It takes a little time, but the best way to save money on Pontiac GTO insurance in Long Beach is to regularly compare price quotes from insurance carriers who sell insurance in California. Rate comparisons can be done by completing these steps.
First, take a few minutes and learn about how companies price auto insurance and the measures you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many policy risk factors that increase rates like traffic citations, accidents, and a negative credit score can be remedied by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
Second, get rate quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can give you price quotes from multiple companies.
Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy and determine if cheaper GTO coverage is available. If you can save money and decide to switch, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Fourth, notify your current company to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit the application along with any required down payment to the new company. Once coverage is bound, place your new certificate of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.
A good piece of advice is to use identical coverage information on each quote request and and to get rates from as many carriers as you can. Doing this helps ensure an accurate price comparison and a complete price analysis.
Unbelievable but true according to a study the vast majority of insurance customers kept their coverage with the same insurance company for four years or more, and approximately 38% of consumers have never shopped around. The average driver in California could save about $469 every year by just comparing rate quotes, but they mistakenly think it’s difficult to shop around.
If you already have coverage or are shopping for new coverage, you can use these techniques to find the best rates and still have adequate protection. Quoting and comparing the best coverage in Long Beach is not as difficult as people think. Shoppers just have to understand the tricks to compare company rates from many different companies online.
The car insurance companies shown below provide price comparisons in Long Beach, CA. To locate cheap auto insurance in Long Beach, we suggest you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.
Why you need quality insurance for your Pontiac vehicle
Despite the fact that car insurance is not cheap in Long Beach, paying for car insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific minimum amount of liability insurance coverage in order to drive the car. 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 have a loan on your GTO, almost every bank will require you to have full coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Pontiac at a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them the higher price.
- Car insurance protects not only your vehicle but also your financial assets. It will also reimburse you for medical bills for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability coverage also covers legal expenses if you are sued as the result of an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the cost, especially with large liability claims. An average driver in America is wasting up to $800 each year so it’s important to compare rates at least once a year to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Save money with these ten price cutting discounts
Car insurance can cost a lot, but you may find discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Certain reductions will be credited when you quote, but once in a while a discount must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings.
- Driver Training Discounts – Passing a class that teaches defensive driving techniques could earn you a small percentage discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.
- Long Beach Homeowners Pay Less – Owning your own home or condo can help you save on auto insurance because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
- Good Student – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. You can use this discount normally until age 25.
- Bundled Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you could save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Accident Waiver – Not necessarily a discount, but companies like Liberty Mutual and GEICO will turn a blind eye to one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Student Driver Training – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers enroll in driver’s education if offered at their school.
- Distant Student – Older children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from Long Beach and won’t have access to an insured vehicle may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Onboard Data Collection – Insureds that choose to allow their company to analyze vehicle usage by using a telematics device like Allstate’s Drivewise could save a few bucks as long as the data is positive.
- Passive Restraints – Options like air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
- ABS Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
One last thing about discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you aren’t that lucky. Any amount of discount should help lower your policy cost.
A few popular companies and the discounts they provide are shown below.
- State Farm has savings for anti-theft, safe vehicle, good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, student away at school, driver’s education, and accident-free.
- GEICO includes discounts for seat belt use, federal employee, defensive driver, driver training, five-year accident-free, daytime running lights, and anti-lock brakes.
- Allstate discounts include premier plus, 55 and retired, farm vehicle, teenSMART discount, auto/life discount, and good student.
- SAFECO may have discounts that include bundle discounts, anti-theft, safe driver, drive less, anti-lock brakes, accident prevention training, and multi-car.
- Farm Bureau offers discounts for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, driver training, good student, youthful driver, 55 and retired, and safe driver.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online signing, continuous coverage, online quote discount, homeowner, and good student.
- AAA policyholders can earn discounts including pay-in-full, anti-theft, good student, multi-car, education and occupation, and AAA membership discount.
It’s a good idea to ask every insurance company which discounts can lower your rates. Discounts might not be offered on policies in your state. To view companies that offer discounts in Long Beach, click this link.
