Auto Insurance Quotes for a Pontiac Vibe in Long Beach

It’s a fact that auto insurance companies want to keep you from comparing rates. People who shop around for a cheaper policy will most likely move their business because they have a good chance of finding good coverage at a lower price. Remarkably, a study showed that drivers who compared rates regularly saved $72 a month as compared to drivers who never shopped around for better prices.

If finding the lowest price on auto insurance is the reason for your visit, then understanding how to get rate quotes and compare insurance can make it easier for you to save money.

It takes a few minutes, but the best way to find lower priced Pontiac Vibe insurance in Long Beach is to do a yearly price comparison from different companies who provide car insurance in California. You can shop around by following these steps.

First, try to learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the changes you can make to prevent high rates. Many rating factors that increase rates like getting speeding tickets and a substandard credit score can be improved by making minor changes to your lifestyle. Continue reading for instructions to help prevent expensive coverage and find overlooked discounts.

Second, quote rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can give you price quotes from multiple companies.

Third, compare the new rates to your existing rates to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you find a better price, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.

Fourth, notify your company or agent of your intent to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit a down payment along with a signed application to your new company or agent. As soon as you receive it, put the new proof of insurance paperwork in an easily accessible location in your vehicle.

One tip to remember is to make sure you’re comparing identical deductibles and limits on every price quote and and to get price quotes from as many auto insurance providers as possible. Doing this provides an accurate price comparison and maximum price selection.

Insurance Premium Influencing Factors

Lots of things are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving record, but other factors are less obvious such as your marital status and annual miles driven.

The itemized list below are most of the major factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your premiums.

• Never go without insurance – Driving without insurance coverage in place is a big no-no and companies may charge more for letting your coverage have a gap. In addition to paying higher premiums, the inability to provide proof of insurance can result in a steep fine or even jail time.

• Drive a fast car and pay more – The make and model of the vehicle you drive makes a huge difference in your rates. Smaller low performance passenger cars usually have the lowest premiums, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.

  The next chart is based on a single male driver age 30, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Pontiac Vibe insurance premiums compared to other models that have a range of risk factors.

• Premiums may be lower depending on your vocation – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Careers like military generals, air traffic controllers, and financial analysts tend to have higher premiums than the average policyholder attributed to job stress and extremely grueling work hours. On the flip side, jobs like scientists, athletes and performers get better rates.
• Don’t cut corners with liability insurance – Liability coverage provides coverage in the event that a jury decides you are liable for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.

Statistics and details

The rate table shown below showcases a range of insurance rates for Pontiac Vibe models. Having insight into how insurance prices are formulated can help you make smart choices when comparing insurance quotes.

Data based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Rate quotes do not factor in specific Long Beach garaging location which can lower or raise price quotes significantly.

Policy deductibles

One of the more difficult decisions when buying insurance is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The rates below lay out the price difference when you select higher and lower policy deductibles. The first rate estimation uses a $250 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.

Data variables include married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in specific Long Beach garaging location which can increase or decrease prices significantly.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $250 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $33 more each month or $396 for a full year than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $750 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you have at least 23 months between claims, you would probably save some money by selecting a higher deductible. Here’s a better example of how you can come to your own conclusion.

One thing to note is that increasing deductibles to save money results in a higher out-of-pocket expense when you file a claim. You will want to have enough extra savings in the event you have to pay the higher deductible.

The illustration below highlights how deductible selection and can influence Pontiac Vibe premium costs for different ages of insureds. The data is based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Safe drivers pay less for insurance

The illustration below shows how violations and at-fault accidents impact Pontiac Vibe premium costs for each different age category. The rate quotes are based on a single male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

Premiums by gender and age

The example below shows the difference between Pontiac Vibe insurance costs for male and female drivers. The prices are based on no violations or accidents, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are factored in.

Does it make sense to buy full coverage?

The diagram below illustrates the difference between Pontiac Vibe car insurance rates with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The information is based on no accidents, no driving violations, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no policy discounts are applied.

Should you be buying full coverage?

There is no exact rule of when to eliminate full coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is about 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Pontiac Vibe settlement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $7,000 after you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $700 annually for physical damage coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

There are some cases where dropping physical damage coverage is not advised. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to keep full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not buy liability only.

Slash your auto insurance rates with discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don’t list every discount they offer very clearly, so below is a list a few of the more common and also the lesser-known discounts that you can inquire about if you buy Long Beach auto insurance online.

• Theft Deterrent System – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more on Vibe insurance in Long Beach.
• Student Discount for Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver participate in a local driver’s education class in school or through a local driver safety program.
• Savings for New Vehicles – Adding a new car to your policy can save you some money due to better safety requirements for new model year vehicles.
• Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents have much lower rates compared to drivers who are more careless.
• Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
• Early Switch Discount – Some larger companies give discounts for signing up early. The savings is around 10%.
• Pay Early and Save – By making one initial payment rather than paying in monthly installments you could save 5% or more.
• Discount for Home Ownership – Just being a homeowner can save you money because it demonstrates responsibility.

A little disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.

The illustration below visualizes the comparison of Pontiac Vibe car insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, homeowner, multi-policy, multi-car, claim-free, and safe-driver discounts applied.

A list of auto insurance companies and some of the discounts include:

• 21st Century includes discounts for defensive driver, early bird, automatic seat belts, air bags, and 55 and older.
• State Farm has savings for Drive Safe & Save, multiple autos, good student, safe vehicle, good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and student away at school.
• AAA may have discounts that include AAA membership discount, multi-policy, good driver, pay-in-full, and good student.
• Liberty Mutual discounts include new move discount, newly retired, multi-car, exclusive group savings, multi-policy, teen driver discount, and newly married.
• Progressive may offer discounts for continuous coverage, online signing, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, good student, and online quote discount.

Double check with each company or agent what discounts are available to you. Discounts might not be offered on policies in your area. For a list of companies that offer discounts in California, click this link.

Insurance savings summarized

In this article, we covered a lot of information how to save on Pontiac Vibe insurance in Long Beach. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote Long Beach auto insurance, the higher your chance of finding inexpensive Long Beach auto insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the best car insurance rates are with a lesser-known regional company. They may often insure only within specific states and give better rates than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.

Some insurance providers may not provide online rate quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies only sell coverage through independent insurance agents. Cost effective Pontiac Vibe insurance can be sourced on the web and from local agencies, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.

Additional information is available at these links:

• New vehicle ratings focus on headlights (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Who Has the Cheapest Long Beach Auto Insurance Quotes for College Students? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Drivers Under 25 in Long Beach? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Long Beach Car Insurance Rates for Seniors? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for 4×4 Vehicles in Long Beach? (FAQ)
• State Car Insurance Guides (GEICO)
• Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)
• How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)