Costing Too Much for Car Insurance in Sacramento, CA? Here’s How to Save!

Perplexed by the crazy number of car insurance choices in Sacramento? You’re not alone. Consumers have so many options that it can turn into a challenge to find better rates.

Locating the lowest cost coverage in Sacramento can be fairly easy. If you have insurance now or are shopping for new coverage, you can follow these tips to reduce the price you pay while maximizing coverage. California vehicle owners just need to learn the tricks to shop online.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

• Bump up deductibles to save – Insurance for physical damage to your car, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and burglary. The deductibles are how much you are required to spend before your car insurance pays a claim. The more you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
• Rate your vehicle for proper use – The more you drive in a year the higher your rate. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting receive lower rates than those used for commuting. Ask your agent if your car insurance policy shows the correct driver usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
• Where you live is a factor – Being located in a small town can save you money when it comes to car insurance. City drivers have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident and a lower car theft rate.
• Teen drivers pay high rates – Youthful drivers in California tend to be careless and easily distracted behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. Having to add a teenage driver to your car insurance policy can really hurt. Older drivers are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
• Small claims can cost you – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Companies in California generally give discounts to policyholders who are claim-free. Auto insurance is intended for larger claims.
• What type of vehicle do you drive? – The make and model of the car you are insuring makes a substantial difference in the rate you pay. Low performance passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
• Do you need the policy add-ons? – There are many extra coverages you can purchase on your car insurance policy. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, better glass coverage and membership fees may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.

How to Get Car Insurance in Sacramento, California

Performing a rate comparison can take hours if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way to do it. You can waste a lot of time talking to insurance companies in Sacramento, or you could save time and use online quotes to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

Many popular insurance companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and at least one company can provide price quotes based on that data. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions to each individual car insurance company.

To compare rates using this form now click to open in new window.

The only drawback to getting quotes like this is you are unable to specify which insurance companies you want to price. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to compare prices, we have a page of low cost car insurance companies in California. Click here to view list.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using exactly the same coverage limits and deductibles for every quote you compare. If you compare differing limits it will be very difficult to determine the lowest rate in Sacramento.

How much can you save with discounts?

Car insurance can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about in order for you to get them. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.

• Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles can qualify you for a substantially lower rate.
• Memberships – Being a member of a professional or civic organization could trigger savings when shopping for car insurance.
• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Auto/Life Discount – Larger companies have a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a driver safety course could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
• Senior Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for a discount up to 10%.

Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will help reduce your overall premium however.

For a list of companies who offer car insurance discounts in California, click here to view.

Buying car insurance locally

A small number of people just want to buy from a licensed agent. Insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help you file claims. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is you may find lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. Supporting local insurance agencies is important especially in Sacramento.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this short form, your information is sent to companies in Sacramento who will return price quotes for your business. You won’t need to leave your computer due to the fact that quote results will go to the email address you provide. How cool is that?!

If you want to view licensed agents in Sacramento, please click here.

Deciding on an insurer needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price. Some important questions to ask are:

• Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
• If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
• How long has their agency been open in Sacramento?
• Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?

Once you have answers to your satisfaction to these questions as well as a affordable price, you may have just found an insurer that can provide car insurance coverage.

Additional information can be read on the California Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. California consumers can get help finding coverage, read state legal mandates and laws, find a variety of consumer forms, and find out which companies have the most complaints.

Keep this in mind

Low-cost car insurance is definitely available online in addition to many Sacramento insurance agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

We just covered many tips how you can lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the lowest priced car insurance comes from the smaller companies.

Consumers switch companies for many reasons like policy cancellation, lack of trust in their agent, delays in responding to claim requests or poor customer service. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies is less work than it seems.