Never Buy Modesto California Car Insurance Without Knowing These Money Saving Tips

If you are a novice to online car insurance shopping, it’s easy to be confused due to the large number of online companies offering insurance in Modesto.

It’s a great practice to check car insurance prices on a regular basis since rates are variable and change quite frequently. Just because you had the lowest rates two years ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the best methods to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

Choosing the best insurance company for you in Modesto is not rocket science. If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Nevertheless, California drivers should learn the way insurance companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.

Informed Drivers can Cut Their Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that help determine car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

The following are a partial list of the pieces that factor into rates.

• Women pay lower rates – Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes are in accidents at a similar rate, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Male drivers age 16 to 19 tend to get in the most accidents and thus pay the highest rates.
• Don’t let your coverage lapse – Allowing your car insurance policy to lapse is a quick way to pay more for car insurance. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time.You may have to file a SR-22 with the California motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
• Don’t sacrifice liability coverage – Liability coverage will protect you if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages from an accident. It will provide for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
• Rural vs Urban Areas – Living in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when talking about car insurance. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. Urban drivers have more traffic problems and a longer drive to work. More time commuting means higher likelihood of an accident.

Where Can I Get Cheap Modesto Car Insurance?

Most major insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive quote pricing directly from their websites. The process is quite simple as you simply enter the amount of coverage you want as detailed in the form. After you complete the form, their rating system requests your driving and credit reports and quotes a price based on these and other factors.

Online quotes makes comparing rates easy, but the time required to go to each company’s website and repetitively complete many quote forms can be a bit tiresome and repetitive. Unfortunately, it is important to compare as many rates as possible if you are searching for the best price on car insurance.

A less time-consuming method to compare rates uses one simple form to return rates from many companies. The form is fast, eliminates form submissions, and makes online price comparison much more enjoyable and efficient. After your information is entered, it gets priced and you are able to buy any or none of the quote results. If you find a better price you can simply submit the application and purchase the new policy. It only takes a few minutes and may result in a nice savings.

If you want to compare pricing, click here to open in a new tab and complete the simple form. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you complete the form with the limits and deductibles as close as possible to your current policy. This helps ensure you will have an apples-to-apples comparison using the exact same coverages.

Is there deception in advertising?

Car insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to have a common claim that you can save if you change to them. How can each company say the same thing?

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as between 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has excellent credit. Any new insured who fits that profile will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who do not match this ideal profile will have to pay higher prices and ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. That’s why companies can state the savings. Because of the profiling, it is so important to get quotes from several different companies. It’s not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Pay less by taking advantage of discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t necessarily list every discount very well, so here is a list both well-publicized and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance.

• Sign Early and Save – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.
• Accident Waiver – Certain companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
• Multi-policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
• Save with a New Car – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
• Sign Online – A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
• Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with better rates if you take out auto and life insurance together.

It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

Your coverage should be tailored to you

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.

• Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
• Should I buy additional glass protection?
• Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
• What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
• Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
• Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
• Is California a no-fault state?
• Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
• How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Even more information can be read at the California Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, discover disciplinary actions, read industry bulletins, and view agent and company licensing information.

The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Modesto

• How to Find the Perfect Insurance Agency in Modesto California

In the end, you save

When buying insurance coverage, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Discount car insurance can be purchased online in addition to many Modesto insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not provide online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

We just presented many ways to reduce car insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies.