Expensive auto insurance can take a big chunk out of your bank account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Multiple auto insurance companies compete for your insurance dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare auto insurance companies and uncover the absolute best rates possible.
Consumers should take time to quote other rates as often as possible due to the fact that insurance rates are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you found the best premium rates six months ago there may be better deals available now. You can find a lot of wrong information about auto insurance on the web, but I’m going to show you some great ideas on how to lower your auto insurance premiums.
Cheaper California auto insurance quotes with discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there could be available discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Some of these disounts will be visible when you complete an application, but a few must be requested specifically before you will receive the discount.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Low annual miles could qualify for substantially lower prices.
- Telematics Discount – Insureds who allow companies to scrutinize when and where they use their vehicle through the use of a telematics system such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive could possibly reduce rates as long as they are good drivers.
- Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give better premium rates if you take out life insurance from them.
- Bundled Policy Discount – When you combine your auto and homeowners insurance and insure them with the same company they may give you a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
- Claim-Free Discount – Drivers with accident-free driving histories get the best auto insurance rates in comparison with insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though the math looks like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
A list of companies and their possible discounts can be found below.
- Geico may have discounts that include anti-theft, air bags, federal employee, five-year accident-free, seat belt use, and emergency military deployment.
- Travelers may include discounts for IntelliDrive, multi-car, student away at school, early quote, save driver, home ownership, and driver training.
- Farm Bureau discounts include driver training, 55 and retired, multi-vehicle, youthful driver, and safe driver.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including preferred payment discount, multi-policy, exclusive group savings, new graduate, teen driver discount, multi-car, and good student.
- American Family may offer discounts for good driver, air bags, mySafetyValet, Steer into Savings, accident-free, and good student.
- Progressive includes discounts for online signing, multi-policy, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and online quote discount.
When comparing rates, check with all the companies what discounts are available to you. Some discounts may not apply in your area.
When should I get advice from a local insurance agent?
A small number of people would rather sit down with an agent and doing so can bring peace of mind One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is you can get cheap auto insurance rates and still choose a local agent. And buying from local agents is still important in Orange.
Upon completion of this short form, your coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who can give free rate quotes for your auto insurance coverage. You never need to search for an agent because prices are sent immediately to you. Get lower rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If for some reason you want to quote rates for a specific company, just jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
When looking for a local agent, it’s helpful to know the different types of agencies and how they function. Auto insurance agents in Orange can either be independent agents or captive agents depending on their employer.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents of this type are not required to write business for one company so they can quote policies through many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they quote lower rates, your agent can switch companies which requires no work on your part. If you are comparing rate quotes, we recommend you get quotes from a couple of independent agencies to have the best price comparison.
Shown below are independent agencies in Orange that can give you comparison quotes.
A F Walden Insurance – 128 E Katella Ave – Orange, CA 92867 – (714) 997-7555
Denis Cushing Agency – 1400 E Katella Ave # 217 – Orange, CA 92867 – (714) 633-4872
Lares Insurance Svc – 1153 N Tustin St – Orange, CA 92867 – (714) 288-8000
Don Kent Agency – 172 N Tustin St # 201 – Orange, CA 92867 – (714) 633-2351
Captive Agencies
Agents of this type can only quote rates from one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, or Farmers Insurance. Captive agencies are unable to give you multiple price quotes so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Captive agencies are highly trained on their company’s products which can be an advantage.
Listed below is a short list of captive agencies in Orange that can give you rate quotes.
Allstate Insurance – 950 E Katella Ave # 5 – Orange, CA 92867 – (714) 771-4333
State Farm Insurance – 1046 N Tustin St # A – Orange, CA 92867 – (714) 771-4449
To see available agents near you, feel free to click for a complete selection of Orange insurance agents.
Selecting an car insurance agent requires you to look at more than just the bottom line cost. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
- Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Can glass claims be handled at your home?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
Do drivers who switch really save $432 a year?
Popular auto insurance providers such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use television, radio, and online ads. They all seem to seem to make the promise that drivers will save a bundle if you change your policy. How do they all charge less that you’re paying now? It’s all in the words they use.
All the different companies have specific characteristics for the right customer they prefer to insure. For example, a desirable risk could be over the age of 35, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile may get the lowest car insurance rates in Orange and as a result will probably save a lot of money.
Drivers who fall outside these stringent criteria will probably be forced to pay higher prices and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay attention, the ads say “people that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can make claims like that.
Because of this risk profiling, you really need to do a rate comparison at every renewal. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which company will be your best fit.
Additional consumer information websites
More information can be found on the website for the California Department of Insurance found here. California drivers can report car insurance fraud, read industry bulletins, read state legal mandates and laws, and file complaints about a company.
The following information may also be useful.
- Never Buy East Orange Car Insurance Without Knowing These Money Saving Techniques
- Tips to Finding a Good Insurance Agency in Orange California
Cheaper auto insurance rates are out there
We just presented quite a bit of information on how to save on auto insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced auto insurance comes from an unexpected company. These companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
When trying to cut insurance costs, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
Cost effective auto insurance can be sourced both online and from local insurance agents, so you need to with both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not provide rate quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers work with independent insurance agents.