No normal person looks forward to paying premiums for car insurance, especially knowing they could get a better deal. Since drivers have many different company options, it can be impossible to choose the right car insurance company.
Get lower rates with these discounts
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. Certain reductions will be credited at quote time, but a few need to be manually applied before you will receive the discount.
- Data Collection Discounts – Insureds that choose to allow their company to analyze vehicle usage by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot could possibly reduce rates as long as they are good drivers.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory options such as air bags or motorized seat belts may get savings up to 30%.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you can combine your auto and home policy with one insurance company you could earn a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Senior Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to sucessfully take a drivers education course in school.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Claim-free drivers can save substantially as compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
A quick disclaimer, many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you aren’t that lucky.
The best car insurance companies and some of the discounts can be read below.
- Farm Bureau has savings for youthful driver, driver training, multi-vehicle, 55 and retired, and multi-policy.
- MetLife offers premium reductions for accident-free, defensive driver, multi-policy, good student, claim-free, and good driver.
- Progressive may have discounts that include multi-vehicle, online quote discount, continuous coverage, online signing, multi-policy, and good student.
- AAA may offer discounts for pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, good student, multi-car, and anti-theft.
- American Family includes discounts for air bags, TimeAway discount, accident-free, good driver, and early bird.
- Geico offers discounts for driver training, seat belt use, anti-theft, good student, five-year accident-free, and membership and employees.
- State Farm discounts include student away at school, Drive Safe & Save, defensive driving training, multiple policy, anti-theft, good driver, and accident-free.
Before you buy a policy, ask every insurance company which credits you are entitled to. Savings might not be offered on policies in your area. To see car insurance companies who offer cheap car insurance quotes in California, click here.
Car insurance can be complex
When it comes to buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
- When should I drop full coverage on my vehicle?
- Does my personal auto insurance policy cover using my vehicle for business use?
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Do I need rental car coverage?
- Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in California?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Car insurance ads bend the truth
Well-known car insurance companies like 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm consistently run television, radio, and online ads. They all seem to advertise the message of big savings after switching to their company. How can each company charge less that you’re paying now? Here is the trick they use.
Most companies have an ideal profile for the type of driver that will be a good risk. For example, this type of driver might be over age 30, has a clean driving record, and has a short commute. Any customer who fits that profile will get very good Concord rates and as a result will probably cut their rates substantially.
Potential customers who fall outside this ideal profile may be forced to pay higher premium rates which usually ends up with business not being written. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save the amount stated. That’s why insurance companies can make those statements. Because every company is different, drivers should get as many as possible. Because without a comparison, you cannot know the company that will give you the biggest savings.
For more information
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the California Department of Insurance website. California consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, read industry bulletins, and learn about specific coverages.
More related Concord car insurance information:
- Consumers Uncover How to Pay Less for Chrysler Concorde Insurance
- Is Your New Concord, OH Car Insurance Leaving a Hole in Your Pocket?
A little work can save a LOT of money
When buying insurance coverage, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
Cost effective car insurance can be sourced from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Concord agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies may not provide price quotes online and these regional carriers prefer to sell through independent insurance agents.