Auto Insurance Rates for a Volkswagen Passat in Long Beach

The recommended way to find affordable Volkswagen Passat insurance in Long Beach is to start comparing prices regularly from different companies who sell insurance in California. Drivers can shop around by following these guidelines.

• Step 1: Learn about policy coverages and the modifications you can make to keep rates low. Many risk factors that increase rates such as at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a poor credit score can be eliminated by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
• Step 2: Request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can provide rate quotes for a wide range of companies. Click to view companies
• Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage and determine if cheaper Passat coverage is available. If you find a lower rate and buy the policy, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
• Step 4: Tell your current company of your intention to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit a completed policy application and payment to the new insurer. Make sure you keep your new proof of insurance paperwork with your vehicle’s registration.

The most important part of this process is to make sure you’re comparing identical limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to get rates from as many companies as feasibly possible. This enables a fair rate comparison and a complete price analysis.

It’s an obvious assumption that auto insurance companies don’t want you comparing rates. Insureds who shop around for cheaper prices are inclined to move their business because they stand a good chance of finding a policy with better rates. Remarkably, a study showed that consumers who shopped around every year saved on average $865 annually as compared to drivers who never compared rates.

If finding the most affordable car insurance in Long Beach is your objective, then learning a little about how to quote prices and compare insurance coverage can help simplify the process.

Shopping for the lowest-priced coverage in Long Beach is actually quite simple. If you have coverage now or just want cheaper rates, take advantage of these tips to get lower rates without reducing coverage. Drivers just have to know the tricks to compare price quotes from many companies at once.

Finding a better price on car insurance isn’t really that difficult. You just have to invest a few minutes to compare rates from different insurance companies.

It’s so simple to compare car insurance rate quotes online takes the place of having to spend your day driving to insurance agencies in your area. Comparing online rate quotes reduces the need to sit down with an agent unless you have a complicated situation and need the professional advice of a local Long Beach agent. It is possible with some companies get prices online and still use a local agent.

The following companies offer price comparisons in California. To locate cheap car insurance in Long Beach, we recommend you click on several of them to find the cheapest auto insurance rates.

Insurance is not optional in California

Even though it can be expensive, insuring your vehicle is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.

• The majority of states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a minimum amount of liability coverage if you drive a vehicle. 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 vehicle with a loan, almost every bank will require you to carry insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may insure your Volkswagen for a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them for the much more expensive policy.
• Insurance protects both your car and your assets. It will also pay for all forms of medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance will also pay for a defense attorney if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, your policy will cover the repair costs.

The benefits of having insurance more than offset the price you pay, especially for larger claims. On average, a vehicle owner in Long Beach overpays as much as $810 a year so compare quotes from several companies every year to make sure the price is not too high.

Volkswagen Passat detailed coverage information

The coverage information shown below showcases different coverage costs for Volkswagen Passat models. Having a good grasp of how rates are established can be valuable when making decisions on which insurance to purchase.

Prices above based on married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in Long Beach location which can modify premium rates substantially.

Deductible comparison

One common question asked by Long Beach drivers is how high should the physical damage coverage deductibles be. The rates shown below can help illustrate the cost difference of buying low and high coverage deductibles. The first rate comparisons uses a $100 physical damage deductible and the second price chart uses a $1,000 deductible.

Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Table data does not factor in specific garaging location which can increase or decrease prices noticeably.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $100 deductible will cost you roughly $50 more each month or $600 each year averaged for all Passat models than quoting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $900 more to settle a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you have at least 18 months between claims, you would probably save some money if you choose a higher deductible. The illustration below shows a better example of how we made this calculation.

One important issue to know is that a higher deductible level means you will have to cover more of the damage yourself when you have a claim. You must have enough money stashed away in the event you need to pay more for the deductible.

Rate comparison of full coverage and liability-only

The chart below visualizes the comparison of Volkswagen Passat yearly insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. Data assumes no violations or claims, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.

Deciding between full coverage and liability only

There is no definitive rule of when to phase out comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Volkswagen Passat claim settlement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $3,000 after paying your deductible. If premiums are more than $300 annually for your policy with full coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

There are some scenarios where dropping physical damage coverage is not recommended. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not drop full coverage.

Car insurance quotes and discounts

Some companies do not advertise their entire list of discounts very clearly, so we break down some of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious ways to save on car insurance.

• Defensive Driver – Taking a defensive driving course may get you a small discount and make you a better driver.
• Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts could see savings of 20 to 30 percent.
• Senior Citizens – Older drivers could receive a slight reduction on a Long Beach car insurance quote.
• Claim-Free Discount – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims are rewarded with significantly better rates on Long Beach car insurance quote in comparison to drivers with a long claim history.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Larger insurance companies have lower prices if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
• Early Renewal Discounts – Select larger companies give a discount for signing up early. The savings is around 10%.
• Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student may save as much as 25% on a Long Beach car insurance quote. This discount can apply until age 25.

Discounts lower rates, but most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it may seem like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it’s just not the way it works.

The illustration below visualizes the comparison of Volkswagen Passat premium costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, no violations or claims, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, marriage, homeowner, and multi-car discounts applied.

Car insurance companies who may offer these benefits include:

• Esurance
• The Hartford
• AAA
• GEICO
• State Farm

Before you buy a policy, ask every prospective company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts listed above may not apply to policyholders in your state. If you would like to see a list of insurers that offer many of these discounts in Long Beach, click this link.

Independent or exclusive insurance agents

Many people still prefer to buy from a licensed agent and doing that can be a smart decision Good agents can help you build your policy and help submit paperwork. The biggest benefit of comparing auto insurance online is you can get cheap rate quotes but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting small agencies is still important in Long Beach.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to insurance agents in Long Beach who will give competitive quotes for your business. You won’t even need to find an agent as quotes are delivered to you. If you need to compare rates from a specific company, feel free to search and find their rate quote page to submit a rate quote request.

The difference between Long Beach auto insurance agents

If you would like to find a local agent, you should know the types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Auto insurance agents in Long Beach can be categorized as either exclusive agents or independent agents. Both handle auto insurance, but it’s worth learning how they differ since it could factor into buying decisions.

Independent Agents

Independent agents are not limited to a single company so they can write business with lots of companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and you can keep the same agent. If you need cheaper auto insurance rates, you will definitely want to compare quotes from independent agents in order to compare the most rates.

The following are Long Beach independent insurance agencies that can give you free auto insurance rate quotes.

More insurance agents

Exclusive Agents

These type of agents can usually just insure with one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agencies are unable to place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on the products they sell and that enables them to sell even at higher rates.

The following are exclusive insurance agencies in Long Beach willing to provide price quotes.

More insurance agents

Selecting an insurance agent is decision based upon more than just a low price. Here are some questions you might want to ask.

• Is insurance their full-time profession?
• Can glass claims be handled at your home?
• Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
• Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
• What company holds the largest book of business for them?
• Will the quote change when the policy is issued?

Cheap insurance rates are possible

When searching for cheaper Long Beach car insurance quotes, it’s a bad idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the lowest possible cost, not the least amount of coverage.

Cheaper insurance in Long Beach can be found online in addition to many Long Beach insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. Some companies may not offer online rate quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies only sell through independent agencies.

For more information, link through to the resources below:

• What does Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Cover? (Allstate)
• What Insurance is Cheapest for Government Employees in Long Beach? (FAQ)
• Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)
• Information for Teen Drivers (GEICO)
• Safety Tips for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
• Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Institute)