Sick and tired of sacrificing other expenses to insure your vehicles every month? You have the same problem as millions of other drivers. You have so many auto insurance companies to pick from, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, it makes it harder to find the lowest rates.
Finding affordable coverage in West Covina is not rocket science. Essentially anyone who is required by state law to have car insurance will more than likely be able to find lower rates. But California car owners must comprehend how the larger insurance companies market insurance on the web and apply this information to your search.
Comparing car insurance rates can be challenging if you don’t know the fastest way to get free quotes. You could spend your day driving to local insurance agents in West Covina, or you could use the internet to quickly compare rates.
Most of the best insurance companies enroll in a system that enables customers to enter their coverage request one time, and each participating company provides a quote. This eliminates the need for quote forms to each company.
To compare pricing click here to open in new window.
The only drawback to using this type of system is you cannot specify the providers you want pricing from. So if you want to choose specific providers for rate comparison, we put together a list of low cost car insurance companies in California. Click here for list of insurance companies in California.
Whichever way you use, be sure to compare equivalent quote data with every price quote. If the quotes have different values for each quote it will be impossible to make a fair rate comparison in West Covina. Just slight variations in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. Just keep in mind that quoting more will improve the odds of getting a lower rate than you’re paying now.
Car insurance discounts are available to cut your rates
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but companies offer discounts to help offset the cost. Certain credits will be shown at quote time, but some discounts are required to be specifically requested before being credited.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Maintaining low annual mileage could be rewarded with slightly better rates than normal.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying a new car model can get you a discount due to better safety requirements for new vehicles.
- Federal Government Employee – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify for a discount when you depending on your car insurance provider.
- Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Distant Student Discount – Kids who live away from home to go to college and do not have a car may qualify for this discount.
- Good Students Pay Less – Excelling in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. You can use this discount normally up to age 25.
- Early Payment Discounts – If you can afford to pay the entire bill as opposed to paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
- Theft Deterent Discount – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles prevent vehicle theft and will qualify for a discount on a .
- Driver’s Education for Students – Have your child sucessfully take a drivers education course in school.
- Drive Safe and Save – Insureds who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more compared to accident prone drivers.
Don’t be surprised that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way. But all discounts should definitely cut the premium cost.
Companies and their offered discounts include:
- State Farm offers discounts including multiple autos, safe vehicle, student away at school, good driver, good student, multiple policy, and anti-theft.
- Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including good student, switch companies, electronic funds transfer, alternative fuel, teen driver, and youthful driver.
- Geico includes discounts for emergency military deployment, anti-lock brakes, five-year accident-free, multi-vehicle, driver training, and military active duty.
- American Family offers discounts for good driver, Steer into Savings, bundled insurance, air bags, and multi-vehicle.
- Nationwide discounts include business or organization, easy pay, family plan, multi-policy, defensive driving, and accident-free.
- Progressive may include discounts for good student, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, continuous coverage, online signing, and homeowner.
If you need , ask each insurance company how many discounts you can get. Some credits might not be offered on policies in your state. For a list of car insurance companies who offer online car insurance quotes in California, click here.
Get cheaper premiums by understanding these factors
Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, although some other factors are more transparent like your vehicle usage or your vehicle rating. An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that are used to determine the rates you pay for car insurance. If you know what determines base rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in lower premium levels.
The following are just a few of the factors that factor into your rates.
- Can a thief steal your car? – Choosing to buy a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft deterrent systems like OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems help track and prevent vehicle theft.
- Youthful drivers cost more – Inexperience drivers are statistically proven to get distracted easily when driving and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher. Parents adding a young driver to your policy can break the bank. Older insureds are more cautious drivers, statistically cause fewer accidents , and usually have better credit.
- Premiums are impacted by vehicle performance – The performance level of the vehicle you need to insure makes a big difference in determining your rates. Small economy passenger models receive the most favorable rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Do you work long hours in a high stress vocation? – Occupations like lawyersairline pilots and miners generally have higher rates than average due to high stress and incredibly demanding work hours. On the flip side, careers such as scientists, athletes and performers generally pay rates lower than average.
- File insurance claims and pay more – Insurance companies in California generally give cheaper rates to policyholders that do not abuse their auto insurance. If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can expect increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.
Local insurance agents
Some people still like to buy from a local agent and that can be a great decision One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is you can get cheaper premium rates and still have a local agent.
To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to insurance agents in West Covina who will give you bids for your coverage. You don’t have to find an agent because prices are sent instantly to you. You’ll get the best rates without a big time investment. If you wish to compare rates for a specific company, don’t hesitate to navigate to their website and fill out their quote form.
Finding the right company requires more thought than just a cheap price. You should also get answers to these questions.
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- Are there any discounts for paying up front?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
West Covina car insurance agents come in two flavors
If you are wanting to find a local agent, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agents and how they can write your policy. Agents in West Covina can be described as either independent (non-captive) or captive.
Captive Agencies
These agents have only one company to place business with and examples are State Farm, Allstate, and Farm Bureau. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive insurance agents are highly trained on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage.
Below is a list of captive insurance agencies in West Covina willing to provide rate quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 532 S Glendora Ave – West Covina, CA 91790 – (626) 338-4980
State Farm Insurance – 1900 W Garvey Ave S # 220 – West Covina, CA 91790 – (626) 962-7919
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents in the independent channel are not restriced to one company and that allows them to write policies with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. If they find a lower price, the agent simply finds a different carrier and the insured can keep the same agent.
If you are comparing rate quotes, we recommend you compare prices from at least one independent agent to ensure the widest selection of prices.
The following is a list of independent insurance agents in West Covina willing to provide comparison quotes.
Ais Auto Insurance – 100 N Barranca St – West Covina, CA 91791 – (626) 858-5121
Reynaldo Ramos Insurance – 2155 E Garvey Ave N – West Covina, CA 91791 – (626) 967-4900
To view more licensed insurance agents in West Covina, view this page of insurance agencies in West Covina.
More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the California Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find out industry alerts, find a variety of consumer forms, report car insurance fraud, and learn about insurance regulations.
The following articles may also be useful.
Don’t believe everything you hear
Car insurance companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all convey the message of big savings if you move your car insurance coverage to their company. How does every car insurance company cost less than your current company? This is the way they can do it.
Companies provide the lowest rates for the right customer that will be a good risk. An example of a profitable customer may be over the age of 35, is a homeowner, and drives a vehicle with a low ISO rating. A propective insured who meets those qualifications receive the lowest rate quotes and therefore will save money with a new company.
Potential customers who do not meet these stringent criteria must pay a higher premium which leads to the customer buying from a different company. The ads say “drivers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” can save as much as they claim. That is how companies can truthfully lure you into getting a quote. This really drives home the point why drivers must quote coverage with many companies. It’s not possible to predict with any certainty which company will have the best auto insurance rates for your profile.
Persistent drivers can save
Some insurance companies may not offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional carriers only sell through independent insurance agencies. Lower-priced car insurance can be sourced online in addition to many West Covina insurance agents, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture.
We just showed you a lot of techniques to lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the best rates are with some of the lesser-known companies. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate and Progressive.