Finding cheaper coverage rates on car insurance could be quite difficult for drivers new to online price comparisons. People have so many different companies and agents to choose from that it can quickly become a big hassle to find the perfect company for you.
Unthinkable but true, the majority of drivers kept their coverage with the same car insurance company for at least four years, and 38% of customers have never even shopped around for cheaper coverage. Most drivers in California could save themselves as much as 35% a year just by shopping around, but they don’t know how much savings they would realize if they bought a different policy.
The purpose of this article is to teach you the best methods to compare rates. If you already have coverage, you will be able to reduce premiums using the following tips. But California vehicle owners must know how big insurance companies determine what you pay and take advantage of how the system works.
The easiest way to compare insurance rates from multiple companies is to know the fact car insurance companies pay for the opportunity to provide you with a free rate quote. All consumers are required to do is provide a small amount of information like if it has an anti-theft system, level of coverage desired, whether your vehicle is owned or leased, and what you do for a living. Those rating factors is submitted instantly to many of the top insurers and you will get price comparisons immediately.
To compare multiple company rates now, click here and enter your zip code.
The providers in the list below offer quotes in California. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you click on several of them to get the cheapest price.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Policy Premium | 6-month Policy Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,460 | $730 | $122 |
Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD | $1,490 | $745 | $124 |
Dodge Ram Crew Cab TRX 4WD | $1,734 | $867 | $145 |
Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,290 | $645 | $108 |
Ford F-150 Lariat Super Cab 4WD | $1,520 | $760 | $127 |
Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,538 | $769 | $128 |
Ford Fusion SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,598 | $799 | $133 |
Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,260 | $630 | $105 |
Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $1,290 | $645 | $108 |
Honda Civic Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $1,598 | $799 | $133 |
Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $1,460 | $730 | $122 |
Nissan Altima 2.5 S 2-Dr Coupe | $1,704 | $852 | $142 |
Toyota Camry XLE | $1,568 | $784 | $131 |
Toyota Corolla S | $1,568 | $784 | $131 |
Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $1,478 | $739 | $123 |
Get Rate Quotes for Your Vehicle Go |
Table data represents single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and homeowner. Information does not factor in vehicle location which can revise insurance rates noticeably.
Three reasons to not skimp on insurance
Even though it can be expensive, insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.
- Almost all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a minimum amount of liability protection if you don’t want to risk a ticket. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your vehicle has a lienholder, almost all lenders will have a requirement that you buy insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the bank will be required to insure your vehicle at a much higher rate and force you to pay the higher price.
- Insurance protects both your vehicle and your personal assets. It will also reimburse you for medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay for a defense attorney in the event you are sued. If your vehicle gets damaged, your insurance policy will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of insuring your vehicle outweigh the cost, especially if you ever need it. An average driver in America overpays as much as $869 every year so you should quote and compare rates at every renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Four ways to buy car insurance for less in Long Beach
Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that aid in calculating car insurance rates. If you know what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that can earn you cheaper rates. Lots of things are used in the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving history, although others are less obvious like your continuous coverage or how safe your car is.
- Increase deductibles and save – Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers your vehicle from damage. Some examples of covered claims are a dented fender, collision with an animal, or theft. Deductibles for physical damage tell how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The higher the amount you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
- See if your company offers a multi-policy discount – Most larger companies afford a discount to people who consolidate policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. The amount of the discounts can be as much as ten percent or more Even if you already get this discount, drivers will still want to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. It’s possible to still find lower rates by splitting coverages up.
- Vocation reflects on rates – Careers such as fire fighters, business owners, and miners generally pay higher premium rates because of high stress and long work days. On the other hand, careers such as farmers, athletes and the unemployed get better rates.
- How much liability protection do you need? – Your car insurance policy’s liability coverage will protect you if ever you are responsible for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. It provides legal defense to defend your case. It is affordable coverage compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
You may qualify for discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always list the entire discount list in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both well-publicized as well as the least known credits available to you. If you’re not getting every credit possible, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts could see savings of more than 20%.
- Anti-theft System – Vehicles optioned with advanced anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10% off your Long Beach car insurance quote.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Having multiple cars or trucks with one company qualifies for this discount.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Maintaining low annual mileage can qualify you for lower insurance rates due to less chance of an accident.
- Club Memberships – Participating in certain professional organizations could trigger savings when getting a Long Beach car insurance quote.
- No Claims – Insureds with no claims or accidents can earn big discounts compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though you would think you could get a free insurance policy, that’s just not realistic.
If you would like to view providers offering insurance discounts in California, click this link.
