It’s easy to assume that insurance companies don’t want customers comparing rates. Drivers who compare other rates will, in all likelihood, buy a different policy because there is a good probability of finding discount prices. A recent insurance study revealed that drivers who compared rates once a year saved about $3,500 over four years compared to other drivers who never shopped for cheaper rates.
If finding the best price on insurance in Long Beach is your intention, then having some insight into the best ways to shop for car insurance can save time and money.
The recommended way to get budget car insurance rates is to annually compare prices from different companies who can sell car insurance in Long Beach. You can compare prices by following these guidelines.
- Step 1: Take a few minutes and learn about individual coverages and the measures you can control to keep rates low. Many things that cause high rates like inattentive driving and a less-than-favorable credit history can be remedied by making minor changes to your lifestyle. Read the full article for more details to keep prices down and find more discounts that you may not know about.
- Step 2: Compare rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can provide rates from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes from many different companies.
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate in Long Beach. If you find a lower rate and buy the policy, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Step 4: Give proper notification to your current agent or company of your intention to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application to the new company. Make sure you store the certificate verifying proof of insurance along with your vehicle registration.
A good tip to remember is to use similar coverage information on every quote request and and to get quotes from as many companies as you can. This enables an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough price selection.
Locating the lowest cost car insurance policy in Long Beach is quite easy. If you have a current car insurance policy or are shopping for new coverage, you can use these techniques to find better prices while maximizing coverage. Consumers just need to know how to shop their coverage around on the web.
Cheaper Long Beach auto insurance rates with discounts
Auto insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but there could be significant discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some of these discounts will be visible when you get a quote, but a few must be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit.
- Theft Deterrent Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs optioned with advanced anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a course in driver safety can save you 5% or more depending on where you live.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but companies like State Farm and Allstate permit an accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear for a specific time period.
- No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents can earn big discounts as opposed to drivers with a long claim history.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars and trucks that have anti-lock braking systems are much safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to the whole policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. If you do the math and it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you aren’t that lucky.
A few of the larger companies and some of their more popular discounts are detailed below.
- GEICO offers discounts including driver training, federal employee, seat belt use, emergency military deployment, multi-policy, and daytime running lights.
- MetLife may offer discounts for multi-policy, claim-free, good driver, good student, and accident-free.
- Progressive may have discounts that include continuous coverage, multi-policy, online signing, homeowner, and online quote discount.
- Travelers has discounts for hybrid/electric vehicle, continuous insurance, home ownership, payment discounts, good student, and student away at school.
- SAFECO policyholders can earn discounts including anti-lock brakes, multi-car, anti-theft, drive less, accident prevention training, and bundle discounts.
- AAA discounts include AAA membership discount, multi-policy, education and occupation, good student, good driver, and pay-in-full.
If you are trying to find inexpensive Long Beach car insurance quotes, ask all the companies how many discounts you can get. Savings might not be offered on policies in Long Beach. For a list of insurance companies with significant discounts in Long Beach, click here.
Specific coverage details
Having a good grasp of a auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find typical coverage types found on the average auto insurance policy.
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Lincoln Mark LT.
Since many California drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (California limits are 15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Comprehensive auto insurance – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as theft, hail damage, fire damage and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The highest amount your auto insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision – This will pay to fix damage to your Mark LT caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against things like hitting a mailbox, sustaining damage from a pot hole and crashing into a building. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible on your Mark LT in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Auto liability – Liability coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 15/30/5 that means you have a limit of $15,000 per injured person, a total of $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $5,000. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability insurance covers claims such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, emergency aid, medical expenses, medical services and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible. California state minimum liability requirements are 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy more coverage.
The chart below shows why low liability limits may not provide adequate coverage.
Coverage for medical expenses – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for expenses such as ambulance fees, surgery, hospital visits and nursing services. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
You can lower your insurance rates
In this article, we presented a lot of tips how to find affordable Lincoln Mark LT insurance in Long Beach. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even be surprised to find that the most savings is with a small mutual company. Smaller companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.
More affordable insurance in Long Beach can be sourced online in addition to many Long Beach insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies do not offer rates over the internet and many times these smaller providers only sell through local independent agencies.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your objective should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Additional insurance information can be found at the links below
- Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Low Credit Scores in Long Beach? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Long Beach Car Insurance for Ride Shares? (FAQ)
- Pickups fall short in headlight tests (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)
- Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)