Insurance agencies near you
Many drivers just want to sit down and talk to an agent and that is OK! Professional agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help submit paperwork. A good thing about getting online price quotes is that you can find cheap insurance rates and still buy from a local agent. And providing support for neighborhood agents is important especially in Long Beach.
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your insurance data is sent to local insurance agents who will give you quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no need to search for an agent due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox. In the event you want to get a comparison quote for a specific company, don’t hesitate to visit that company’s website and submit a quote form there.
Exclusive and independent Long Beach car insurance agents
When searching for an insurance agent, there are two different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. Agents are classified as either independent agents or exclusive agents. Either one can insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know why they differ since it can affect your selection of an agent.
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be independent are not locked into one company and that gives them the ability to insure through lots of different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply switch companies in-house and the insured can keep the same agent.
When searching for an agent, we recommend you check rates from a couple of independent agencies for maximum quote selection. Many independent agencies also insure through companies that do not advertise much which may have better rates.
Shown below are independent agencies in Long Beach that can possibly get you free price quotes.
- Lara Insurance
6689 Downey Ave – Long Beach, CA 90805 – (562) 408-2800 – View Map - Global Guard Insurance
1310 Pine Ave d – Long Beach, CA 90813 – (562) 591-5181 – View Map - Rosanne Sanchez Insurance Agency
1165 E San Antonio Dr – Long Beach, CA 90807 – (310) 874-3933 – View Map
Exclusive Agents
Agents in the exclusive channel can only provide pricing for a single company and some examples include Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on their company’s products which can be an advantage. Consumers often buy insurance from these agents mainly due to the brand name and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive agents in Long Beach that are able to give price quote information.
- Farmers Insurance – Susan Rios
3450 E Spring St #214 – Long Beach, CA 90806 – (562) 988-5700 – View Map - Ed Ratleff – State Farm Insurance Agent
1190 N Studebaker Rd f – Long Beach, CA 90815 – (562) 799-0291 – View Map - Farmers Insurance: Doug Horn
1635 E Anaheim St – Long Beach, CA 90813 – (562) 591-3100 – View Map
Picking an auto insurance agent is decision based upon more than just a cheap price quote. Here are some questions you should ask.
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
- Will they give you a referral list?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- What is their Better Business Bureau rating?
Coverages available on your car insurance policy
Understanding the coverages of your policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Medical payments coverage and PIP – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for expenses for things like EMT expenses, surgery, X-ray expenses, nursing services and doctor visits. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive coverage – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as theft, hail damage and a broken windshield. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Liability auto insurance – Liability insurance provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 15/30/5 that translate to a limit of $15,000 per injured person, a limit of $30,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $5,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability can pay for claims like legal defense fees, medical expenses, pain and suffering, court costs and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much coverage you buy is your choice, but consider buying higher limits if possible. California requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.
The chart below demonstrates why low liability limits may not provide adequate coverage.
Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for things like backing into a parked car, rolling your car, hitting a mailbox, colliding with a tree and crashing into a ditch. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible on your GTO in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Pontiac GTO.
Due to the fact that many California drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Smart consumers save more
There are still a few companies who may not offer the ability to get quotes online and these regional insurance providers prefer to sell through local independent agents. More affordable auto insurance in Long Beach can be purchased both online and with local Long Beach insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection.
We just covered some good ideas how to reduce Pontiac GTO insurance car insurance rates online in Long Beach. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s not a good idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In too many instances, someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your objective should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at these sites:
- How Does Hitting a Deer Impact Insurance Rates? (Allstate)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a GMC Sierra in Long Beach? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Male in Long Beach? (FAQ)
- How Much is Long Beach Car Insurance for Immigrants? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for First-time Drivers in Long Beach? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Long Beach Car Insurance for Retired Military? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Police Officers in Long Beach? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Long Beach Car Insurance for Homeowners? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 70 in Long Beach? (FAQ)
- Comprehensive Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Bodily Injury Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)