Easy Ways to Save Money on San Bernardino, CA Car Insurance

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of car insurance options in San Bernardino? You’re not alone. You have so many options that it can quickly become a big hassle to locate the lowest price.

It’s a good habit to price shop coverage occasionally because insurance rates change quite often. If you had the lowest rates on your last policy other companies may now be cheaper. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the easiest way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

Comprehensive San Bernardino Car Insurance Comparison

There are several ways to get quotes from local in San Bernardinocar insurance companies. The recommended way to find the lowest rates involves getting comparison quotes online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The most efficient way consumers can analyze rates is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This easy form eliminates the need for separate quotation requests for each company you want a rate for. One form will get you rate comparisons from multiple companies. It’s the fastest way to compare.

A more difficult way to get comparison quotes is going to each company website and request a quote. For example, let’s assume you want comparison quotes from Farmers, Safeco and Progressive. You would have to spend time on each company’s site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker.

To view a list of companies in San Bernardino, click here.

The hardest way of comparing rate quotes is to waste gas driving to different San Bernardino agent offices. Shopping for car insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you have a need for the personal advice only provided by licensed San Bernardino agents. Drivers can obtain prices from the web and get advice from an agent in your area and you’ll learn how to do that later.

Which method you use is up to you, but double check that you are using exactly the same coverage limits for each price quote. If you have unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be very difficult to make an equal comparison in San Bernardino. Having just a slight variation in coverage limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. Just remember that more quotes will increase your chances of finding the best rates.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don’t always publicize every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the best known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

Bundle and Save – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
Own a Home – Owning a house in San Bernardino may trigger a car insurance policy discount because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more than drivers with accident claims.
No Charge for an Accident – A few companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
Sign Early and Save – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
Paperwork-free – A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing over the internet.
Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.

It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.

Why some people pay less for insurance in San Bernardino

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that come into play when calculating the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that can help you get better car insurance rates.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces that factor into your rates.

Males pay more for insurance – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men have accidents in similar percentages, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving.
Don’t skimp on liability – Liability coverage provides coverage if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Letting your insurance expire is a sure-fire way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will rates go up, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a license revocation or jail time.You may then be required to file a SR-22 with the California DMV.
Rural vs Urban Areas – Living in less populated areas can save you money when it comes to car insurance. Fewer drivers means reduced accidents and a lower car theft rate. Urban drivers have to deal with traffic congestion and longer commute times. More time on the road means higher likelihood of an accident.
Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
Car features impact rates – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping your vehicle from being stolen.

Buying car insurance locally

Some consumers would prefer to buy from a local agent. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.

To find an agent, once you fill out this simple form, the coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents in San Bernardino who will compete for your business. There is no need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. How’s that for easy! You can find better rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Selecting a company requires more thought than just a low price. These questions are important to ask:

Who are their largest clients?
Are they full-time agents?
Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in California?
Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?

What type of San Bernardino insurance agency is right for you?

When finding a good San Bernardino insurance agent, there are two different types of agents that you can select. San Bernardino agents can either be captive or independent.

Agency Captives

Captive agencies write business for a single company like AAA, Allstate and State Farm. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so always compare other rates. They are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers frequently choose to use a captive agent mostly because of high brand loyalty and strong financial ratings.

Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agents in San Bernardino who can help you get price quote information.

Allstate Insurance – 4508 N Sierra Way # 101 – San Bernardino, CA 92407 – (909) 881-3415
State Farm Insurance – 2200 E Highland Ave – San Bernardino, CA 92404 – (909) 864-2401
Farmers Insurance Group – 1364 Camino Real # 150 – San Bernardino, CA 92408 – (909) 384-8308

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part.

When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you contact at a minimum one independent agency to get the best comparison.Many can place coverage with lesser-known insurance companies which may provide better rates.

Below are independent insurance agents in San Bernardino who can help you get comparison quotes.

Sbcu Insurance Agency Inc – 421 N Sierra Way – San Bernardino, CA 92410 – (909) 384-9987
Eastwood Insurance Svc – 420 E Hospitality Ln # A4 – San Bernardino, CA 92408 – (909) 422-0920
Leon Russell Insurance Svc – 2190 N Arrowhead Ave # 2130 – San Bernardino, CA 92405 – (909) 881-5516

To view a complete directory of licensed insurance agents in San Bernardino, simply jump to this page.

Upon receiving satisfactory answers and locked in a price quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.

More tips and info about car insurance can be read at the California Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, view a list of available companies, and find disaster information.

More related San Bernardino car insurance information:

Proven Ways for Finding the Cheapest San Bernardino California Auto Insurance

Advertising myths

Companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the ads make the same claim of big savings if you switch to their company. How does each company make almost identical claims?

All the different companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured could be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no driving citations, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don’t measure up to this ideal profile will be charged a higher premium which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. This is how companies can make those claims. That is why you need to compare as many rates as you can. It’s not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Online plus local equals savings

Consumers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as delays in responding to claim requests, delays in paying claims, policy non-renewal and even not issuing a premium refund. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new car insurance company is not as difficult as it may seem.

We just showed you a lot of ways to lower your car insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the most savings is with a small local company.

The cheapest car insurance can be purchased on the web in addition to many San Bernardino insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies do not provide online quoting and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.