Trying to find the cheapest Buick Verano insurance in San Diego? If price shopping San Diego car insurance quotes online is new to you, you can be bewildered due to the large selection of local and online companies who all claim to have the lowest rates for Buick Verano insurance in San Diego.
A study showed that most insurance customers have remained with the same insurance company for well over three years, and approximately 40% of consumers have never even compared rates from other companies. Many drivers in San Diego can cut their rates by $500 a year by just comparing quotes, but they won’t spend time to compare rate quotes online.
You need to take a look at other company’s rates at least once a year because prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates on Buick Verano insurance in San Diego last year a different company probably has better premium rates today. Block out anything you think you know about insurance because you’re about to learn the best methods to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.
If you are insured now, you will definitely be able to get lower rates using the following tips. The purpose of this post is to familiarize you with how to compare rates easily and some money-saving tips. Although California vehicle owners can benefit from knowing the way insurance companies price online insurance and take advantage of how the system works.
Informed Drivers Know How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper
Part of the auto insurance buying process is learning the factors that go into determining your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that may result in lower rates. Lots of things are used when you get a price on insurance. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving history, but some are less apparent like your continuous coverage or your commute time.
The following are some of the factors companies use to determine prices.
- Never let your auto insurance policy lapse – Letting your insurance expire will be a quick way to trigger a rate increase. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage could result in fines or a revoked license.
- More people means more accidents – Residing in a small town is a positive aspect when it comes to auto insurance. Residents of big cities have much more traffic and more time behind the wheel. Fewer drivers and short commutes means less chance of accidents in addition to lower liability claims
- If you don’t need it don’t buy it – There are many optional add-on coverages that may not really be needed on your auto insurance policy. Insurance for things like personal injury protection, high-cost glass coverage, and term life insurance may be wasting your money. They may sound like good ideas initially, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Credit rating impacts premium costs – An insured’s credit history is a large factor in determining what you pay. Insureds with very good credit scores tend to file fewer claims than drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit score is lower than you’d like, you may save money insuring your Buick Verano by taking the time to improve your credit score.
- Buick Verano insurance claim data – Insurers take into consideration historical loss data for every vehicle as a tool for profitable underwriting. Models that historically have higher loss trends will have higher rates. The table below shows the insurance loss data used by companies for Buick Verano vehicles.
For each policy coverage type, the claim probability for all vehicles compiled together is equal to 100. Values below 100 suggest a positive loss record, while numbers that are greater than 100 point to more claims or tendency to have higher losses.
Insurance Loss Ratings for Buick Verano Vehicles
Vehicle Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Buick Verano 92 96 85 109 127 126 Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
To find the best insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing price quotes from different San Diego insurance companies. The easiest way by far to lower the rate you pay for insurance consists of shopping online.
When quoting insurance, remember that comparing all the rates in your area gives you a better chance of getting the best offered rates. Some regional insurers cannot provide online price quotes, so it’s necessary to compare rates from them as well.
The auto insurance companies shown below have been selected to offer price comparisons in California. If multiple companies are shown, we recommend you click on several of them to get the cheapest price.
Auto insurance protects more than just your car
Even though it can be expensive, insuring your vehicle is required in California but it also protects you in many ways.
- Almost all states have minimum liability requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a minimum amount of liability protection 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 took out a loan on your vehicle, more than likely the lender will force you to carry insurance to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totalled. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Buick for a lot more money and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects not only your Buick but also your assets. It will also cover hospital and medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your Buick gets damaged, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than cancel out the cost, especially with large liability claims. As of last year, the average driver in California is overpaying more than $855 a year so it’s important to compare rates at every renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Save with these discounts
Companies do not advertise all possible discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both well-publicized in addition to some of the lesser obvious auto insurance savings. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you are just wasting money.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars with ABS and/or traction control have fewer accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- One Accident Forgiven – Not really a discount, but some companies like State Farm and Allstate will let one accident slide before they charge you more for coverage if you have no claims for a specific time period.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time as opposed to paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Use Seat Belts – Drivers who require all occupants to fasten their seat belts can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
- Paperwork-free – Certain insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy on your computer.
