Tightwads Guide for Saving on National City Auto Insurance

I can't think of anyone who looks forward to paying for auto insurance, particularly when the price is too high.

Online insurance companies like GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with advertising and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It's important to do rate comparisons periodically because prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal two years ago there may be better deals available now. So forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the proper way to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

California auto insurance

More discounts equal less premium

Car insurance can cost a lot, but you may find discounts that you may not know about. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you purchase, but some must be specially asked for before being credited.

  • Early Switch Discount - Select companies give a discount for buying a policy before your current policy expires. It's a savings of about 10%.
  • Good Student - Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
  • Homeowners Savings - Being a homeowner can save you money due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
  • Accident Free - Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts compared to frequent claim filers.
  • Accident Forgiveness - A handful of insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
  • Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, auto insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce your premiums.

For a list of providers who offer auto insurance discounts in National City, click here.

How to Get National City Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes

Most major insurance companies provide pricing online. This process is pretty easy as you simply enter your personal and coverage information into the quote form. Once entered, the system will obtain your credit score and driving record and quotes a price based on many factors. Online quotes makes comparing rates easy, but having to visit several different sites and complete many quote forms can be a bit repetitive. Unfortunately, it is important to get many rate quotes if you want to find a lower rate.

A more efficient way to compare rates uses one form that analyzes rates from more than one company. It's a real time-saver, reduces the work, and makes online quotes a lot less work. As soon as the form is sent, it gets priced and you can select your choice of the quotes that you receive.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, it's easy to complete the application and purchase coverage. The whole process only takes a few minutes and you'll know if lower rates are available.

To find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and submit the form. If you have a policy now, it's recommended you input your coverages identical to your current policy. This helps ensure you will have comparison quotes based on identical coverages.

It's not one size fits all

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Everyone's situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if you would benefit from professional advice.

  • Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
  • Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in California?
  • Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
  • Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
  • Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?

If you can't answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.

Final considerations

We covered a lot of techniques to get a better price on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier. These companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as .

Cheap auto insurance can be sourced both online and with local National City insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies do not offer online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

When buying insurance coverage, it's a bad idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.