In an ideal world, we could simply tell you the one company in California that has the best deal on coverage in California. It's just not that simple, as there are a whole slew of unknowns such as how far you drive each year, if you have a lapse in coverage, and whether or not you own a home, that all influence how much you pay for auto insurance. We know insurance is not everyone's favorite topic, but in this article we will cover the best ways to shop for cheaper coverage and will hopefully give the reader some help in finding cheaper rates.
Comparing rates for affordable insurance is not the easiest thing to do, and deciding which companies offer the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for police officers will take even more rate comparisons. Every car insurance company uses their own method for determining rates, so let's begin by examining the auto insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Santa Ana, CA.
It's important to understand that California auto insurance rates are impacted by many things that will increase or decrease the price you have to pay. Getting older, buying a higher-value vehicle, or having a fender bender may prompt premium changes resulting in some companies being less affordable than competitors.
Best Insurance Companies for Law Enforcement
USAA may offer some of the best car insurance rates in Santa Ana at around $1,121 a year. This is $530 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the cheaper Santa Ana, CA insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are insured with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you may realize annual savings of upwards of $25. Customers with CSAA could save as much as $77 a year, and Century National policyholders might reduce prices by as much as $93 a year.
Understand that those policy rates are averages for all drivers and vehicles in California and do not factor in a vehicle location for police officers. So the company that is most affordable for your situation may not even be in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own individual information.
The type of vehicle you are insuring is a large consideration that determines if you can find cheaper auto insurance for police officers. Vehicles with lots of speed or power, poor safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than more modest models.
The data below shows insurance prices for some of the most cost-effective automobiles to insure.
Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $1,063 |
Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $1,070 |
Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,130 |
Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $1,148 |
Chevrolet Malibu LT | $1,177 |
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $1,194 |
Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $1,217 |
Toyota Prius | $1,221 |
Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,239 |
Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,245 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 2WD | $1,239 |
Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,244 |
Dodge Ram Quad Cab SLT 4WD | $1,261 |
Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $1,288 |
Ford Focus SES 2-Dr Coupe | $1,301 |
Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,304 |
Toyota RAV4 2WD | $1,311 |
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $1,333 |
Ford Edge Limited AWD | $1,335 |
Toyota Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $1,343 |
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Table data represents single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Premium costs do not factor in specific location which can revise premiums considerably.
Looking at the numbers, you can see that models like the Hyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape are most likely going to be the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for law enforcement personnel.
The diagram below highlights how deductible selection can impact insurance costs when quoting cheap insurance for police officers. The data assumes a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied.
The chart above illustrates that a 30-year-old driver could lower rates by $342 a year by switching from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $516 by choosing a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, such as the Age 20 example, could possibly save $1,026 annually by choosing a larger deductible amount.
When raising deductibles, it will be required to have plenty of money set aside to allow you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense that is associated with using high deductibles.
Full coverage rates vs. liability-only in Santa Ana
Saving money on auto insurance is the goal of most vehicle owners, and one way to find cheap insurance for police officers is to not pay for full coverage. The illustration below shows the difference between car insurance costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The rates are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.
If averaged for all ages, physical damage coverage costs $3,385 per year more than just buying liability insurance. At some point, almost every driver questions if physical damage coverage is worth the money. There isn't a written rule of when to exclude physical damage insurance, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
For example, let's pretend your vehicle's replacement value is $10,500 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company will settle for is $9,500 after you pay the deductible. If you are paying over $950 a year to have full coverage, then it's probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
Types of discounts on Santa Ana auto insurance
Insurance providers that offer quotes for police officers may also provide premium discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 35% if you are eligible to receive them. Companies and some of the discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm may include discounts for driver's education, passive restraint, accident-free, good student, and student away at school.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for switch companies, teen driver, alternative fuel, youthful driver, and early shopping.
- Progressive offers discounts including good student, online signing, homeowner, multi-policy, and continuous coverage.
- GEICO may have discounts that include defensive driver, multi-vehicle, membership and employees, air bags, driver training, and good student.
- Auto-Owners Insurance includes discounts for mature driver, safe driver, company car, anti-lock brakes, and paid in full.
- The Hartford has discounts for driver training, vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, air bag, and good student.
- Farm Bureau has savings for renewal discount, 55 and retired, safe driver, good student, multi-policy, driver training, and youthful driver.
- USAA offers discounts for family discount, multi-policy, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, and driver training.
The chart below visualizes the comparison of auto insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The costs are based on a male driver, no claims or violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with defensive driving course, claim-free, accident-free, passive restraint, vehicle safety, and multiple policy discounts applied. When drivers take advantage of discounts, the average amount saved each year on auto insurance for police officers is 28% or $640.
If you have coverage questions and would like to get some professional advice when trying to find the best insurance rates for law enforcement personnel, the agencies below can help you make a decision which coverages and limits you need.
To locate a Santa Ana auto insurance agent closest to you, click the button link following the list.
Allstate Insurance: Octavio R E Pina
1926 S Main St - Santa Ana, CA 92707 - (714) 444-3022
Peggy Bates - State FarmĀ® Insurance Agent
2723 N Bristol St #1 - Santa Ana, CA 92706 - (714) 543-0422
Mural Insurance Agency
1202 17th St #103 - Santa Ana, CA 92701 - (714) 541-1003
Farmers Insurance Agency: Blake Robbins
3611 S Harbor Blvd #200 - Santa Ana, CA 92704 - (417) 263-1934