- Theft Deterrent Discount – Cars equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems help deter theft and will qualify for a discount on a San Diego car insurance quote.
- Defensive Driving Course – Completing a course that instructs on driving safety could earn you a small percentage discount if your company offers it.
One thing to note about discounts is that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way. But all discounts will help reduce your auto insurance premiums.
The best auto insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are outlined below.
- Progressive may offer discounts for continuous coverage, online quote discount, good student, homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and online signing.
- AAA policyholders can earn discounts including good driver, AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, anti-theft, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for youthful driver, good student, switch companies, business and professional, mature driver, and bundle discounts.
- GEICO offers discounts for driver training, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, and multi-policy.
- Esurance has discounts for online shopper, good student, paid-in-full, Pac-12 alumni, renters, and DriveSense.
- SAFECO may have discounts that include teen safe driver, anti-lock brakes, teen safety rewards, drive less, safe driver, and anti-theft.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for passive restraint, safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, student away at school, and good driver.
Check with every insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. A few discounts might not be offered in San Diego. To find providers with discount auto insurance rates in San Diego, click this link.
Can’t I compare prices from local San Diego insurance agents?
Some people would prefer to buy from a local agent and that can be a smart move An additional benefit of getting free rate quotes online is that you can find lower car insurance rates and still choose a local agent. And buying from local agents is still important in San Diego.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, your insurance data is immediately sent to agents in your area who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact any agents since price quotes are sent to your email. You can find better rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance company, don’t hesitate to go to their quote page and give them your coverage information.
When finding a reputable agency, there are a couple of types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agents in San Diego are categorized either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Independent Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Agents in the independent channel are appointed with more than one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and find the cheapest insurance rates. If they find a lower price, your agent can switch companies and you stay with the same agent.
When comparing insurance prices, you should always get rate quotes from a couple of independent agencies to maximize your price options. Most also have access to additional companies that you may not be familiar with that may provide cheaper insurance rates.
Featured below is a list of independent insurance agents in San Diego that may be able to give rate quotes.
- Nationwide Insurance: Keith Jackson Insurance Agency Inc
1081 Camino del Rio S Ste 210 – San Diego, CA 92108 – (916) 742-6995 – View Map - Leavitt Group – Leavitt Insurance Agency of San Diego
3636 Nobel Dr #100 – San Diego, CA 92122 – (858) 436-2441 – View Map - Einhorn Insurance
3940 Hancock St – San Diego, CA 92110 – (858) 336-4644 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
These agents can usually just insure with one company like State Farm or Allstate. These agents are not able to compare rates from other companies so you might not find the best rates. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Drivers often use the same agent primarily because of the prominence of the brand rather than having low rates.
Below are exclusive insurance agents in San Diego who can help you get price quotes.
- Farmers Insurance – Aaron Farmer
7960 Silverton Ave #202 – San Diego, CA 92126 – (858) 689-0466 – View Map - Duane Werner – State Farm Insurance Agent
6663 El Cajon Blvd j – San Diego, CA 92115 – (619) 668-5414 – View Map - Farmers Insurance: James Calafata
4325 Cass St – San Diego, CA 92109 – (858) 483-7171 – View Map
Selecting an car insurance agent should include more criteria than just a cheap quote. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
- How often do they review coverages?
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
When should I discuss my situation with an agent?
When it comes to the best auto insurance coverage, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Your needs are unique to you.
For instance, these questions could help you determine whether you may require specific advice.
- Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
- Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
- Is a blown tire covered by insurance?
- How does medical payments coverage work?
- How can I force my company to pay a claim?
- Does my Buick Verano qualify for pleasure use?
- Is a fancy paint job covered?
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form.
More effort can pay off
Low-cost Buick Verano insurance in San Diego can be sourced both online and from local insurance agents, so you need to quote San Diego car insurance with both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
When getting San Diego car insurance quotes online, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Insureds change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, high prices, extreme rates for teen drivers or even policy non-renewal. No matter why you want to switch, switching companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
To learn more, link through to the resources below:
- Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)
- Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
- Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Institute)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)