If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to find low-cost car insurance rates in Long Beach is to annually compare prices from insurance carriers that sell auto insurance in California. You can compare prices by following these guidelines.
- Spend a few minutes and learn about how your policy works and the factors you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that cause rate increases such as multiple speeding tickets and a poor credit score can be rectified by paying attention to minor details. This article provides additional tips to prevent expensive rate increases and get discounts that may be overlooked.
- Get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the new quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if cheaper xB coverage is available. If you can save money and switch companies, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
A good piece of advice is to use identical coverage information on every quote and and to analyze as many carriers as you can. This guarantees a level playing field and a thorough price selection.
Unbelievable but true according to a study the vast majority of consumers have bought insurance from the same company for at least the last four years, and virtually 40% of consumers have never compared insurance rates at all. California drivers can save $470 each year just by shopping around, but most just don’t grasp how much they could save if they swap their current policy for a cheaper one.
Get Lower-cost Insurance Rates by Understanding These Factors
Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the things that go into determining your premiums. If you know what impacts premium levels, this helps enable you to make changes that may result in better insurance rates.
Listed below are some of the items that factor into your rates.
Your age impacts your premiums – Older drivers tend to be more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents, and are generally more financially stable. Young drivers are statistically proven to be more careless when behind the wheel therefore insurance rates are much higher.
The next chart uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
Save money by raising physical damage deductibles – Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles define how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be collision with another vehicle, hail damage, and damage from wind. The more damage repair cost you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Deter vehicle theft – Selecting a car model with a theft deterrent system can earn a premium discount. Theft deterrent systems such as OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all hinder your car from being stolen.
Only buy what you need – Policies have add-on coverages that can add up if you aren’t diligent. Coverages for replacement cost coverage, high-cost glass coverage, and extra equipment coverage are some examples. They may sound like good ideas at first, but now you might not need them so think about removing them and cutting costs.
Single vs. married – Having a wife or husband may save some money on your insurance bill. Having a significant other generally demonstrates drivers are more mature and responsible and insurance companies like that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
The type of vehicle you drive affects your costs – The make and model of the vehicle you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a huge difference in your auto insurance rates. Smaller low performance passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
The data below uses these variables: single female driver age 20, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The chart compares Scion xB insurance premiums compared to other vehicles that have a range of performances.
Claims statistics for a Scion xB – Companies use past insurance losses when determining insurance costs. Vehicles that have higher frequency or amount of claims will cost more for coverage.
The table below shows the collected loss data for Scion xB vehicles. For each policy coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles, without regard to make or model, is represented as 100. Numbers shown that are under 100 imply a favorable loss record, while percentages above 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or larger claims.
Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scion xB | 86 | 92 | 89 | 148 | 127 | 116 |
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
There are several ways of comparing price quotes from many different California insurance companies. The fastest way to find the lowest Scion xB rates is to use the internet to compare rates. When comparison shopping, having more price comparisons will improve the odds of getting better pricing. Not every company does Long Beach xB insurance quotes over the internet, so you need to compare quotes on coverage from those companies, too.
The following companies provide comparison quotes in Long Beach, CA. To locate cheap auto insurance in California, we recommend you get prices from several of them to find the most affordable car insurance rates.
Insurance statistics for a Scion xB
The price information below outlines a range of prices for Scion xB models. Having a good understanding how prices are formulated is important for making decisions on which coverage to buy.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XB 2WD | $238 | $374 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,292 | $108 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, and safe-driver. Rates do not factor in vehicle location which can impact price quotes noticeably.
Insurance deductibles
One of the more difficult decisions when buying insurance is what deductibles to buy. The premium rates below lay out the costs and benefits when you buy lower versus higher insurance deductibles. The first rate quote example uses a $100 physical damage deductible and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XB 2WD | $380 | $564 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,569 | $131 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XB 2WD | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-policy. Price estimates do not factor in your specific Long Beach location which can raise or lower price quotes considerably.
Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $100 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $39 more each month or $468 every year averaged for all xB models than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $900 more if you file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go more than 23 months between claims, you would most likely save money if you choose a higher deductible.
The diagram below demonstrates how deductibles and can affect Scion xB yearly insurance costs for each different age group. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
How violations and accidents impact rates
The information below demonstrates how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders can impact Scion xB car insurance costs for different insured age categories. The costs are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
Liability only or full coverage
The example below shows the difference between Scion xB auto insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The rate quotes are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.
When to stop paying for full coverage
There isn’t a written rule to eliminate physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than around 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might consider buying liability only.
For example, let’s say your Scion xB replacement cost is $3,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company will settle for is $2,000 after paying your policy deductible. If it’s costing you more than $200 annually to have full coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some conditions where removing full coverage is not a good plan. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, 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 if your current one is damaged, you should not remove full coverage.
