A recent car insurance study discovered that the vast majority of car insurance customers have stayed with the same insurance company for at least four years, and nearly half have never quoted rates to find cheaper coverage. Many drivers in Irvine could save $469 each year just by comparing rates, but they just feel it’s too hard to compare other rate quotes.
The preferred way to get affordable car insurance rates in Irvine is to start comparing prices yearly from providers in California.
Step 1: Read and learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the steps you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that result in higher prices such as multiple speeding tickets and a low credit score can be remedied by being financially responsible and driving safely.
Step 2: Get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only quote rates from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide prices for many different companies.
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy and determine if cheaper Sable coverage is available. If you find a lower rate and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
Step 4: Tell your current company of your intention to cancel the current policy. Submit the completed application along with a down payment to the new insurer. As soon as you receive it, place the new certificate verifying coverage somewhere easily accessible.
The most important part of this process is to use the same level of coverage on every price quote and and to analyze all possible companies. Doing this helps ensure the most accurate price comparison and a better comparison of the market.
If you have car insurance now, you will be able to reduce premiums using these methods. Locating the most cost-effective car insurance policy in Irvine can be easy if you know a few tricks. Although California drivers must learn the methods companies use to calculate your policy premium and apply this information to your search.
Cheaper rates with these discounts
Insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but you may find discounts that you may not even know about. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at quote time, but some need to be manually applied before they will apply. If you do not double check each discount you deserve, you may be paying too high a price.
- Smart Student Discounts – Being a good student can save 20 to 25%. You can use this discount normally well after school through age 25.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles have a lower chance of being stolen and that can save you a little bit as well.
- Senior Citizen Discount – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens could receive lower premium rates.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Putting insurance coverage on a new Sable may earn a small discount since newer vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Multi-policy Discount – When you combine your homeowners and auto insurance and place coverage with the same company you could save up to 20% off your total Sable insurance premium.
- Accident Forgiveness – Not a discount per se, but certain companies permit an accident without getting socked with a rate hike if you have no claims before the accident.
- Driver Safety – Passing a driver safety class could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
As a sidenote, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck.
To choose insurance companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in Irvine, click here to view.
When price shopping your coverage, getting more free quotes helps increase your odds of locating the best price. Some smaller insurers do not give price estimates online, so you also need to get price estimates on coverage from those companies, too.
The companies shown below are ready to provide comparison quotes in Irvine, CA. If you want cheap car insurance in Irvine, we suggest you visit as many as you can in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Smart Consumers Can Save Money
Many things are taken into consideration when premium rates are determined. Some are obvious such as traffic violations, although others are not as apparent such as whether you are married or how financially stable you are. An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that are used to determine auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates, this helps enable you to make changes that may result in lower premium levels.
The factors shown below are some of the things used by insurance companies to determine your premiums.
Keep policy claims to a minimum – Companies in California provide discounts to people who do not file claims often. If you file a lot of claims you can look forward to higher rates. Insurance coverage is designed for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Your location is important – Having an address in less populated areas of the country is a positive aspect when trying to find low car insurance rates. Residents of big cities have more traffic problems and longer commute times. Fewer drivers on the road translates into fewer accident claims in addition to lower liability claims.
More mileage equals more premium – Driving more miles annually the higher your rate. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars partially by how you use the vehicle. Autos that do not get driven very much can get a lower rate than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Double check that your auto insurance policy is showing the correct driver usage. An incorrectly rated Sable can cost quite a bit.
Do you really need roadside assistance? – There are a lot of extra coverages you can purchase on your auto insurance policy. Things like personal injury protection, high-cost glass coverage, and term life insurance could be just wasting money. You may think they are a good idea when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Deter vehicle theft – Choosing to buy a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention features such as OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems help track and prevent vehicle theft.
A good credit rating can save money – Having a bad credit score is a big factor in determining premium rates. People that have excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers with poor credit. So if your credit rating is not that good, you could save money insuring your Mercury Sable by repairing your credit.
Liability coverage – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Your liability coverage provides for a legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
Comparing prices from local Irvine insurance agencies
Some consumers still like to get advice from a local agent and doing that can be a smart decision The best thing about getting online price quotes is you can get lower rates and still choose a local agent. Supporting small agencies is important especially in Irvine.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this quick form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to agents in your area that provide free Irvine car insurance quotes for your coverage. You never need to leave your computer due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox. You can most likely find cheaper rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you need to get a rate quote for a specific company, you can always jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.
When searching for a reliable insurance agency, there are two types of insurance agents and how they operate. Insurance agencies in Irvine can be described as either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
These agents are not limited to a single company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can just switch to a different company and you don’t have to do anything. When shopping rates, you absolutely need to get several quotes from several independent insurance agents to have the best price comparison.
Listed below are Irvine independent insurance agencies who may be able to give you cheap rate quotes.
California Agency Insurance
17632 Irvine Blvd # 235 – Tustin, CA 92780 – (714) 731-8300 – View Map
Church and Casualty Insurance
3440 Irvine Ave # 150 – Newport Beach, CA 92660 – (949) 852-8558 – View Map
Isu Insurance Services Irvine
18022 Cowan Ste 225 – Irvine, CA 92614 – (949) 419-2100 – View Map
Exclusive Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive can usually just insure with one company and some examples include Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. These agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. These agents receive extensive training on the products they sell which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Shown below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in Irvine that can give you price quotes.
State Farm Insurance Agent: Kevin Chhiv
2101 Business Center Dr Suite 110 – Irvine, CA 92612 – (949) 202-0338 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Jeff Adams
4860 Irvine Blvd Ste 206 – Irvine, CA 92620 – (714) 505-2457 – View Map
Mike McCain – State Farm Insurance Agent
1442 Irvine Blvd #204 – Tustin, CA 92780 – (714) 734-8300 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Get answers to these questions too.
- How long has their agency been open in Irvine?
- How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- Can you contact them at any time?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
- Is auto insurance their primary focus in Irvine?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
Car insurance is not optional in California
Despite the potentially high cost of Mercury Sable insurance, paying for car insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- Just about all states have minimum liability requirements which means state laws require specific limits of liability if you want to drive legally. 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 lien on your vehicle, almost all lenders will make it a condition of the loan that you carry insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If the policy lapses, the bank may buy a policy for your Mercury at an extremely high rate and force you to pay for the much more expensive policy.
- Car insurance protects both your Mercury Sable and your assets. Insurance will also pay for medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also pays expenses related to your legal defense in the event you are sued. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of buying enough insurance definitely exceed the price paid, especially for larger claims. Today the average American driver is overpaying over $869 every year so it’s very important to do a rate comparison every year to ensure rates are inline.
Irvine car insurance company ratings
Choosing the highest-rated car insurance company can be a challenge considering how many companies sell insurance in California. The rank data displayed below could help you select which auto insurance companies you want to consider purchasing a policy from.
Top 10 Irvine Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
One last thing about your coverage
There are still a few companies who do not provide rates over the internet and most of the time these regional carriers only sell coverage through independent agents. Lower-priced Mercury Sable insurance in Irvine can be purchased on the web and from local insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to get a complete price analysis.
When getting Irvine car insurance quotes online, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to find out that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
To learn more, link through to the resources below:
- Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for College Graduates in Irvine? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Irvine Auto Insurance Quotes for a Honda Civic? (FAQ)
- Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Understanding your Policy (NAIC.org)
- Distracted Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)