Insider Tricks to Lower Santa Clarita California Car Insurance

If you’re new to shopping for car insurance online, it’s easy to get confused by the hoards of online companies offering coverage in Santa Clarita.

It’s important to price shop coverage on a regular basis since insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to find out the tricks you need to know to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

If you are insured now or need a new policy, you can use these techniques to find better prices and possibly find even better coverage. Finding more affordable car insurance in Santa Clarita is simple if you know the tricks. California drivers just need to learn the most efficient way to shop their coverage around on the web.

Smart Consumers Save More

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

An active claims history can cost you – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Companies in California generally give lower rates to policyholders who file claims infrequently. Your insurance policy is intended for larger claims.
Marriage brings a discount – Having a spouse helps lower the price on car insurance. Having a significant other means you’re more mature and it’s proven that being married results in fewer claims.
No coverage gaps is important – Letting your insurance expire will be a quick way to pay more for car insurance. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.You may have to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the California motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
Extra coverages can waste money – There are quite a few extra bells and whistles that you can buy on your policy. Insurance for personal injury protection, towing coverage and motor club memberships are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
How your age affects price – Older insureds are viewed as being more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations. Teen drivers have a tendency to be less responsible when behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
Optional equipment can affect rates – Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Theft prevention features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can thwart your car from being stolen.
Don’t skimp on liability – Your policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you when a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Are you male or female? – Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Women and men cause accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage. Men also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving. Young males tend to get in the most accidents and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Car insurance companies do not advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down both well-publicized as well as the least known car insurance savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home may trigger a car insurance policy discount because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
Sign Early and Save – Some companies give discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiring. It can save you around 10%.
Paperwork-free – A few companies will give a small break simply for signing over the internet.
Driver Safety – Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
More Vehicles More Savings – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So when the math indicates you could get a free car insurance policy, you’re out of luck.

Aren’t my neighborhood agents an option?

Some consumers would prefer to talk to a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is that you can obtain lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.

For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), the quote information is transmitted to participating agents in Santa Clarita who will give you bids to get your business. You don’t have to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. How cool is that?!

Selecting an provider needs to be determined by more than just the price. Agents should be asked these questions: Santa Clarita California insurance cheap

If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
How are they compensated?
Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?

Multiple types of insurance agents in Santa Clarita

When searching for a good Santa Clarita insurance agent, there are a couple of types of insurance agents from which to choose. Agencies in Santa Clarita can either be captive or independent (non-captive). Both do a good job, but it’s worth learning the difference between them because it can influence buying decisions.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents can only write with one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. They are unable to give you multiple price quotes so always compare other rates. Captive agents are well schooled on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Some people will only buy from captive agents mainly due to high brand loyalty and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

Listed below is a short list of captive agents in Santa Clarita who may provide you with comparison quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 23502 Lyons Ave # 103 – Santa Clarita, CA 91321 – (661) 254-0621
State Farm Insurance – 27737 Bouquet Canyon Rd # 121 – Santa Clarita, CA 91350 – (661) 296-2068
Farmers Insurance Group – 18302 Sierra Hwy # 103a – Santa Clarita, CA 91351 – (661) 252-0539

Independent Agents

These agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When comparison shopping, we recommend you contact multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection. Most have the option of insuring with smaller regional carriers which can save you money.

Below is a list of independent insurance agents in Santa Clarita who can help you get comparison quotes.

Explorer Insurance – 28490 Avenue Stanford – Santa Clarita, CA 91355 – (661) 294-8980
South Western Insurance Svc – 21912 Peppercorn Dr – Santa Clarita, CA 91350 – (661) 296-4021

For a complete listing of Santa Clarita insurance agents, please click here.

After receiving positive feedback to all your questions and a low price estimate, you have narrowed it down to a car insurance agent that will insure your vehicles.

Learn more about car insurance in California

Even more information is available at the California Department of Insurance website. California drivers can discover disciplinary actions, learn about specific coverages, find out industry alerts, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

The following articles may also be useful.

Santa Clarita, CA Car Insurance Agent Online Rate Quotes

Better coverage you can count on

You just learned a lot of ways to lower your car insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company.

When you buy insurance online, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.

Lower-priced car insurance is definitely available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Santa Clarita, and you need to comparison shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.