Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

Saving money on Castro Valley auto insurance is nearly impossible for consumers not familiar with buying insurance online. You have so many companies to choose from that it can easily become more work than you anticipated to compare prices in Castro Valley.

If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these methods. The purpose of this post is to let you in on how to effectively get price quotes. Although California drivers do need to know the way companies market insurance on the web and apply this information to your search.

You have some control over your rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that could result in big savings.

Shown below are a few of the "ingredients" auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

  • Don't skimp on liability - Your policy's liability coverage will protect you if a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Your stress level may be raising your rates - Occupations such as lawyers, architects and dentists tend to have the highest average rates attributed to high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Other professions such as farmers, historians and retirees receive lower rates.
  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Theft deterrents lower rates - Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder your car from being stolen.
  • Extra coverages can waste money - There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, accidental death and term life insurance are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment at first, but if they're wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • More miles equals more premium - The higher the mileage driven every year the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles not used for work or commuting qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Ask your agent if your auto insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.
  • High numbers of claims are not good - Auto insurance companies in California provide cheaper rates to insureds who are claim-free. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance coverage is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
  • Your spouse saves you money - Having a spouse helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse means you're more responsible and it's statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Save big with these discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there could be available discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be manually applied before you will receive the discount.

  • Organization Discounts - Participating in a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
  • No Accidents - Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared with accident-prone drivers.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Low mileage vehicles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Drivers Ed for Students - Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver's education if offered at their school.
  • Safety Course Discount - Taking part in a course in driver safety could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • Discount for New Cars - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
  • Employee of Federal Government - Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will reduce your overall premium however.

To choose insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Castro Valley, follow this link.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you change to their company. How can each company make almost identical claims?

All the different companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. For example, a profitable customer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A driver who fits that profile will get very good rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Drivers who fall outside the requirements must pay higher premiums which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that much. That's why companies can truthfully advertise the way they do.

This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Learn more today

Additional information can be found on the California Department of Insurance website through this link. California consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, read industry bulletins, and find disaster information.

Shop smart and save

The cheapest auto insurance is attainable online and also from your neighborhood Castro Valley agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

Consumers leave their current company for many reasons like questionable increases in premium, high rates after DUI convictions, delays in responding to claim requests or even extreme rates for teen drivers. Whatever your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider is easier than you think.

When shopping online for auto insurance, it's not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.