Really, the only way to get budget car insurance rates in Santa Ana is to start doing a yearly price comparison from different companies in California.
Step 1: It will benefit you to learn about how car insurance works and the steps you can take to lower rates. Many policy risk factors that increase rates such as distracted driving and a low credit rating can be improved by making minor changes in your lifestyle. Keep reading for tips to get affordable coverage and find discounts that may have been missed.
Step 2: Compare prices from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes for a wide range of insurance providers.
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy premium to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you can save money and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
The most important part of shopping around is to try to compare similar coverage information on each quote and and to get rate quotes from all possible companies. Doing this enables an accurate price comparison and the best price quote selection.
It's safe to conclude that auto insurance companies don't want their policyholders to compare prices. People who shop around for the cheapest price are inclined to buy a different policy because of the high probability of finding discount prices. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that drivers who make a habit of shopping around saved over $865 a year compared to policyholders who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding the lowest price for Ford C-Max Energi insurance in Santa Ana is your target objective, then having some knowledge of the best way to shop and compare insurance rates can help you succeed in saving money.
Cheap Santa Ana Ford C-Max Energi insurance quotes
When price shopping your coverage, quoting more helps improve the odds of finding more affordable insurance.
The providers in the list below have been selected to offer comparison quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, we suggest you click on several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Score discounts to get cheaper Santa Ana car insurance quotes
Some companies don't always publicize all their discounts very well, so the following list contains a few of the more well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious ways to save on car insurance.
- Multi-line Discount - Select insurance carriers reward you with a lower price if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Discount for Good Grades - Being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
- No Claim Discounts - Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Distant Student Discount - Older children who are enrolled in higher education away from home without a vehicle on campus may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Telematics Discount - Insureds that choose to allow their company to study driving habits by installing a telematics device such as Drivewise from Allstate or Snapshot from Progressive could see a rate decrease if they have good driving habits.
- Driver Safety - Successfully completing a course teaching safe driver skills can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
- Sign Early and Save - Some insurance companies provide a discount for renewing your policy before your current expiration date. You may see this discount when you get Santa Ana auto insurance quotes online.
- Pay Upfront and Save - By paying your entire bill at once instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
- Low Mileage - Fewer annual miles on your Ford could earn substantially lower rates.
- Discounts for Good Drivers - Drivers without accidents can save as much as half off their rates than drivers with accident claims.
Discounts lower rates, but most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, it just doesn't work that way. Any qualifying discounts will positively reduce the amount you have to pay.
To see a list of providers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Santa Ana, click here.
When should I contact an insurance agent?
Many drivers would rather visit with an insurance agent and that can be a great decision One of the best bonuses of comparing rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Once you complete this simple form, your coverage information gets sent to companies in Santa Ana who want to provide quotes for your coverage. It's much easier because you don't need to search for any insurance agencies since rate quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. You can most likely find cheaper rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If you have a need to get a rate quote for a specific company, you would need to find their quoting web page and fill out their quote form.
Finding the right insurer is decision based upon more than just a cheap price. You should also get answers to these questions.
- Has the agent ever had any license suspensions?
- Does the agent recommend any additional coverage?
- Does the agency have a current Errors and Omissions policy?
- How much training do they have in personal risk management?
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
- Do they reduce claim amounts on high mileage vehicles?
Insurance agent types
If you want to buy insurance from a reputable insurance agent or broker, it's helpful to know the types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agents in Santa Ana may be either exclusive agents or independent agents.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents of this type can only provide one company's prices such as Allstate, AAA, Farmers Insurance, and State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Exclusive agents receive a lot of sales training on their company's products which helps them sell on service rather than price. A lot of people use the same agent partially due to loyalty to the company rather than having the cheapest rates.
Below is a list of exclusive agents in Santa Ana willing to provide price quote information.
- State Farm Insurance: Luis Olmedo
600 S Grand Ave #101 - Santa Ana, CA 92705 - (714) 486-3441 - View Map - Monica Drevon - State Farm Insurance Agent
3740 S Bristol St - Santa Ana, CA 92704 - (714) 966-2679 - View Map - Farmers Insurance Agency: Blake Robbins
3611 S Harbor Blvd #200 - Santa Ana, CA 92704 - (417) 263-1934 - View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents in the independent channel are not employed by one company and that gives them the ability to insure through lots of different companies and find the cheapest insurance rates. If prices rise, the business is moved internally which makes it simple for you.
