You have probably watched the catchy advertisements from car insurance companies like Liberty Mutual and Progressive that make promises of huge savings, so you just need to pick the company with the best ad, right?
It’s not that easy, however, as there are a ton of unknowns such as what level of deductibles you need, if you are a good driver, the area where you live, and your marital status, that all have an effect on the price of a policy. We will attempt to cover the best ways to save money and will hopefully give the reader a good beginning to your search for cheaper coverage.
Shopping around for cheap insurance is easier said than done, and deciding which company offers the lowest-priced insurance rates for low credit scores takes additional perseverance. Every insurance company has a proprietary method to set their prices, so let’s begin by taking a look at the insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in California.
We do need to point out that Long Beach, CA insurance rates are based on many factors that can increase the price you have to pay. This price variation is why consumers need to shop around when trying to get cheap car insurance rates for low credit scores. Prices can be determined by many different factors and change substantially, so the most economical company the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be an over-priced policy.
Compare Cheap Insurance Quotes in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 4 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,447 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,575 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,638 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
USAA may have some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Long Beach at around $1,143 per year. This is $508 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, CSAA, Wawanesa, and Nationwide also qualify as some of the more affordable Long Beach, CA insurance companies.
As shown in the table above, if you currently have a policy with Wawanesa and switched to Century National, you might achieve annual savings of in the neighborhood of $14. California drivers with Nationwide may save as much as $35 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might cut rates by $147 a year.
These premiums are averaged across all insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in an exact zip code location for low credit scores. So the auto insurance company that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That’s why you need to get quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
One of the more important components that aid in calculating insurance cost is your address. Larger areas will most likely have higher rates, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims profit from lower rates.
The table below lists the most expensive places in California for low credit scores in which to purchase auto insurance. Long Beach is listed at #7 costing $1,626 for car insurance, which is approximately $136 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 8 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 9 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 10 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 11 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 12 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 13 | Garden Grove | $1,524 |
| 14 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 15 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
| 17 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 19 | Irvine | $1,371 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,361 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
Premium costs are estimated as specific Long Beach zip code can affect prices substantially.
The information below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can increase or decrease premium costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for low credit scores. The rates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 40-year-old driver could reduce rates by $300 a year by switching their comprehensive and collision coverages from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $456 by using a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the age 20 example, could possibly save up to $750 annually just by using higher deductibles.
When choosing a higher deductible, it will be required to have additional funds squirreled away to offset the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some people from using high deductibles.
Careless drivers pay higher rates
The common sense way to snag the cheapest insurance prices in Long Beach for bad credit is to be a good driver and not have accidents or get tickets. The illustration below highlights how traffic violations and at-fault accidents can raise premium costs for different ages of insureds. The rates are based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
In the example above, the average cost of auto insurance per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $1,948. Get written up for one speeding ticket and the average cost swells to $2,267, an increase of $319 each year. Then add two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of insurance for low credit scores jumps again to an average of $4,947. That’s an increase of $2,999, or $250 per month, just for not driving responsibly!
Full coverage rates compared to liability-only
Buying cheaper insurance is probably important to most drivers, and an effective way to find cheaper insurance for low credit scores is to buy liability only. The diagram below shows the difference between auto insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The premiums assume no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no other discounts are factored in.
Averaged for all age groups, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs $3,444 per year more than buying just liability insurance. Many drivers may wonder if you should buy full coverage. There is no clear-cut rule of when to exclude physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s book value is $11,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would get paid by your company is $10,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If premium cost is more than $1,000 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
There are a few cases where dropping full coverage is not in your best interest. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not opt for liability only.
Last year’s bargain might be this year’s rip off
California insurance rates are influenced by many factors that can increase the price you pay for coverage. Improving your credit rating, marrying your spouse, or having an at-fault accident can trigger rate changes resulting in some companies being much cheaper than others. In addition to those changes, insurance companies amend pricing as often as every three months to ensure their profitability. Higher than normal claims can result in price increases, while a better claims history can produce lower-priced Long Beach car insurance rates.
As an example, the graph below shows the cheapest car insurance in Long Beach, CA for a 40-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and a good credit rating. Based on his current situation, USAA quotes the best car insurance rates in Long Beach at $1,404 annually. This is $247 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide are also on the list of the most affordable Long Beach, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from the above example a chargeable claim, a lower credit rating, and a stop sign violation. Since each insurance company has a different formula to set policy rates, comparing rates may result in a new list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Long Beach as shown below.
Mercury now has the cheapest rate in Long Beach, CA with Grange, Progressive, Allstate, and GEICO also having competitive pricing. This demonstrates why it is crucial to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to get the most budget-friendly insurance quotes for low credit scores.
Insurance prices consist of many different factors and can change substantially, so the best price the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be quite expensive.
The professional agents shown below can answer your questions and help you decide which insurance coverage will be best for you, since some drivers have questions and prefer to have a little guidance when comparing insurance rates for low credit scores. It can be difficult to find the best coverage yourself, so getting professional guidance from a licensed agent can give comfort knowing your policy gives you sufficient coverage at claim time.
To find an auto insurance agency by location nearest to you, click the button after the list.
- Allstate Insurance: Joilyn Hanley
5520 E 2nd St a – Long Beach, CA 90803 – (562) 438-4663 - Vinny Bommaiah – State Farm Insurance Agent
6272 Pacific Coast Hwy Ste C – Long Beach, CA 90803 – (562) 439-8544 - Susie Atwood – State Farm Insurance Agent
5624 E 2nd St – Long Beach, CA 90803 – (562) 434-5729 - Jeff Morgan – State Farm Insurance Agent
4087 Long Beach Blvd – Long Beach, CA 90807 – (562) 595-6969 - Vali De Vries – State Farm Insurance Agent
1777 N Bellflower Blvd #111 – Long Beach, CA 90815 – (562) 494-7700