Truthfully, the best way to quote cheaper car insurance rates is to annually compare prices from different companies who can sell car insurance in Santa Ana.
- Step 1: Take a little time to learn about the different coverages in a policy and the things you can change to drop your rates. Many risk factors that are responsible for high rates like accidents, careless driving, and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle.
- Step 2: Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agencies can quote prices for many different companies.
- Step 3: Compare the new rates to the premium of your current policy to see if cheaper Fusion Energi coverage is available in Santa Ana. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Step 4: Notify your current company to cancel your current policy. Submit payment and a signed application to your new agent or company. As soon as you receive it, keep the new certificate verifying coverage along with your vehicle registration.
The key thing to know about shopping around is to make sure you enter similar deductibles and liability limits on each price quote and to quote with every company you can. This provides a level playing field and plenty of rates choose from.
A recent study showed that the vast majority of consumers have bought car insurance from the same company for over three years, and about 40% of consumers have never shopped around. California consumers could cut their rates by roughly $500 a year just by comparing rates, but they think it's difficult to compare other rate quotes.
If you have a current car insurance policy, you will surely be able to reduce the price you pay using the concepts covered in this article. Locating the most cost-effective car insurance policy in Santa Ana is much easier if you have a good place to start. But California drivers must learn how insurance companies calculate their prices because rates fluctuate considerably.
When comparison shopping, comparing a large number of companies increases the chance that you will find the best rates.
The providers in the list below can provide free quotes in California. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you click on several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Companies offer many discounts on Ford Fusion Energi insurance in Santa Ana
Some insurers do not advertise every policy discount in a way that's easy to find, so the following list contains some of the best known in addition to some of the lesser obvious car insurance savings. If you do not check that you are getting every discount you deserve, you could be getting lower rates.
- Telematics Discount - Drivers who elect to allow data collection to spy on driving patterns remotely such as Progressive's Snapshot might see lower rates as long as the data is positive.
- Theft Prevention Discount - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and that can save you a little bit as well.
- Organization Discounts - Being in a qualifying organization could earn you a nice discount when shopping for car insurance.
- Mature Driver Discount - Older drivers can possibly qualify for better car insurance rates.
- Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying in monthly installments you may reduce your total bill.
- Early Switch Discount - Some companies give discounts for buying a policy before your current expiration date. You may see this discount when you get Santa Ana car insurance quotes online.
- No Claim Discounts - Insureds with no claims or accidents pay much less in comparison with drivers who are more careless.
- Paper-free Discount - Some of the larger companies give back up to $50 simply for signing over the internet.
Don't be surprised that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. If you do the math and it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn't quite work that way.
The best car insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be found below.
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include location of vehicle, age of vehicle, low natural disaster claims, type of vehicle, and anti-theft.
- Farmers Insurance discounts include distant student, good student, business and professional, alternative fuel, early shopping, and pay in full.
- Farm Bureau offers discounts for multi-vehicle, renewal discount, safe driver, multi-policy, youthful driver, 55 and retired, and driver training.
- State Farm may offer discounts for defensive driving training, Drive Safe & Save, multiple autos, safe vehicle, and anti-theft.
- Allstate may include discounts for premier plus, defensive driver, early signing, multi-policy, and anti-lock brakes.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including membership and employees, military active duty, driver training, multi-policy, defensive driver, anti-lock brakes, and good student.
When quoting, ask each company which discounts they offer. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not apply in your state.
Auto insurance does more than just protect your car
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Ford Fusion Energi in Santa Ana, auto insurance may be required for several reasons.
- Most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require specific minimum amounts of liability insurance 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 have a loan on your Ford Fusion Energi, most lenders will have a requirement that you buy insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the lender may insure your Ford at a much higher rate and make you pay for it.
- Auto insurance preserves not only your Ford but also your assets. It will also reimburse you for most medical and hospital costs that are the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of insuring your Fusion Energi more than offset the price you pay, particularly when you have a large claim. On average, a vehicle owner in Santa Ana overpays as much as $865 each year so shop around at every policy renewal to save money.
Car insurance company ratings
Choosing a high-quality insurance provider can be difficult considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in Santa Ana. The company information shown below may help you choose which auto insurance companies you want to consider comparing rate quotes with.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
| Safeco | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
| Travelers | 80 | 87 | 87 | 83% | A++ | 85.2 |
| Farmers Insurance | 78 | 87 | 88 | 79% | A | 84.3 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Buying from insurance agencies
Many people just want to buy from a licensed agent. One of the best bonuses of getting free rate quotes online is that you can find cheap auto insurance rates and still choose a local agent.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), the quote information is immediately sent to companies in Santa Ana who will give you bids to get your business. It's much easier because you don't need to search for any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. It's the lowest rates and work with a local agent. If you need to get a rate quote from a particular provider, just jump over to their website and complete a quote there.
Finding the right provider should include more criteria than just the quoted price. The following questions are important to ask.
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Do they offer rental car reimbursement?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Is the quote a firm price?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
Specific coverage details
Learning about specific coverages of auto insurance helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverage types found on most auto insurance policies.
Auto liability insurance
Liability coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property by causing an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see limits of 15/30/5 which means a limit of $15,000 per injured person, $30,000 for the entire accident, and $5,000 of coverage for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for claims like loss of income, medical services, legal defense fees, pain and suffering and repair bills for other people's vehicles. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford. 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 buying the state minimum limits may not be high enough to cover claims.
Coverage for medical expenses
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like X-ray expenses, EMT expenses and doctor visits. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible
Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers
This gives you protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Ford Fusion Energi.
Since many California drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That's why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Collision insurance
Collision coverage pays for damage to your Fusion Energi from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage pays for claims like backing into a parked car, damaging your car on a curb, rolling your car, sideswiping another vehicle and scraping a guard rail. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. It's also possible to bump up the deductible on your Fusion Energi to bring the cost down.
Comprehensive auto insurance
Comprehensive insurance pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from getting keyed, damage from a tornado or hurricane and hitting a deer. The highest amount you'll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle's value it's not worth carrying full coverage.