Purchasing cheap San Bernardino car insurance over the internet may be challenging for consumers new to buying insurance online. With dozens of insurers available, how can you even start to compare every company to locate the lowest rates?
Are you getting all your discounts?
Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list every discount very clearly, so we researched some of the best known and the more hidden car insurance savings. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course if it’s offered in school.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
- Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can earn big discounts as compared to frequent claim filers.
- Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Employee of Federal Government – Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount with a few car insurance companies.
- Homeowners Savings – Owning a home in San Bernardino can save you money because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies don’t profit that way.
To see a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in California, click here.
How to Lower Your Car Insurance Cost in San Bernardino, CA
Finding lower San Bernardino car insurance rates is not rocket science. Just take a couple of minutes to get quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be done in a couple of different ways.
- One of the best ways to get the best comparison quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This easy form prevents you from having to do separate forms for each company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you coverage quotes from multiple companies.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
- A more difficult way to get comparison quotes consists of going to each individual company website and fill out their own quote form. For sake of this example, let’s assume you want to compare rates from Auto-Owners, Farmers and Allstate. You would have to visit each site to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.
To view a list of companies in San Bernardino, click here.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you’re using the exact same coverage limits and deductibles with each company. If you enter different deductibles it’s not possible to decipher which rate is best in San Bernardino.
Rate influencing factors
It’s important that you understand the rating factors that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
The following are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine your rates.
- Bundling policies can get discounts – Many insurers provide better rates to people who consolidate policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. If you currently are using one company, it’s in your best interest to compare other company rates to ensure the best deal. You may still find better rates by buying car insurance from a different company.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
- Rates may be higher depending on your occupation – Did you know your car insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Careers like judges, business owners and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates in part from high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, occupations like scientists, engineers and performers pay the least.
- Adjust deductibles and save – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend in the event of a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and burglary. The more expense you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your car insurance will be.
Tailor your coverage to you
When choosing the best car insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is unique.
For instance, these questions may help highlight if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
- Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
- How much liability coverage do I need in California?
- Does my vehicle need full coverage?
If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.
Don’t listen to company ads
Consumers in California get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance by State Farm and Allstate. All the companies say the same thing of big savings if you change to their company.
How does each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.
Different companies can use profiling for the driver they prefer to insure. For instance, a preferred risk could be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.
Potential customers who don’t measure up to these standards will be charged more money which leads to the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save money. This is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings. That is why drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. It’s impossible to know which company will have the lowest rates.
A tidy conclusion
In this article, we presented a lot of ways to lower your car insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a small mutual company.
People change insurance companies for any number of reasons including being labeled a high risk driver, unfair underwriting practices, an unsatisfactory settlement offer and poor customer service. Regardless of your reason, finding a great new company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.
Low-cost car insurance is attainable online in addition to many San Bernardino insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
Even more information is available at the California Department of Insurance website. California drivers can find disaster information, file complaints about a company, and find a variety of consumer forms.
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