If you are comparing rate quotes, we recommend you include rate quotes from independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison. Many independent agencies also insure through additional companies that you may not be familiar with that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
Shown below is a list of independent agents in Santa Ana that can give you comparison quotes.
- Nuway Insurance Agency Inc.
410 N Bristol St - Santa Ana, CA 92703 - (714) 953-2117 - View Map - FIRST HOME INSURANCE AGENCY
1522 E 4th St - Santa Ana, CA 92701 - (714) 560-8835 - View Map - Everett Callahan Insurance Agency, Inc
1913 17th St - Santa Ana, CA 92705 - (714) 246-8976 - View Map
Informed Drivers Can Cut Their Insurance Rates
Lots of things are part of the equation when quoting car insurance. Some are obvious such as your driving history, but some are less obvious such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating. One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the factors that come into play when calculating your policy premiums. When consumers understand what influences your rates, this enables you to make decisions that could help you find lower premium levels.
- Too many policy claims will drive auto insurance rates up - Insurance companies in California provide cheaper rates to insureds that do not abuse their auto insurance. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Your car insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.
- Prices impacted by vehicle usage - Driving a lot of miles in a year the higher the price you pay to insure it. Many insurance companies calculate prices based upon how much you drive. Cars that do not get driven very much can be on a lower rate level than vehicles that are driven to work every day. It's a good idea to make sure your declarations sheet reflects the correct usage. Improper usage on your C-Max Energi may be wasting your money.
- Improve your credit history - Your credit score can be a huge factor in your rate calculation. If your credit rating is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your Ford C-Max Energi by spending a little time repairing your credit. Insureds with good credit tend to be better risks to insure as compared to drivers with poor credit scores.
- Having a spouse can save on auto insurance - Having a significant other can get you a discount compared to being single. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature and responsible and insurance companies like that married couples file fewer claims.
- Only buy what you need - There are a ton of extra coverages that may not really be needed if you don't pay attention. Coverages for coverage for rental cars, better glass coverage, and motor club memberships are probably not needed. The coverages may be enticing when talking to your agent, but if they're wasting money think about removing them and cutting costs.
- Safeguard your assets with liability coverage - Your auto insurance policy's liability coverage will afford coverage in the event that you are ruled to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
- City traffic equals higher prices - Having an address in areas with lower population can save you money when talking about auto insurance. People in densely populated areas regularly have traffic congestion and higher rates of accident claims. Fewer drivers corresponds to lower accident rates and lower theft and vandalism rates.
- Vehicle options that cut premiums - Buying a car that has a built-in theft deterrent system can save you some money. Anti-theft features such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms can help prevent auto theft.
Choosing the best Ford C-Max Energi insurance in California is an important decision
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Ford C-Max Energi in Santa Ana, insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.
- Just about all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require a specific minimum amount of liability 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, it's most likely the lender will have a requirement that you carry insurance to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Ford for a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them for it.
- Insurance safeguards not only your vehicle but also your financial assets. It will also pay for many types of medical costs incurred in an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay for a defense attorney if you cause an accident and are sued. If you have damage to your Ford as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance outweigh the cost, especially if you ever need it. But the average driver in California is overpaying more than $700 annually so we recommend shopping around every year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Get the best coverage at the most affordable price
When you buy Santa Ana auto insurance online, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed liability coverage limits and learned later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your objective should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest cost, not the least amount of coverage.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to reduce Ford C-Max Energi insurance auto insurance rates online in Santa Ana. It's most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even be surprised to find that the best auto insurance rates are with an unexpected company.
Some car insurance companies may not provide the ability to get quotes online and these small insurance companies only sell coverage through independent agents. Budget-friendly car insurance in Santa Ana is attainable online in addition to many Santa Ana insurance agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis.
Much more information about car insurance in California can be read at these links:
- When is the Right Time to Switch Car Insurance Companies? (Allstate)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for a Learners Permit in Santa Ana? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Kia Forte in Santa Ana? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Teenage Males in Santa Ana? (FAQ)
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
- Uninsured Motorist Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)