Affordable Car Insurance in Irvine

It takes a little time, but the best way to find cheaper auto insurance rates in Irvine is to compare prices regularly from insurance carriers who sell insurance in California. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.

• First, take a few minutes and learn about what is in your policy and the things you can control to keep rates down. Many policy risk factors that increase rates like accidents, careless driving, and a negative credit rating can be rectified by making minor changes in your lifestyle.
• Second, compare rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can give you price quotes from many different companies. Compare rates now
• Third, compare the price quotes to your current policy premium to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate quote and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
• Fourth, provide notification to your current agent or company of your decision to cancel your existing policy. Submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application to your new company or agent. Make sure you keep your new certificate of insurance along with the vehicle’s registration papers.

An important note is that you’ll want to compare similar coverage information on each quote and and to get price estimates from every company you can. Doing this ensures the most accurate price comparison and many rates to choose from.

It’s well known that auto insurance companies want to keep you from comparing rates. Drivers who compare rates at least once a year will, in all likelihood, switch companies because of the good chance of finding more affordable rates. A recent study showed that drivers who routinely compared rates saved over $860 a year compared to people who never shopped around for cheaper prices.

If finding budget-friendly rates on auto insurance is your target objective, then having a grasp of how to get rate quotes and compare auto insurance can help you succeed in finding affordable rates.

What determines your policy premium?

Lots of things are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving history, but other factors are not as apparent such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating. The best way to find cheaper insurance is to take a look at some of the factors that aid in calculating the price you pay for insurance. When you understand what influences your rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with lower insurance prices.

Vocation stress can make you pay more – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupations like fire fighters, police officers, and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates because of intense work requirements and incredibly demanding work hours. On the other hand, occupations like actors, engineers and the unemployed generally pay rates lower than average.

Insurance premiums and vehicle performance – The make and model of the car, truck or SUV you are insuring makes a substantial difference in your auto insurance rates. The cheapest insurance rates are usually for low performance passenger vehicles, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.

Credit rating impacts rates – Your credit history can be a huge factor in determining your rates. If your credit history is low, you may save money insuring your vehicle if you clean up your credit. Drivers who have excellent credit tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than drivers who have bad credit.

Men pay higher premiums – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women have accidents in similar numbers, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also receive more major tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are several times more likely to be in an accident so they pay the highest premiums.

Pay less with a high IIHS safety rating – Safe vehicles get lower rates. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders.

Most companies give coverage price quotes online. Doing online price comparisons is very simple as you just enter the coverages you want on the page. When complete, the quote system gets your credit score and driving record and provides a quote determined by many factors.

Getting online quotes helps simplify price comparisons, and it’s necessary to perform this step if you want to get the lowest payment on auto insurance.

If you want to fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, compare rate quotes from the providers shown below. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you complete the form with the coverage information identical to your current policy. This ensures you’re receiving an apples-to-apples comparison for the exact same coverage.

The following companies are ready to provide price comparisons in California. If you want cheap car insurance in California, we suggest you visit as many as you can to find the most competitive car insurance rates.

Table data represents married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can change rates significantly.

Three reasons auto insurance is important

Despite the fact that auto insurance is not cheap in Irvine, paying for auto insurance is a good idea for several reasons.

• Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means state laws require a specific minimum amount of liability if you drive a vehicle. 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 your vehicle has a loan, it’s most likely the lender will require you to have comprehensive coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the lender may insure your vehicle at a significantly higher premium and force you to pay the higher price.
• Insurance protects your vehicle and your assets. It will also pay for hospital and medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability insurance also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you cause an accident and are sued. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, your auto insurance policy will pay to have it repaired.

The benefits of carrying enough insurance are definitely more than the cost, especially when you need to use it. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver is overpaying over $825 a year so you should quote your policy with other companies at every renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.

Verify you’re getting every discount

Not many people think insurance is cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available that could help you make your next renewal payment. Some of these discounts will be visible at quote time, but a few need to be inquired about prior to getting the savings. If you’re not getting every credit available, you could be getting lower rates.

• Auto/Life Discount – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a break if you buy life insurance from them.
• Driver Training Discounts – Completing a safe driver course may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
• Claim-Free Discount – Claim-free drivers can save substantially in comparison with accident-prone drivers.
• Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may earn 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Driver Education Discount – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class as it can save substantially.

It’s important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the whole policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.

A few of the larger companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are outlined below.

