Auto Insurance in Fontana California – 8 Tips to Lower Rates

Are you overwhelmed by the dozens of auto insurance options in Fontana? Many other consumers are too. There are so many options available that it can quickly become a big hassle to compare prices.

It’s a good habit to get comparison quotes at least once a year since rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest price six months ago you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of bad advice regarding auto insurance on the web, but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some guaranteed methods to stop overpaying for insurance.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you should be able to cut costs considerably using this strategy. This information will help you learn the most effective way to quote insurance and some tips to save money. But California consumers benefit from understanding the way companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.

Take these eight discounts and save

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there are discounts available to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but some may not be applied and must be requested specifically before they will apply.

• Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
• Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more than less cautious drivers.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking a driver safety course can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
• Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
• Distant Student – Kids in college living away from home attending college and don’t have a car can receive lower rates.
• No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts as compared to bad drivers.
• Use Seat Belts – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring multiple cars or trucks with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck. But any discount will reduce your premiums.

For a list of insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Fontana, click here.

Low Cost Fontana Auto Insurance

The are a couple different ways of comparing rate quotes and find the best price. The best method to find competitive insurance rates is to get quotes online. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

• The best way to find the lowest comparison rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This easy form eliminates the need for separate quotation requests for each company. Taking the time to complete one form will get you rate comparisons from multiple companies. Just one form and you’re done.
• A more time consuming way to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to the website for each individual company to request a price quote. For sake of this example, let’s say you want rates from Farmers, Allstate and American Family. To find out each rate you need to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Fontana, click here.
• The hardest way of getting rate comparisons is to spend your day driving to different Fontana agent offices. The internet eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the trained guidance only provided by licensed Fontana agents. You can, however, get the lowest quotes online and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll touch on that later.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you’re using exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits for every quote you compare. If your comparisons have mixed coverages it’s not possible to determine which rate is truly the best in Fontana. Just a small difference in limits can make a big difference in price. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that more quotes will enable you to find the best price.

Situations that might require an agent

When choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique.

For instance, these questions may help you determine whether or not you may require specific advice.

• Do I need rental car coverage?
• Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
• Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in California?
• Who is covered when they drive my vehicle?
• Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Auto insurance coverages

Knowing the specifics of your policy helps when choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.

Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers things such as rolling your car, damaging your car on a curb, driving through your garage door, sustaining damage from a pot hole and hitting a mailbox. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. You can also choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Insurance for medical payments – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses for things like prosthetic devices, hospital visits, dental work and nursing services. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Liability – This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property that is your fault. This coverage protects you against other people’s claims. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see values of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 bodily injury coverage, $100,000 for the entire accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability can pay for claims such as legal defense fees, pain and suffering and funeral expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but buy as much as you can afford. California state law requires minimum liability limits of 15,000/30,000/5,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy more coverage.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – This covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like damage from flooding, theft and a broken windshield. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your vehicle.

Due to the fact that many California drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (15/30/5), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Most of the time these limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

A tidy conclusion

When trying to cut insurance costs, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

We’ve covered many ways to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from the least-expected company.

Drivers who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, extreme rates for teen drivers, delays in paying claims or high prices. No matter why you want to switch, finding a great new company is actually quite simple.