It’s astonishing, but the vast majority of insurance customers have stayed with the same insurance company for well over three years, and nearly half have never compared rates with other companies. Many consumers in Irvine could save almost 35% every year, but they just feel it’s too hard to compare rate quotes.
Truthfully, the best way to find affordable quotes for auto insurance rates in Irvine is to compare prices at least once a year from insurance carriers who sell insurance in California.
- Try to understand what is in your policy and the measures you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that result in higher rates like careless driving and a negative credit rating can be rectified by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. This article gives more ideas to help keep prices low and find possible discounts that are available.
- Get rate quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple insurance companies. Select a company
- Compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy to see if a cheaper price is available in Irvine. If you can save some money and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
The key thing to remember is to try to use the same amount of coverage on every quote and and to analyze all possible companies. This provides the most accurate price comparison and the best price selection.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Some insurers don’t necessarily list all discounts very clearly, so the list below details both the well known and the more hidden credits that you can use to lower your rates.
- Irvine Homeowners Discount – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings since home ownership is proof that your finances are in order.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Resident Student – Kids who live away from home to go to college and do not take a car to college may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to participate in a local driver’s education class in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Theft Deterrent System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Early Switch Discount – A few insurance companies give discounts for signing up before your current expiration date. You may see this discount when you get Irvine car insurance quotes online.
- Accident Forgiveness – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a few companies such as GEICO, Allstate and Liberty Mutual allow you one accident without raising rates with the catch being you have to be claim-free prior to the accident.
It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though the math looks like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are:
- 21st Century has discounts for good student, teen driver, student driver, driver training, theft prevention, early bird, and anti-lock brakes.
- State Farm offers discounts for Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, accident-free, student away at school, multiple autos, and passive restraint.
- AAA may include discounts for multi-car, multi-policy, good driver, anti-theft, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual offers premium reductions for exclusive group savings, hybrid vehicle, safety features, newly married, new vehicle discount, multi-policy, and newly retired.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including continuous coverage, good student, online signing, multi-vehicle, and homeowner.
If you are trying to find the cheapest Fiat 500 rate quotes, ask all companies you are considering how you can save money. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply to policies in every state. To see providers with the best discounts in California, click here to view.
When shopping for Fiat 500 insurance in Irvine there are multiple ways of comparing rates from many available auto insurance companies in California. By far the easiest way to lower the rate you pay for Fiat 500 insurance is to use the internet to compare rates.
It’s so easy to compare quotes online that it makes it a waste of time to drive to local insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the middleman unless you require the professional advice that only an agent can give. It is possible with some companies price shop your coverage online and get advice from an agent in your area. When comparing auto insurance rates, know that comparing a wide range of rates increases your odds of finding the best offered rates. Some companies don’t provide online Irvine 500 insurance quotes, so it’s recommended that you also compare rates from them, too.
The following companies have been selected to offer free quotes in California. To find cheap auto insurance in Irvine, we suggest you visit several of them to get the most competitive price.
Save Money with These Tips
Lots of things are used in the calculation when pricing auto insurance. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, although others are more obscure like where you live or how financially stable you are. Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that play a part in calculating your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what determines premiums, this enables you to make decisions that can help you get lower rates.
The list below includes some of the most common factors used by insurance companies to determine prices.
- Married people drive safer – Having a spouse actually saves money when buying insurance. Marriage may mean you are more mature and responsible and statistics show drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
- Car insurance liability insurance limits – The liability coverage on your policy is the protection if ever you are ruled to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Your liability coverage provides you with a defense in court which can cost a lot. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
- Use but don’t abuse your insurance – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Companies in California provide the best rates to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is intended for the large, substantial claims.
- How your age affects rates – Beginning drivers in California are statistically proven to be inattentive when driving with friends so they pay higher insurance rates. Mature drivers are shown to be more cautious, tend to cause fewer accidents, and receive fewer citations.
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Fiat 500 historical loss data – Companies use data from past claims to calculate a price that will offset losses. Models that tend to have high amounts or severity of claims will have higher premium rates. The table below demonstrates the insurance loss data used by companies for Fiat 500 vehicles.
