Trying to come up with a payment for pricey car insurance can dwindle your savings and make it impossible to make ends meet. Performing a rate comparison is a smart way to lower your bills every month.
Multiple auto insurance companies compete for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurance companies and get the best coverage at the lowest price
Consumers should take time to do price comparisons before your next renewal because insurance prices are constantly changing. Just because you had the best deal a year ago other companies may now be cheaper. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate how to use online quotes to find great coverage at a great price.
Find discounts to get cheap Redding car insurance rates
Some providers don’t always list all disounts very clearly, so we break down both well-publicized and the harder-to-find credits available to lower your premiums when you .
- Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and that can save you a little bit as well.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
- Multi-car Discount – Having multiple cars on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
- Discounts for Government Workers – Employees or retirees of the government may reduce rates when you with some car insurance companies.
- Driver Education Discount – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers take driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Good drivers with no accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on as compared to frequent claim filers.
- Switch and Save Discount – A few insurance companies give discounts for buying a new policy before your current coverage expires. You can save around 10% with this discount.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Completing a safe driver class could earn you a small percentage discount if you qualify.
- Auto/Life Discount – Some insurance companies give better prices if you take out some life insurance too.
It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way.
A list of companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are outlined below.
- State Farm may have discounts that include student away at school, accident-free, defensive driving training, Drive Safe & Save, multiple policy, and good student.
- Nationwide policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driving, anti-theft, good student, Farm Bureau membership, and multi-policy.
- Geico may offer discounts for seat belt use, multi-vehicle, federal employee, multi-policy, membership and employees, five-year accident-free, and emergency military deployment.
- AAA has discounts for multi-policy, good student, anti-theft, AAA membership discount, and good driver.
- 21st Century offers discounts for homeowners, early bird, anti-lock brakes, 55 and older, student driver, and driver training.
- The Hartford discounts include vehicle fuel type, air bag, bundle, defensive driver, and good student.
When getting , it’s a good idea to each company which discounts you qualify for. Some discounts listed above might not be available to policyholders in Redding.
Shop car insurance online
There are several ways to shop for car insurance, but one way is more efficient than others. You could waste a few hours talking about coverages with local insurance agents in Redding, or you could use online quoting to get the quickest rates.
The majority of car insurance companies enroll in a system that enables customers to submit their information once, and every company returns a rated price determined by their information. This eliminates the need for quotation requests to each company.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click here to open in new window.
The only drawback to getting quotes like this is you don’t know exactly which carriers to get pricing from. If you prefer to choose from a list of companies to compare prices, we have a listing of car insurance companies in California. Click here for list of insurance companies in California.
You can choose any of those ways to find more affodable coverage, but be sure to compare identical deductibles and coverage limits on every quote. If each company quotes higher or lower deductibles it’s not possible to determine the best price in Redding. Quoting even small variations in limits could throw off the whole comparison. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that comparing all the rates in your area helps increase your odds of locating the best rates.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-29.jpg" alt="Redding California car insurance quote”/>
Seven things that affect your rates
A large part of saving on car insurance is knowing some of the elements that are used to determine the price you pay for car insurance. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this enables informed choices that could result in big savings.
- More traffic equals higher premiums – Being located in smaller towns and rural areas of the country may provide you with better prices when buying car insurance. People in densly populated areas tend to have more road rage incidents and much longer commute distances. Less people living in that area means less chance of accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
- Driver age impacts premiums – Teenage drivers in California tend to be easily distracted behind the wheel and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher. Adding a inexperienced driver onto your car insurance can cause a big jump in price. Older people are viewed as being more responsible, are lower risk to insure , and are generally more financially stable.
- Single drivers may have higher premiums – Walking down the aisle can actually save you money when buying car insurance. It usually means you are more responsible and statistics prove married couples file fewer claims.
