How to Know You're Wasting Money for Auto Insurance in Signal Hill

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy high-priced auto insurance? Trust us, there are a lot of people in Signal Hill just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy. Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with ads and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but companies offer discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically before they will apply. If you aren't receiving every discount possible, you're paying more than you need to.

  • No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared to bad drivers.
  • Memberships - Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount when shopping for auto insurance.
  • Drivers Ed for Students - Have your child successfully complete driver's ed class in high school.
  • Federal Government Employee - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with a few auto insurance companies.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
  • Homeowners Discount - Simply owning a home can save you money because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don't apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because you may think all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won't be that lucky. Any amount of discount will reduce the cost of coverage.

To see a list of insurance companies with the best auto insurance discounts in Signal Hill, click here.

Compare Quotes for Signal Hill Auto Insurance

Most companies provide insurance quotes online. Getting online quotes doesn't take much effort as you simply type in the coverages you want as detailed in the form. Once you submit the form, their system will obtain your driving record and credit report and generates a price. Online quotes makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time required to go to several different sites and fill out multiple forms gets old quite quickly. But it's very important to do this if you want to find the best price on auto insurance.

Quote rates the easy way

The preferred way to lower your rates requires only one form to obtain quotes from many companies. The form is fast, requires less work, and makes online price comparison much simpler. Once the form is submitted, it gets priced and you are able to buy your choice of the price quotes you receive.

If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. The whole process takes just a few minutes to complete 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 submit the form. If you have a policy now, it's recommended you input the coverages as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you're receiving rate comparison quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to lower auto insurance prices.

  • Rates may be lower depending on your job - Careers like doctors, social workers and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates in part from high stress levels and lengthy work days. Other occupations such as actors, historians and the unemployed pay the least.
  • Liability coverage is cheap - The liability section of your policy provides coverage when a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides legal defense coverage starting from day one. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
  • Frequent auto insurance claims increase rates - Companies in California generally give cheaper rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to higher rates. Auto insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
  • Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? - The majority of insurance companies provide better rates to people who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be 10 percent or more. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Consumers may find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - The deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket before your auto insurance pays a claim. Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and rolling your vehicle. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the less your auto insurance will be.
  • Mature drivers pay less - Older insureds are more cautious drivers, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Teenage drivers tend to be more careless when behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.

How can Progressive, Allstate and GEICO save drivers who switch?

California drivers can't get away from ads that promise big savings from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all have a common claim about savings if you move your policy.

How can each company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that is profitable for them. An example of a driver they prefer might be profiled as between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and has a high credit rating. A propective insured that hits that "sweet spot" receives the best rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Consumers who are not a match for the requirements will be quoted higher rates and this can result in business not being written. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way companies can truthfully state the savings.

This emphasizes why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will have the lowest rates.

Best coverage at the best price

Cheaper auto insurance is possible on the web in addition to many Signal Hill insurance agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Learn more about California auto insurance

Additional information is available on the website for the California Department of Insurance. Click here for link. California drivers can read industry bulletins, find out which companies have the most complaints, download brochures, and read consumer alerts.