Easy Tips to Save Money on Moreno Valley Car Insurance

Sick and tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than the majority of other car owners in California.

There are many insurers to insure vehicles with, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, lots of choices makes it harder to locate the cheapest rates.

The purpose of this post is to tell you how car insurance quotes work and some tricks to saving. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. But California consumers should learn the way companies market insurance on the web and take advantage of how the system works.

Car Insurance Comparison Rates in Moreno Valley, CA

When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to compare rate quotes and find the best price. By far the easiest way to find competitive insurance rates is to get quotes online. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The single most time-saving way to get quotes is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This form keeps you from doing separate quote forms for each company. A single form compares rates from multiple companies.
Another way to compare prices requires a trip to each individual company website and request a quote. For instance, let’s say you want comparison quotes from Nationwide, 21st Century and Allstate. To find out each rate you need to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Moreno Valley, click here.
The hardest method to get comparison rates is driving to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to buy insurance online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you require the trained guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, get prices online and get advice from an agent in your area and you’ll learn how to do that later.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make darn sure you compare exactly the same coverage information for every company. If you enter differing limits it will be next to impossible to make a fair comparison in Moreno Valley. Quoting even small variations in coverages can result in a big premium difference. Keep in mind that having more price comparisons gives you a better chance of getting a lower rate.

Don’t believe everything you hear

Car insurance providers like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads on television and other media. They all say the same thing of big savings after switching to them. But how can every company say the same thing? This is how they do it.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver they prefer to insure. For instance, a profitable customer could be a mature driver, has no tickets, and has excellent credit. A driver who fits that profile will get very good rates and therefore will save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile will have to pay higher premiums and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say “drivers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s why insurance companies can advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, you absolutely need to get as many quotes as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Don’t overlook these discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but you can get discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but a few need to be asked about before you get the savings.

Auto/Home Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
Early Switch Discount – A few companies offer discounts for switching policies before your current policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on one policy qualifies for this discount.
Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies give back up to $50 just for signing your application online.
Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accident claims.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

What about my local Moreno Valley agents?

A small number of people would rather visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the best bonuses of price shopping on the web is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Supporting local insurance agencies is especially important in Moreno Valley. Moreno Valley CA insurance cheap

After completing this quick form, your insurance data is emailed to local insurance agents in Moreno Valley who will return price quotes to get your business. You won’t need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent to your email. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find the lowest rates AND an agent nearby.

Compare rates from both independent and captive insurance agents

When researching an insurance agent, there are a couple of types of insurance agents that you can select. Agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive).

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies.

When shopping rates, it’s recommended you include at a minimum one independent agency for maximum quote selection.

Shown below are independent agencies in Moreno Valley that may be able to provide price quotes.

Beverly A Christley Insurance – 11481 Heacock St # 100 – Moreno Valley, CA 92557 – (951) 242-6262
Harish Kapur Insurance – 13800 Heacock St – Moreno Valley, CA 92553 – (951) 653-5517

Agency Captives

This type of agents write business for a single company and some examples include Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are not able to place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Captives are well schooled on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage.

The following is a list of captive agents in Moreno Valley willing to provide comparison quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 15952 Perris Blvd # C – Moreno Valley, CA 92551 – (951) 242-7774
Farmers Insurance Group – 12981 Perris Blvd – Moreno Valley, CA 92553 – (951) 242-3822
Allstate Insurance – 12220 Pigeon Pass Rd # U – Moreno Valley, CA 92557 – (951) 601-0145

To view a complete directory of captive agencies in Moreno Valley, visit this link.

Choosing a car insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Agents should be asked these questions:

How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
Can they give you a list of client referrals?
What insurance company do they write the most business with?

Upon getting reasonable responses to any questions you have as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to a car insurance agent that will insure your vehicles.

When might I need an agent?

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. These are some specific questions can help discover if your situation could use an agent’s help.

Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
Am I covered when driving a rental car?
Do I qualify for additional discounts?
Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?
Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
When would I need rental car insurance?
I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?
Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
What is the minimum liability in California?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.

Much more information about car insurance in California is available on the website for the California Department of Insurance found here. California drivers can download brochures, view a list of available companies, find out which companies have the most complaints, and view agent and company licensing information.

The articles below may also help you learn more about car insurance in Moreno Valley

Smart shoppers get results

We’ve covered a lot of tips how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may even find the lowest rates come from a small mutual company. Some small companies often have lower prices on specific markets than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Cheap car insurance is available both online and with local Moreno Valley insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not offer online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.