Best reasons to buy car insurance in California
Even though Long Beach xB insurance rates can get expensive, insurance is required for several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires a specific level of liability in order to be legal. 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 bought your Scion xB with a loan, more than likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you buy insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you let the policy lapse, the lender will be forced to insure your Scion for a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them the higher premium.
- Insurance protects your Scion xB and your assets. It also can pay for many types of medical costs for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay to defend you in the event you are sued. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of buying enough insurance definitely exceed the price paid, particularly when you have a large claim. On average, a vehicle owner in Long Beach is overpaying over $850 per year so we recommend shopping around at least once a year to ensure rates are inline.
Cheaper rates on Scion xB insurance in Long Beach with these auto insurance discounts
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that you may not know about. Many discounts should be triggered when you get a quote, but a few must be specifically requested before you will receive the discount.
- Driving Data Discount – Policyholders that allow companies to scrutinize driving patterns by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive might get better premium rates if they show good driving skills.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being on active deployment in the military could qualify you for better auto insurance rates.
- Paperless Signup – A handful of larger companies will provide an incentive simply for signing on the web.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Fewer annual miles on your Scion could qualify for better prices on cars that stay parked.
- Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts could see savings of 20 to 30 percent.
A little disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though the math looks like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it’s just not the way it works.
The information below shows the comparison of Scion xB insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The rates are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, claim-free, marriage, safe-driver, multi-policy, and multi-car discounts applied.
Companies that possibly offer some of the above discounts may include but are not limited to:
If you need affordable Scion xB insurance quotes, ask all companies you are considering which discounts they offer. All car insurance discounts may not be offered in every state. To see a list of companies that offer multiple discounts in Long Beach, follow this link.
Compare rates but work with a local neighborhood Long Beach car insurance agent
Some people prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that can be a smart move One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance online is that you can obtain lower rates and also buy local.
Upon completion of this short form, your coverage information gets sent to companies in Long Beach who will gladly provide quotes for your insurance coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to find an agent on your own because quoted prices will be sent instantly to you. You can find lower rates and a licensed agent to work with. If you need to compare rates from a specific insurance company, you just need to jump over to their website to submit a rate quote request.
Finding the right provider requires you to look at more than just the bottom line cost. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Will the company cover a rental car if your car is getting fixed?
- Are they in the agency full-time?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- How long has the business existed?
Long Beach auto insurance agents come in two flavors
If you need to find a reputable agency, there are two types of agencies from which to choose. Agencies in Long Beach may be either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive agents can only quote rates from one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive agents are well schooled on what they offer which helps them compete with independent agents. Drivers often purchase coverage from exclusives primarily because of the prominence of the brand rather than low rates.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Long Beach willing to provide price quotes.
- Brad Garofalo – State Farm Insurance Agent
2221 Palo Verde Ave Ste 2D – Long Beach, CA 90815 – (562) 280-0488 – View Map - Joe Lopez Jr – State Farm Insurance Agent
5199 Pacific Coast Hwy Ste 616 – Long Beach, CA 90804 – (562) 597-5547 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: Braden Palmer
5000 E Spring St Ste 390 – Long Beach, CA 90815 – (562) 425-5109 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Agents that choose to be independent are not employed by one company and that allows them to write policies with lots of companies and get the cheapest rates. If you want to switch companies, your agent can just switch to a different company and you won’t have to switch agencies.
When shopping rates, we highly recommend that you get rate quotes from several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from. Most also write with lesser-known insurance companies that may provide cheaper insurance rates.
Shown below are Long Beach independent agents that are able to give comparison quotes.
- Amico Insurance Agency
100 Oceangate #1200 – Long Beach, CA 90802 – (562) 628-5553 – View Map - Greg D. Pyle Auto, Home, Commercial Insurance Long Beach
3777 Long Beach Blvd #500 – Long Beach, CA 90802 – (562) 436-3200 – View Map - Global Guard Insurance
1310 Pine Ave d – Long Beach, CA 90813 – (562) 591-5181 – View Map
Smart shoppers get results
Drivers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, being labeled a high risk driver, extreme rates for teen drivers or questionable increases in premium. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies is less work than it seems.
We covered quite a bit of information on how to shop for Scion xB insurance online. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company.
The cheapest Scion xB insurance in Long Beach can be found both online as well as from independent agents in Long Beach, so you should be comparing quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who may not provide rate quotes online and most of the time these regional carriers only sell through local independent agents.
For more information, feel free to browse the resources below:
- Teen Driving Statistics (GEICO)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Low Credit Scores in Long Beach? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Long Beach Auto Insurance Rates for Postal Workers? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Long Beach Auto Insurance for a 20 Year Old Female? (FAQ)
- Winter Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- Where can I buy Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Understanding Limits and Deductibles (Allstate)