Would you like to stop overpaying and find cheaper Buick Century insurance in San Diego? Being forced to pay for expensive car insurance premiums can dry up your bank account and make it tough to pay other bills.
It’s amazing but the majority of drivers have bought car insurance from the same company for a minimum of four years, and 38% of customers have never compared rate quotes at all. San Diego insurance shoppers could cut their rates by roughly $500 a year, but most tend to underestimate the rate savings if they just switched companies.
Due to the large number of options when it comes to car insurance, it’s difficult to pick the best insurance company.
You should take the time to check car insurance prices before your next renewal because car insurance prices change regularly. Even if you got the best deal on Buick Century insurance in San Diego two years ago you will most likely find a better premium rate today. There is a lot of bad information regarding Century insurance on the internet, but I’m going to show you some proven techniques to put money back in your pocket.
Finding the cheapest insurance coverage in San Diego is much easier if you know where to start. Nearly every car owner who compares rates for insurance will be able to save money. Nevertheless, California vehicle owners do need to know the methods companies use to determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.
The Buick Century Insurance Rate Equation
A large part of saving on car insurance is knowing some of the factors that help calculate car insurance rates. If you know what determines premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower rates.
With age comes responsibility – Inexperience drivers have a tendency to get distracted easily with other occupants in the car and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher. Parents adding a young driver to your policy will cause a huge premium hike. More experienced drivers have been proven to be more responsible, file fewer claims, and are safer drivers.
The higher your credit history the lower your prices – Your credit rating factor in determining what you pay. Drivers who have very good credit scores tend to be better risks to insure than drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit is not that good, you may save money insuring your Buick Century if you improve your credit rating.
Higher comp and collision deductibles reduce premiums – Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles tell how much you are required to spend if a claim is determined to be covered. Physical damage protection, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be rearending another vehicle, animal collisions, or theft of your vehicle. The more you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
Cheaper rates for prior coverage – Allowing your coverage to lapse is a fast way to increase your renewal premiums. Not only will you pay more, not being able to provide proof of insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.
Single drivers take more risk – Walking down the aisle may save some money on your car insurance bill. Marriage usually means you are more stable financially it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
Liability coverage – The liability coverage on your policy is the coverage that protects you when you are determined to be liable for an accident. It provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not skimp.
Be proud to be claim-free – If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Car insurance companies in California award lower rates to insureds who only file infrequent claims. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Just keep in mind that getting more free quotes helps improve the odds of finding a lower rate than you’re paying now.
The companies shown below can provide free quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, it’s highly recommended you get rate quotes from several of them to get the cheapest price.
Tricks in car insurance advertising
Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make the point that drivers will save a bundle if you get a free San Diego car insurance quote and switch your policy. But how can every company sell you cheaper insurance coverage? Here is the trick they use.
Car insurance companies have underwriting criteria for the type of driver that earns them the highest profit. For instance, this type of driver might be described as between the ages of 30 and 50, carries full coverage, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver who fits that profile may get the lowest premium rates in San Diego and will save money with a new company.
Consumers who may not quite match this stringent profile may be required to pay higher premiums and this can result in business not being written. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “drivers that switch” not “all people who quote” save the amount stated. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, it’s extremely important to do a rate comparison at every renewal. Because you cannot predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.
Car insurance in California serves several purposes
Despite the potentially high cost of Buick Century insurance, paying for car insurance may not be optional for several reasons.
- Most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to buy a minimum amount of liability coverage in order to license the 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 Century has a loan, almost every bank will force you to have physical damage coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Buick for a lot more money and require you to pay the higher price.
- Car insurance protects your Buick and your assets. It also can pay for medical bills that are the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay attorney fees if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance greatly outweigh the cost, especially with large liability claims. According to a recent study, the average American driver is overpaying more than $855 a year so we recommend shopping around at every renewal to ensure rates are inline.