• American Family has discounts for good driver, good student, early bird, air bags, and accident-free.
• Nationwide offers discounts for family plan, easy pay, multi-policy, good student, business or organization, Farm Bureau membership, and accident-free.
• MetLife may offer discounts for accident-free, good driver, multi-policy, defensive driver, claim-free, good student
• 21st Century may have discounts that include automatic seat belts, theft prevention, teen driver, early bird, good student, and defensive driver.
• Farmers Insurance includes discounts for distant student, mature driver, homeowner, alternative fuel, teen driver, and early shopping.
• Allstate offers premium reductions for passive restraint, good student, farm vehicle, good payer, and EZ pay plan discount.

Before buying, ask each insurance company how many discounts you can get. A few discounts might not be offered in Irvine. For a list of insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in California, click here.

Local Irvine car insurance agents and auto insurance

Some consumers still like to sit down and talk to an agent and that can be a smart move Good agents are highly skilled in risk management and give you someone to call. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is that you can find lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.

By using this simple form, your insurance data is sent to local insurance agents in Irvine that can provide free Irvine auto insurance quotes for your auto insurance coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to leave your computer because prices are sent straight to your inbox. If you want to get a comparison quote from a specific company, you would need to find their quoting web page and fill out the quote form the provide.

Finding the right company requires more thought than just the price. These are some valid questions you should ask.

• Does the company have a solid financial rating?
• How would your car be valued if totaled?
• Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance in Irvine?
• Are they able to provide referrals?
• Does the agency have a positive business rating?

If you want to buy auto insurance from local Irvine agents, you should know the different agency structures and how they are slightly different. Agents may be either exclusive agents or independent agents. Both properly insure your vehicles, but it’s a good idea to understand the difference between them because it can impact the selection process.

Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents

Exclusive agencies have only one company to place business with and examples are State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agents are highly trained on sales techniques and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Some insured continue to buy from the same agent for years mostly because of high brand loyalty rather than low rates.

Shown below are Irvine exclusive insurance agents willing to provide price quotes.

• State Farm: Jane Lee
  30 Corporate Park – Irvine, CA 92606 – (949) 223-5020 – View Map
• State Farm: Richard Tay
  14210 Culver Dr A – Irvine, CA 92604 – (949) 559-8866 – View Map
• Farmers Insurance
  4000 Barranca Pkwy # 250 – Irvine, CA 92604 – (949) 262-3238 – View Map

More Irvine agents

Independent Agents

Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company so as a result can place your coverage through lots of different companies depending on which coverage is best. If premiums increase, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part. If you are comparing auto insurance prices, you definitely need to get several quotes from a few independent agents for the best price selection. They often place coverage with different regional companies which may have better rates.

The following are Irvine independent insurance agents willing to provide price quote information.

• Journey Insurance
  9541 Irvine Center Dr – Irvine, CA 92618 – (888) 323-7480 – View Map
• Lockton Insurance Brokers
  19800 MacArthur Blvd #1250 – Irvine, CA 92612 – (949) 252-4400 – View Map
• AIS | Auto Insurance Specialists | Irvine
  16969 Von Karman Ave #100 – Irvine, CA 92606 – (949) 660-7061 – View Map

More Irvine agents

After talking to the agent and getting acceptable answers to any questions you have as well as an affordable premium quote, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles. Just understand that it’s your coverage and you can terminate coverage for any reason so never assume that you are permanently stuck with any specific agency indefinitely.

What insurance coverages do I need?

When quoting and comparing the best insurance coverage, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

For example, these questions could help you determine whether or not you could use an agent’s help.

• Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
• Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
• Who is covered by my policy?
• Can I make deliveries for my home business?
• Is a driver training discount available?
• Am I covered if I hit my neighbor’s mailbox?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in California?
• If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Best and worst vehicle claim statistics

Which vehicle models have severe claims? The statistics tables below outline the good and bad models for likelihood of having claims organized by coverage.

Don’t give up on cheaper rates

When buying insurance coverage, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

Cost effective insurance can be bought both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so you need to shop Irvine auto insurance with both to have the best rate selection. Some companies do not provide price quotes online and usually these smaller providers work with independent insurance agencies.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to get a better price on insurance in Irvine. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. Consumers could even find that the best price on insurance is with the least-expected company.

Other learning opportunities

• Frontal Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Immigrants in Irvine? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for 16 Year Olds in Irvine? (FAQ)
• No-Fault Auto Insurance Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Think You’re a Safe Driver? (State Farm)
• Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)
• How to shop for a safer car (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)