Free Guide to Cutting Costs on Redlands Auto Insurance Online

Have you had enough of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as millions of other consumers. Because you have many options when it comes to auto insurance, it is hard for the average consumer to choose the most affordable car insurance company.

It's important to check auto insurance prices before your policy renews since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the lowest price on your last policy you may be paying too much now. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you're about to learn the tricks you need to know to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

Comparison of Auto Insurance in Redlands

Most major insurance companies provide prices for coverage on the web. Getting online quotes is fairly straightforward as you simply enter as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, their system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and generates pricing information based on these and other factors. This makes comparing rates easy, but the time it takes to visit several different sites and enter the same data into a form is repetitive and time-consuming. But it's very important to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find the best price on auto insurance.

A less time-consuming method to lower your auto insurance bill requires only one form to return rates from a bunch of companies at once. The form is fast, requires much less work on your part, and makes quoting online much more enjoyable and efficient. After sending your information, it gets priced and you can select any or none of the returned quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and purchase the new policy. The whole process just takes a couple of minutes and you will find out if you're overpaying now.

To quickly find out if lower rates are available, click here to open in new window and enter your information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended you complete the form with deductibles and limits as close as possible to your current policy. This way, you will receive comparison quotes based on similar coverages.

What determines how much you pay?

It's important that you understand some of the elements that help determine auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get big savings.

The following are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine your rates.

More than one policy can earn a discount - Many companies give discounts to people who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. You may still find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
High numbers of claims are not good - Insurance companies in California provide discounts to insureds who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Where you live can impact rates - Being located in less populated areas has it's advantages when buying auto insurance. City drivers have to deal with congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Lower population means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
Better credit means lower rates - Your credit history is a huge factor in your rate calculation. If your credit is not that good, you could be paying less to insure your by improving your rating. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have lower credit scores.
What type of vehicle do you drive? - The make and model of the vehicle you drive makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. The cheapest insurance rates are generally reserved for small economy passenger vehicles, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Save money with special equipment - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your car from being stolen.
Do men or women drive better? - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. They both are in accidents in similar numbers, but men have costlier accidents. Men also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Youthful male drivers tend to get in the most accidents and thus pay the highest rates.
Liability coverage is cheap - Liability coverage will protect you in the event that a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. Liability provides legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies don't always advertise every available discount very well, so we researched some of the best known and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings. If you don't get every credit available, you're just leaving money on the table.

Multi-policy Discount - When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
Employee of Federal Government - Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount with certain companies.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts of 20% or more.
Early Switch Discount - Select companies give a discount for signing up before your current policy expires. It's a savings of about 10%.
Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
Senior Discount - Older drivers may be able to get reduced rates.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won't be that lucky.

For a list of providers who offer auto insurance discounts in California, follow this link.

Even more information is located at the California Department of Insurance website. California drivers can read consumer alerts, download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, and find out industry alerts.

Other useful links include Wikipedia and this Redlands agent directory.

In the end, you save

When you buy insurance online, don't be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to lower your auto insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as .