Get rate quotes but work with a local neighborhood Long Beach car insurance agent
Some people would prefer to sit down with an agent and doing so can bring peace of mind One of the benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you may find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. Putting coverage with small agencies is definitely important in Long Beach.
By using this quick form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will give you quotes for your coverage. You won’t need to search for any insurance agencies since rate quotes are delivered to your email. It’s the lowest rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If for some reason you want to quote rates from a specific company, feel free to find their quoting web page and submit a quote form there.
When narrowing the list to find a good insurance agency, it helps to know the two types of insurance agents and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Agents in Long Beach can be described as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Independent Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Agents of this type are not employed by one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with an assortment of companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, an independent agent can move your coverage and you stay with the same agent. If you are trying to find cheaper rates, we recommend you include at least one independent agent in order to compare the most rates. Most independent agents also contract with less well-known companies which may have better rates.
Shown below are independent agents in Long Beach who may be able to give you comparison quotes.
- Lanterman Insurance Agency, Inc.
5318 E 2nd St #643 – Long Beach, CA 90803 – (562) 743-1607 – View Map - Lara Insurance
6689 Downey Ave – Long Beach, CA 90805 – (562) 408-2800 – View Map - Rosanne Sanchez Insurance Agency
1165 E San Antonio Dr – Long Beach, CA 90807 – (310) 874-3933 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
These agents are contracted to one company like AAA, Allstate, and State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot provide other company’s prices so you might not find the best rates. They receive a lot of sales training on sales techniques which aids in selling service over price. A lot of people buy insurance from these agents primarily because of high brand loyalty and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
The following are exclusive agents in Long Beach that are able to give rate quotes.
- Farmers Insurance – Steven Gordon
1800 Palo Verde Ave d – Long Beach, CA 90815 – (562) 598-9500 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: Joilyn Hanley
5520 E 2nd St a – Long Beach, CA 90803 – (562) 438-4663 – View Map - Vinny Bommaiah – State Farm Insurance Agent
6272 Pacific Coast Hwy Ste C – Long Beach, CA 90803 – (562) 439-8544 – View Map
Choosing the best insurance agency requires you to look at more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent in Long Beach should be forthright in answering these questions:
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Which family members are covered?
- Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
Car insurance claim statistics
Do you own a vehicle likely to have a claim? The statistics tables below list the highest and lowest cars and trucks for overall likelihood of having to file claims for each type of coverage.
Lowest Claim Frequency | Highest Claim Frequency |
---|---|
Nissan Xterra | Audi S7 |
Smart ForTwo | Maserati Quattroporte |
Volvo V60 | BMW M6 |
Ford F-350 | Bentley Continental GTC |
GMC Sierra 2500 | Bentley Continental GT |
Nissan Leaf | BMW M6 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Lowest Claim Frequency | Highest Claim Frequency |
---|---|
Ford F-350 SuperCrew | Nissan Sentra |
Audi A4 Allroad | Hyundai Accent |
Ford F-250 SuperCrew | Chevrolet Spark |
Chevrolet Corvette | Nissan Versa |
Tesla Model S | Chevrolet Sonic |
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 | Kia Forte |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Lowest Claim Frequency | Highest Claim Frequency |
---|---|
Volvo XC60 | Chevrolet Cruze |
Audi A6 | Dodge Charger |
Chevrolet Corvette | Chevrolet Sonic |
Subaru Forester | Kia Rio |
Acura MDX | Chrysler 200 |
Mercedes-Benz SL Class | Hyndai Accent |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Lowest Claim Frequency | Highest Claim Frequency |
---|---|
Mini Cooper | Bently Continental GT |
Ford F-250 SuperCab | Nissan GT-R |
Smart ForTwo | BMW M6 |
GMC Canyon | Bentley Continental Flying Spur |
Nissan Xterra | Ferrari 458 |
Jeep Wrangler | Maserati Granturismo |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Keep this in mind when shopping around
As you restructure your insurance plan, don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where an insured dropped physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
You just learned a lot of tips how to reduce car insurance rates online in Long Beach. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your auto insurance rates. You may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from an unexpected company.
Affordable car insurance in Long Beach is attainable both online as well as from independent agents in Long Beach, so get free Long Beach car insurance quotes from both of them to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not provide rates over the internet and usually these regional carriers sell through independent agencies.
More detailed car insurance information is available in the articles below:
- Uninsured Motorist Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for a Chevrolet Silverado in Los Angeles? (FAQ)
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
- Insurance losses by make and model (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Auto Insurance FAQ (Farmers Insurance)