For each insurance policy coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles averaged together is equal to 100. Numbers under 100 imply a favorable loss record, while values that are 100 or greater indicate frequent claims or a tendency for losses to be larger than average.
Fiat 500 Insurance Loss Statistics Vehicle Make and Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Fiat 500 72 76 66 96 89 84 Fiat 500 Convertible 76 79 60 85 Fiat 500 Electric 73 59 76 60 Fiat 500L 112 80 102 128 93 97 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEEmpty fields indicate not enough data collected
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Everyone needs different insurance coverages
When it comes to the best insurance coverage, there really isn’t a one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions might point out whether or not you will benefit from professional help.
- Who is covered when they drive my Fiat 500?
- What is the ISO rating for a Fiat 500?
- Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
- Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
- Are rental cars covered under my policy?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Are rock-chip repairs free?
- Is my trailer covered?
- How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Independent or exclusive insurance agents
Many drivers still like to get advice from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that you can find cheap auto insurance rates and also buy local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), the quote information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Irvine who will give you quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to search for an agent since rate quotes are delivered to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates without a big time investment. If you wish to quote rates for a specific company, you would need to find their quoting web page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Choosing an company needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Some important questions to ask are:
- Where are claims handled?
- Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in Irvine?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
If you need to find a reputable agency, it’s helpful to know the types of agencies that you can choose from. Agencies in Irvine can be categorized as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive agents are contracted to one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so keep that in mind. They are trained well on what they offer and that enables them to sell even at higher rates.
The following is a short list of exclusive agents in Irvine who may provide you with rate quotes.
Farmers Insurance – Al Kash
17702 Mitchell N – Irvine, CA 92614 – (949) 216-3620 – View Map
Ray Vermeulen – State Farm Insurance Agent
2151 Michelson Dr #242 – Irvine, CA 92612 – (949) 752-6335 – View Map
Farmers Insurance
4000 Barranca Pkwy # 250 – Irvine, CA 92604 – (949) 262-3238 – View Map
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
Agents in the independent channel are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage through many companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If you want to switch companies, they simply move the coverage in-house which is easy for the insured. If you are comparing rate quotes, you should always get insurance quotes from a couple of independent agencies in order to compare the most rates.
The following is a short list of independent agents in Irvine that are able to give comparison quotes.
Tustin Insurance Agency
17621 Irvine Blvd #112 – Tustin, CA 92780 – (714) 838-1704 – View Map
California Agency Insurance
17632 Irvine Blvd # 235 – Tustin, CA 92780 – (714) 731-8300 – View Map
Professional Choice Insurance
2151 Michelson Dr Suite 250 – Irvine, CA 92612 – (714) 467-8726 – View Map
Three reasons auto insurance is important
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Fiat in Irvine, insuring your vehicle is required in California but also provides important benefits.
- Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific minimum amount of liability insurance in order to be legal. 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 500 has a loan, most lenders will require that you buy full coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may buy a policy for your Fiat at a significantly higher premium and force you to pay for the expensive policy.
- Auto insurance preserves both your assets and your Fiat. It also can pay for many types of medical costs for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay for a defense attorney if you cause an accident and are sued. If you have damage to your Fiat as the result of the weather or an accident, your auto insurance policy will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of insuring your car greatly outweigh the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. But the average American driver is wasting up to $850 per year so it’s recommended you shop around at every policy renewal to ensure rates are inline.
Compare insurance prices regularly to save
As you restructure your insurance plan, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your objective should be to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Lower-priced Fiat 500 insurance in Irvine can be bought from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Irvine agents, so you should compare both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through local independent agents.
We just showed you a lot of information how to get a better price on Fiat 500 insurance in Irvine. The key thing to remember is the more you quote Irvine car insurance, the higher your chance of finding cheaper Irvine car insurance quotes. You may even find the best price on insurance is with the smaller companies. They may often insure only within specific states and give better rates than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive or GEICO.
Even more information is available in the articles below:
- When is the Right Time to Switch Car Insurance Companies? (Allstate)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for a Dodge Grand Caravan in Irvine? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Irvine Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 70? (FAQ)
- Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)