Tightwads Tips for Saving on Selma Car Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me, there are a lot of people in Selma just like you who feel imprisoned by their car insurance policy. There are many to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, it makes it harder to compare rates.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in big savings.

Shown below are some of the factors companies use to determine premiums.

Do you have enough liability coverage? - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage if you are found liable for damages from an accident. It provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not cut corners here.
Safer cars are cheaper to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
Don't get talked into coverage you don't need - There are quite a few extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying car insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accidental death and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but if you don't need them eliminate them to save money.
Pay less after the wedding - Being married helps lower the price on your policy. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
With age comes lower rates - Youthful drivers in California have a tendency to get distracted easily when behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. Older insureds are more responsible, file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
Bad driving skills means higher rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Even one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers with dangerous tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
Drive less and save money - The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance declarations sheet shows the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't necessarily list all available discounts very clearly, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If you're not getting every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

Organization Discounts - Being a member of a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying car insurance.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Paperless Signup - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.
Discount for Good Grades - This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
Life Insurance - Some companies give a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn't work that way.

To choose insurers with discount car insurance rates in California, click here to view.

Is there truth in advertising?

Consumers in California can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings by companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies make an identical promise that you can save if you change to them.

How does each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a profitable customer might be over the age of 40, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. Any driver who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to these standards must pay more money and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. That's the way insurance companies can state the savings. This illustrates why you should get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Find out more about car insurance

Additional detailed information is available at the California Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, discover disciplinary actions, and get help finding coverage.

And the best car insurance company is...

Affordable car insurance is attainable both online and with local Selma insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, never buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.