How to Save on Ford Explorer Sport Trac Insurance in Long Beach

Unbelievably, nearly 70% of customers renewed their policy with the same company for a minimum of four years, and almost 40% of drivers have never compared quotes from other companies. Long Beach consumers could save themselves roughly $469 a year, but they don’t understand how simple it is to compare rates online.

The best way to get the cheapest car insurance rates in Long Beach is to start comparing rates regularly from insurance carriers who sell auto insurance in California. You can shop around by following these steps.

First, try to learn about car insurance and the measures you can take to keep rates in check. Many things that drive up the price such as traffic violations, accidents, and bad credit can be remedied by making minor changes to your lifestyle. Later in this article we will cover more ideas to help prevent high rates and get additional discounts that may be available.

Second, request price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can quote prices from many different companies.

Third, compare the quotes to your existing rates to determine if you can save on Explorer Sport Trac insurance in Long Beach. If you find better rates and make a switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.

The key thing to remember is to use identical coverage information on every quote request and and to get price quotes from all possible companies. Doing this enables a level playing field and a thorough price selection.

The car insurance companies shown below have been selected to offer price comparisons in Long Beach, CA. To locate the best cheap auto insurance in CA, we recommend you visit two to three different companies in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Analysis of Ford Explorer Sport Trac rates

The rate table displayed next highlights different insurance rates for Ford Explorer Sport Trac models. Having a good grasp of how insurance policy rates are calculated can assist in making decisions on the best policy to buy.

Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Premium costs do not factor in Long Beach location which can modify rates significantly.

Deductible comparison

When comparing insurance rates, the most common question is which deductibles should you choose. The figures shown below approximate the rate difference when you buy lower versus higher deductibles. The first rate estimation uses a $100 physical damage coverage deductible and the second price grid uses a $500 deductible.

Prices based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Premium costs do not factor in zip code location which can increase or decrease auto insurance rates greatly.

Based on the above data, using a $100 deductible will cost you roughly $28 more each month or $336 a year averaged for all Explorer Sport Trac models than requesting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would pay $400 more if you turn in a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to have more than 14 months between claims, you would come out ahead by going with a higher deductible.

The information below illustrates how your deductible choice and can increase or decrease Ford Explorer Sport Trac yearly insurance costs for each age group. The information is based on a married male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied.

Do you need full coverage?

The example below illustrates the comparison of Ford Explorer Sport Trac car insurance costs with full coverage and liability only. The rate quotes are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no policy discounts are applied.

When to drop full coverage

There is no definitive rule to stop buying comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Ford Explorer Sport Trac settlement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company will settle for is $3,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If it’s costing in excess of $300 annually for your policy with full coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

There are some cases where buying only liability insurance is not a good plan. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.

What Determines Ford Explorer Sport Trac Insurance Premiums?

Lots of things are taken into consideration when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, although some other factors are not quite as obvious such as your credit history or your vehicle rating.

Policy lapses lead to higher car insurance rates – Having an insurance coverage lapse is a fast way to bump up your car insurance costs. And not only will insurance be more expensive, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you a fine, jail time, or a revoked license.

Small coverages can add up – There are many additional coverages that can add up on your Explorer Sport Trac policy. Add-on coverages like rental car coverage, accidental death, and additional equipment coverage may not be needed and are just wasting money. These coverages may sound good when deciding what coverages you need, but if you’ve never needed them in the past remove them from your policy.

Where you live plays a part – Being located in a rural area is a good thing when talking about car insurance. Residents of big cities tend to have more auto accidents and higher rates of accident claims. Fewer people corresponds to lower accident rates and lower theft and vandalism rates.

Too many car insurance claims will drive prices up – Insurance companies in California give lower rates to policyholders who file claims infrequently. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.

Three good reasons to insure your Ford vehicle

Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Ford Explorer Sport Trac in Long Beach, insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.

• Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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 you took out a loan on your Ford Explorer Sport Trac, it’s guaranteed your bank will require that you buy full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank may insure your Ford at a more expensive rate and require you to fork over much more than you were paying before.
• Insurance preserves not only your vehicle but also your assets. It will also cover hospital and medical expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay attorney fees if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage.

The benefits of having insurance outweigh the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. As of last year, the average driver in California is overpaying more than $830 a year so it’s recommended you shop around each time the policy renews to ensure rates are competitive.