Oxnard, CA Car Insurance Savings the Big Companies Don’t Want You to Know About
Expensive car insurance can overdraw your savings account, especially in this economy. Shopping your coverage around is a great way to cut your insurance bill. Consumers have many insurers to insure vehicles with, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, it can be more difficult to compare rates.
You should make it a habit to check car insurance prices occasionally because insurance rates trend upward over time. Even if you got the best deal a few years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting right now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re going to learn one of the best ways to save money, get proper coverage and the best rates.
Finding the best rates in Oxnard is quite easy. If you are insured now or are shopping for new coverage, you will benefit by learning to reduce the price you pay and still get good coverage. California drivers just need to know the best way to find the lowest price over the internet.
How to Compare Car Insurance in Oxnard
Effectively comparing car insurance prices is a ton of work if you don’t understand the easiest way. You can waste hours discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in Oxnard, or you could use the internet to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.
Most major companies are enrolled in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and each company returns a competitive quote for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests to every company. To compare rates now click to open in new window.
One minor caviat to getting quotes like this is you can’t choose the insurers to get quotes from. So if you want to select from a list of companies to compare prices, we have a page of car insurance companies in California. View list of California insurance companies.
Whichever method you choose, double check that you are using exactly the same coverage information for every company. If you enter mixed coverages it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate in Oxnard.
Do drivers who switch really save?
Consumers constantly see and hear ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all seem to make the same claim about savings if you change your coverage to them.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.findnewcarinsurance.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-35.jpg" alt="Oxnard California car insurance“/>
How do they all make the same claim? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies have a preferred profile for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, a profitable customer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A driver that hits that “sweet spot” receives the best rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.
Potential customers who are not a match for this ideal profile must pay more money which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers must quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings.
Oxnard Rates are Influenced by These Factors
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower car insurance prices.
- Tickets mean higher rates – Your driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Drivers who don’t get tickets get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one ticket can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers who get severe violations such as DUI or reckless driving may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Do you need those extra coverages? – There are a lot of add-on coverages you can purchase when buying car insurance. Coverages for roadside assistance, better glass coverage and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment initially, but if you don’t need them eliminate them to save money.
- Liability coverage is cheap – Liability insurance is the coverage that protects you in the event that you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Do you work long hours in a high stress job? – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Jobs such as doctors, executives and financial analysts tend to have higher average rates in part from high stress and long work hours. Conversely, occupations like scientists, engineers and homemakers receive lower rates.
- Discounts for multiple policies – Many car insurance companies give discounts to people who consolidate policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can be ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
Be sure to get all your discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always publicize all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched some of the more common and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies reward drivers for signing up prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Claim Free – Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially when compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
- Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you may earn at least 10% off all policies.
- Life Insurance Discount – Larger companies have better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it just doesn’t work that way.
For a list of insurers with the best car insurance discounts in California, follow this link.
Smart shoppers get results
Low-cost car insurance can be found from both online companies and with local Oxnard insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
In this article, we presented a lot of information how to reduce car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company. These companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like Progressive or GEICO.
While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. The aim is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.
For more California car insurance information
Additional detailed information can be read at the California Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, view agent and company licensing information, download brochures, and find disaster information.
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