- Raise deductibles and save – Physical damage deductibles state the amount of money you are required to pay before a claim is paid by your company. Insurance for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a stationary object, damage caused by hail, or theft of your vehicle. The higher the amount you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
- Liability safeguards assets – Your car insurance policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that you are determined to be liable for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide legal defense coverage to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability insurance is pretty cheap compared to other policy coverages, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
- High credit rating translates to low costs – Having a bad credit rating can be a huge factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have very high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims than drivers who have lower credit ratings. So if your credit rating leaves room for improvement, you could pay less to insure your vehicle by taking the time to improve your credit score.
- Rental and towing coverage may not be needed – There are many add-on coverages that you can buy on your policy. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage, and membership fees are some examples. They may seem good at first, but if you’ve never needed them in the past think about removing them and cutting costs.
You are unique and your car insurance should be too
When buying the best car insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions may help highlight if your insurance needs might need professional guidance.
- What is the minimum liability in California?
- Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
- Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
- Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Redding?
- Who is covered by my policy?
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
- What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?
- Should I buy more coverage than the required California minimum liability coverage?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Captive and independent auto insurance agents
Certain consumers would prefer to talk to an insurance agent and that is not a bad decision An additional benefit of getting free rate quotes online is you may find cheap car insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), your coverage information gets sent to agents in your area who will give you quotes for your insurance coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to leave your house because prices are sent to you instantly. Get lower rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If for some reason you want to compare rates from a specific insurance company, you can always search and find their rate quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Picking an provider should depend on more than just a cheap price. Before buying a policy, get answers to these questions.
- When do they do a full risk review?
- Is the coverage adequate for your vehicle?
- Has the agent ever had any license suspensions?
- How long has the business existed?
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
Choose the right car insurance agent
If you are wanting to find an insurance agent, it can be helpful to understand the types of insurance agents and how they function. Car insurance policy providers are categorized either independent agents or captive agents.
Captive Insurance Agents
These type of agents normally can only provide a single company’s rates such as Allstate, AAA, Farmers Insurance, and State Farm. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive insurance agents are highly trained on what they offer which can be an advantage.
Listed below is a short list of captive agencies in Redding willing to provide price quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 923 Dana Dr # 4 – Redding, CA 96003 – (530) 222-2306
State Farm Insurance – 1117 Hilltop Dr – Redding, CA 96003 – (530) 221-3670
Independent Agents
Independent agents often have many company appointments so they can insure your vehicles through lots of different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you want to switch companies, your agent can switch companies and you stay with the same agent. If you need cheaper car insurance rates, we highly recommend that you get some free quotes from a few independent agents so that you can do a thorough price comparison.
Shown below is a short list of independent agencies in Redding who can help you get comparison quotes.
Williamson Insurance – 2727 Bechelli Ln – Redding, CA 96002 – (530) 222-8650
Gerboth Insurance – 869 Mistletoe Ln – Redding, CA 96002 – (530) 221-3224
To view more Redding insurance agents, view this directory of Redding California car insurance agencies.
Well known brands might not be cheapest
Companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico consistently run television, radio, and online ads. All the companies seem to make the promise of big savings if you get a free and switch your car insurance policy to them. How is it possible that every company can have lower policy pricing?
Insurance providers provide the lowest rates for the type of driver that earns them the most money. A good example of a driver they prefer may need to be over the age of 45, has a low-risk occupation, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Any customer that hits that “sweet spot” will most likely get cheap prices and will most likely save a lot if they switch.
Insureds who do not fit those standards may receive more expensive rates and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “customers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that much when switching. This is how insurance companies can confidently claim big savings. Because of this risk profiling, it’s extremely important to quotes as often as possible. Because you never know which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Smart shoppers get results
When buying insurance coverage, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, someone sacrificed liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your objective should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford and still be able to protect your assets.
Low-cost car insurance is attainable on the web and with local Redding insurance agents, so get from both of them so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies don’t offer online quoting and usually these regional insurance providers prefer to sell through independent agents.
For more reading
More tips and info about car insurance can be found at the California Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, view agent and company licensing information, find disaster information, and view a list of available companies.
The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Redding