Anaheim Car Insurance Buying Tips You Aren’t Supposed to Know

Overpriced car insurance can overdraw your bank account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Doing a price comparison is a smart way to make sure you’re not throwing money away. With so many companies to choose from, it can be impossible to pick the cheapest provider.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that go into determining the price you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to big savings.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate prices.

• Sex matters – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Both sexes tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
• Rate your vehicle for proper use – The higher the mileage driven in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies rate vehicles based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles that are left in the garage receive lower rates than those used for commuting. Verify your car insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because improper ratings can cost you money.
• Discounts for multiple policies – Some companies give discounts to customers who carry more than one policy. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Drivers may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
• Your car’s features help determine rates – Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping auto theft.

Take advantage of discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts to help bring down the price. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but some must be manually applied before you will receive the discount. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially as compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
• Federal Government Employee – Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.
• Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner may trigger a car insurance policy discount due to the fact that maintaining a home demonstrates responsibility.
• Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
• Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
• Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
• New Car Discount – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.

It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don’t profit that way. But all discounts will bring down your premiums.

To see a list of insurers with the best car insurance discounts in California, click this link.

Shop online but buy locally

A small number of people would prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. Licensed agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you can get lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. And providing support for local businesses is important especially in Anaheim.

Upon completion of this short form, your information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your business. There is no reason to even leave your home as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. How’s that for easy!

Pick the best insurance agent in Anaheim for you

When searching for a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Anaheim can either be captive or independent (non-captive). Either one can do a good job, but it’s worth mentioning the differences since it can impact your agent selection.

Independent Agents

These agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies.

When comparing rates, you should always include price quotes from at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection.

Shown below are independent insurance agents in Anaheim who may be able to give you comparison quotes.

Goodie Takhar Insurance – 1475 S State College Blvd #200 – Anaheim, CA 92806 – (714) 935-9112
Farmers Agency Anaheim Hills – 130 S Imperial Hwy – Anaheim, CA 92807 – (714) 974-4114
Bob Bentley Agency – 121 N State College Blvd # 3 – Anaheim, CA 92806 – (714) 535-2825
Applied General Agency – 1235 N Blue Gum St – Anaheim, CA 92806 – (714) 632-2801
AMK Insurance – 5130 E LA Palma Ave # 206 – Anaheim, CA 92807 – (714) 779-5110

Captive Agents

Captive insurance agents work for only one company like State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. They are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Below is a list of captive insurance agents in Anaheim who can help you get price quote information.

State Farm Insurance – 5528 E LA Palma Ave # 1a – Anaheim, CA 92807 – (714) 779-0670
Allstate Insurance – 323 N Brookhurst St – Anaheim, CA 92801 – (714) 635-5700
Farmers Insurance Group – 130 S Chaparral Ct # 220 – Anaheim, CA 92808 – (714) 282-5730

For a full directory of car insurance agents in Anaheim, please view this page.

Picking an auto insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price. Some important questions to ask are:

• Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
• If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
• If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
• Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
• If you have an accident, will your rates go up?

After getting answers to your satisfaction to these questions and an acceptable price quote, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that will properly service your car insurance policy.

There’s no such thing as the perfect policy

When buying adequate coverage, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining if your situation will benefit from professional help.

• Is California a no-fault state?
• Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
• Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
• What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?
• Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
• Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.

California insurance information

Much more information about car insurance in California can be read on the website for the California Department of Insurance found here. Visitors are able to find out industry alerts, find disaster information, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Additional helpful sites include Auto Insurance 101 and this resource to find Anaheim, CA insurance agents.

Cheaper insurance is a realistic goal

Cheaper car insurance is possible from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Anaheim, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers don’t offer online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

You just read many tips how you can save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. These smaller insurers can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive and GEICO.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In too many instances, drivers have reduced collision coverage and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.