Get discounts to get affordable San Diego car insurance quotes
Car insurance is not inexpensive, but there could be significant discounts to help bring down the price. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but a few must be specifically requested prior to getting the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you could be saving more on your car insurance.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Claim-free drivers are rewarded with significantly better rates on San Diego car insurance quote as compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- 55 and Retired – Drivers over the age of 55 are able to get a small discount on rates.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Insureds who allow driving data submission to look at where and when they drive by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could see a rate decrease if they show good driving skills.
- Multi-car Discount – Drivers who insure primary and secondary vehicles with the same company can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying in monthly installments you could save up to 5%.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings up to 30%.
Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the whole policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Car insurance companies that possibly offer some of the above discounts include:
- GEICO
- Mercury Insurance
- Farmers Insurance
- Auto-Owners Insurance
- Liberty Mutual
- SAFECO
- Progressive
- USAA
When quoting, ask every insurance company which credits you are entitled to. Some credits might not be available to policyholders in San Diego. To see insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in California, click this link.
Neighborhood agents and auto insurance
Many people would rather visit with an insurance agent and that can be a smart move An additional benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find cheap auto insurance rates and still choose a local agent.
Upon completion of this simple form, your insurance coverage information is sent to companies in San Diego that can provide free San Diego car insurance quotes for your business. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent immediately to your email address. You can find lower rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you have a need to compare prices for a specific company, you can always navigate to their website and complete a quote there.
Finding a good insurer requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. Any agent in San Diego should have no problem answering these questions:
- How often do they review coverages?
- Will they give you a referral list?
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
- Do they reduce claim amounts on high mileage vehicles?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Will the agent help in case of a claim?
Pick the best car insurance agent in San Diego for you
If you need to find a local San Diego insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies and how they are slightly different. Agents in San Diego are classified as either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Exclusive Agencies
Agents of this type can only place business with one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive agencies in San Diego who can help you get price quote information.
David Hiser – State Farm Insurance Agent
910 Grand Ave #205 – San Diego, CA 92109 – (858) 272-2343 – View Map
Rick Wiese – State Farm Insurance Agent
2333 Camino del Rio S – San Diego, CA 92108 – (619) 293-7211 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Philip Mullane
3555 Rosecrans St Ste 202 – San Diego, CA 92110 – (619) 223-2191 – View Map
Independent Agents
Agents that choose to be independent are not locked into one company so as a result can place your coverage with an assortment of companies and find you the best rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, your policy is moved internally which is easy for the insured. If you need cheaper auto insurance rates, we recommend you contact independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison.
Listed below are independent insurance agencies in San Diego that can give you price quotes.
Springbrook Insurance Agency
10650 Treena St #105 – San Diego, CA 92131 – (858) 391-3001 ext. 105 – View Map
Rubin Insurance
6363 Greenwich Dr #120 – San Diego, CA 92122 – (858) 457-5720 – View Map
Alcott Insurance
3945 Idaho St – San Diego, CA 92104 – (619) 293-3800 – View Map
If you get positive responses to any questions you may have and an affordable coverage quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that is professional and can adequately provide auto insurance. Keep in mind consumers can terminate coverage at any point so don’t think that you are permanently stuck with a specific company with no way to switch.
Do I need special coverages?
When it comes to insurance from an agent or online for your vehicles, there is no one-size-fits-all type of policy. You are unique so your insurance should reflect that
For instance, these questions may help highlight if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.
- Is my custom stereo system covered?
- Do I have coverage if I rent a car in Mexico?
- Can good grades get a discount?
- Do I pay less for low miles?
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
More effort can pay off
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
We just covered a lot of ways to lower your Buick Century insurance premium rates in San Diego. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get prices for, the better your chances of lowering your prices. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier. Some small companies can often provide lower prices in certain areas than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.
Additional detailed information can be found by following these links:
- Comprehensive Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Who Has Cheap San Diego Car Insurance Quotes After a Speeding Ticket? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable San Diego Auto Insurance Quotes for Used Cars? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for a GMC Sierra in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable San Diego Auto Insurance Rates for a Nissan Sentra? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Ford Fusion in San Diego? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Diego Auto Insurance for Ride Shares? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Diego Auto Insurance with Multiple Speeding Tickets? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Diego Car Insurance Quotes for High School Students? (FAQ)
- Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)
- Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)