Proven Techniques to Save on Phelan Auto Insurance

Overpriced auto insurance can empty your personal savings and make it hard to pay other bills. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket. Since consumers have many choices of insurance companies, it's nearly impossible to find the best company.

You have some control over your rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates enables informed choices that will entitle you to big savings.

Listed below are some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting prices.

  • Your job and insurance rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Careers like real estate brokers, architects and stock brokers tend to have the highest rates in part from high stress and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, occupations such as pilots, students and homemakers receive lower rates.
  • With age comes lower rates - Teenage drivers in California are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted when driving so auto insurance rates are higher. Adding a teenage driver to your auto insurance policy can be quite pricey. More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.
  • How credit affects auto insurance rates - Having a bad credit score is a huge factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. If your credit is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with poor credit.
  • Special features that cut premiums - Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
  • Traffic citations inflate rates - Even one ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. If you have serious violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.

These discounts can lower your rates

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there could be available discounts that many people don't even know exist. Most are applied when you quote, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied prior to getting the savings. If you don't get every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Government Employees - Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Distant Student - Children living away from home attending college and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts up to 30%.
  • Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will help reduce the cost of coverage.

To choose insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in California, follow this link.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

California drivers can't ignore all the ads for car insurance savings by Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing that you can save if you switch to their company.

But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as over the age of 40, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who fits that profile will get very good rates and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential customers who are not a match for this ideal profile will be quoted a higher premium which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much. This is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do.

This emphasizes why you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Different people need different coverages

When buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone's situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. For instance, these questions may help you determine whether you could use an agent's help.

  • Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
  • What are California no-fault laws?
  • Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
  • Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
  • What are the best liability limits?
  • Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in California?
  • Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?

If you don't know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you don't have a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

More sites with auto insurance information

More information can be read on the website for the California Department of Insurance. Click here for link. California drivers can read industry bulletins, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out industry alerts, and view a list of available companies.

Other informative sites include this online resource for auto insurance quotes in California and this list of insurance agents in Phelan.

Phelan auto insurance comparison

In the end, you save

When shopping online for auto insurance, don't be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

In this article, we covered a lot of information how to save on auto insurance. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest premiums are with a smaller regional carrier. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as .