You have most likely watched the commercials from auto insurance companies like GEICO, Progressive, and The General claiming big savings, so drivers just need to pick the one with the catchiest commercial, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple as there are a whole slew of unknowns such as the level of liability coverage you want, how far you drive each year, your driving record, and where you live, that help determine the price you have to pay. The information below covers the best ways to find cheap car insurance and hopefully give you enough understanding to have a good beginning to your search for cheaper coverage.
The vehicle on the policy is probably the largest consideration in finding the best coverage for veterans. Vehicles with more horsepower, poor safety ratings, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.
The data below shows insurance prices for some of the most economical vehicles to insure in California.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford F-150 XL Regular Cab 2WD | $2,117 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $2,314 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $2,319 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $2,375 |
| Ford Edge SEL AWD | $2,378 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $2,427 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $2,437 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $2,427 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $2,433 |
| Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $2,511 |
| Toyota Corolla S | $2,559 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $2,564 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,565 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Regular Cab 2WD | $2,598 |
| Honda Odyssey Touring | $2,604 |
| Ford Fusion SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $2,609 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 4-Dr Sedan | $2,604 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $2,614 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $2,607 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD | $2,656 |
| Compare Cheap Rates Go | |
Price data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Rate quotes do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can decrease or increase premiums noticeably.
Based upon the rates shown, you can presume that makes and models like the Ford F-150, Ford Escape, and Honda Accord are likely to be some of the most economical vehicles to insure for veterans.
Establishing which companies have the lowest-priced insurance rates for veterans will take a little more sweat than just comparing a company or two.
Each company has their own formula for setting rates, so let’s examine the most competitive insurance companies in Los Angeles, CA. It’s important to know that Los Angeles insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price of coverage. Simply having another birthday, moving across town, or getting a ticket for careless driving can produce rate changes that can now make some companies cheaper than others.
Cheap Insurance Rates for Vets
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 3 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,575 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,739 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
| Get Personalized Rates Go | ||
USAA normally has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Los Angeles at around $1,143 each year. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the most economical Los Angeles, CA insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you buy coverage from Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you might see an annual savings of around $49. Customers with CSAA could save as much as $55 a year, and Nationwide customers might see rate reductions of $70 a year.
Be aware that those prices are averaged for all insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in an exact vehicle garaging location for veterans. So the car insurance company that fits your needs best may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That emphasizes why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
For veterans, one of the big things that are used to help calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you call home. Areas with more people or more claims are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas less populated areas benefit from lower prices.
The next table sorts the highest-priced places in California for veterans to buy car insurance in. Los Angeles is ranked #1 with a yearly premium of $2,083 for the average policy, which is around $174 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 7 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 8 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 9 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 10 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 11 | Riverside | $1,542 |
| 12 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 13 | Fontana | $1,519 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,502 |
| 15 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 16 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,444 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
| Compare Prices Now Go | ||
Table data uses comparative as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can affect prices greatly.
California insurance company ratings
Insuring your vehicle with the best car insurance provider can be challenging considering how many different companies there are to choose from in California. The company information displayed below could help you decide which companies you want to consider comparing prices from.
These ratings are only made up of the largest auto insurers in America, so companies with more of a regional focus are not factored into the list. To check prices and find the cheapest rates for veterans, just click here.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
| Safeco | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
| Travelers | 80 | 87 | 87 | 83% | A++ | 85.2 |
| Farmers Insurance | 78 | 87 | 88 | 79% | A | 84.3 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Types of discounts on Los Angeles car insurance
Car insurance companies that offer coverage for veterans may provide rate discounts that could lower prices by as much as 40% or more if you are eligible to receive them. A few popular companies and some of their more popular discounts are shown below.
- 21st Century has savings for 55 and older, homeowners, good student, automatic seat belts, anti-lock brakes, and teen driver.
- Progressive has discounts for continuous coverage, online signing, online quote discount, homeowner, and multi-policy.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for multiple policy, good student, good driver, defensive driving training, multiple autos, passive restraint, and student away at school.
- Nationwide may have discounts that include multi-policy, easy pay, good student, Farm Bureau membership, accident-free, defensive driving, and anti-theft.
- Esurance may include discounts for homeowner, paid-in-full, emergency road assistance, online shopper, and claim free.
- The Hartford offers discounts for vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, anti-theft, good student, air bag, bundle, and driver training.
The chart below illustrates the comparison of insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with passive restraint, multiple vehicle, marriage, defensive driving course, anti-theft, and safe-driver discounts applied. When discounts are applied, the average amount saved each year on insurance for veterans is 28% or $735.
The chart below demonstrates how deductible levels can increase or decrease premium costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for veterans. The premiums assume a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The chart above illustrates that a 50-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $476 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $712 by using a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the Age 20 category, have the ability to save up to $1,216 or even more just by choosing higher deductibles. If you do make the decision to raise your deductibles, it is essential to have enough funds in savings to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one disadvantage of using larger deductibles.