We don’t have to tell you that insurance companies don’t want their policyholders to compare prices. Insureds who do rate comparisons will most likely switch to a new company because they have a good chance of finding a lower-priced policy. A recent auto insurance study revealed that drivers who did price comparisons regularly saved $72 a month compared to those who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding budget-friendly rates on car insurance is your goal, then having some knowledge of how to choose a company and compare insurance can make shopping around easier.
The best way to get discount car insurance rates in Long Beach is to compare prices annually from providers who can sell car insurance in California. Rate comparisons can be done by following these steps.
First, take a few minutes and learn about individual coverages and the factors you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that drive up the price such as high-risk driving behaviors and poor credit history can be improved by paying attention to minor details. Later in this article we will cover instructions to find cheap rates and earn larger discounts.
Second, quote rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agents can quote prices from many different companies.
Third, compare the quotes to your existing policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a better price and buy the policy, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
Fourth, tell your current agent or company of your intent to cancel your current policy and submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application to the new company. Immediately place the new proof of insurance certificate above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.
A tip to remember is to make sure you’re comparing identical coverage information on each quote and and to get price quotes from as many carriers as you can. This enables an apples-to-apples comparison and a good representation of prices.
The companies shown below provide free rate quotes in Long Beach, CA. In order to find cheap auto insurance in Long Beach, CA, we suggest you visit as many as you can to find the cheapest auto insurance rates.
Car insurance does more than just protect your car
Despite the high cost, maintaining insurance may be required for several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to buy specific limits of liability insurance coverage if you don’t want to risk a ticket. 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, more than likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you have full coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If the policy lapses, the bank may insure your Hyundai for a much higher rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Car insurance protects not only your Hyundai Elantra but also your assets. It also can pay for many types of medical costs for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if you cause an accident and are sued. If your Hyundai gets damaged, your car insurance policy will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of insuring your car more than offset the price you pay, especially for larger claims. Despite what companies tell you, the average driver overpays as much as $869 every year so it’s very important to do a rate comparison at every policy renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Detailed insurance information
The premium table shown next showcases detailed analysis of coverage prices for Hyundai Elantra models. Knowing how premiums are calculated is important to be able to make informed decisions.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $256 | $464 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,256 | $105 |
Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $256 | $664 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,550 | $129 |
Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $294 | $664 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,588 | $132 |
Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $294 | $664 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,588 | $132 |
Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $294 | $564 | $394 | $24 | $118 | $1,394 | $116 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Above prices assume married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, and claim-free. Premium amounts do not factor in specific Long Beach garaging location which can increase or decrease auto insurance rates substantially.
The example below illustrates how your deductible choice and can increase or decrease Hyundai Elantra insurance rates for different ages of insureds. The information is based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Lower your auto insurance rates with discounts
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that can dramatically reduce your bill. Some trigger automatically when you get a quote, but once in a while a discount must be specifically requested before being credited.
- Student in College – Any of your kids who live away from home at college and won’t have access to an insured vehicle could qualify for this discount.
- Low Miles Discount – Low annual miles can earn substantially lower rates.
- Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment could qualify for a slight premium decrease but check with your company.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle their seat belts could cut 10% or more on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Home Ownership Discount – Just owning your own home can save you money since owning and maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Buy New and Save – Insuring a new Elantra is cheaper due to better safety requirements for newer models.
- Onboard Data Collection – Insureds who allow their auto insurance company to track their driving habits by using a telematic data system such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system might see lower rates if their driving habits are good.
- Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military could mean lower prices.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This one is not really a discount per se, but some companies like Progressive, Allstate, and GEICO allow you one accident without getting socked with a rate hike if you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies give discounts for switching policies before your current Elantra insurance policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
As a sidenote, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Even though the math looks like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will lower the premium cost.
The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Hyundai Elantra yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the premium. Data assumes a male driver, no claims or violations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, marriage, multi-car, and multi-policy discounts applied.
Large auto insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts include:
- 21st Century offers premium reductions for student driver, driver training, automatic seat belts, anti-lock brakes, homeowners, air bags, and good student.
- State Farm includes discounts for student away at school, good driver, good student, passive restraint, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- AAA may have discounts that include pay-in-full, multi-policy, multi-car, anti-theft, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual may include discounts for multi-policy, newly retired, good student, teen driver discount, new move discount, and safety features.
- Progressive offers discounts including online quote discount, multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, multi-vehicle, good student, and continuous coverage.
Before buying, ask each company how you can save money. Some credits might not apply in Long Beach.