Best Ways to Save on Chula Vista, CA Auto Insurance

Pretty sure you bought overpriced auto insurance? It’s quite common and there are many Chula Vista consumers feeling the pinch from expensive auto insurance.

A recent study showed that a large majority of drivers renewed their policy with the same company for at least four years, and virtually 40% of consumers have never compared auto insurance rates at all. With the average premium in California being $1,400, drivers could cut their rates by almost $469 a year just by shopping around, but they don’t invest the time required to compare rates and save money. Online insurance companies like GEICO, Progressive and Allstate all promote huge savings with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to separate fact from fiction and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

Affordable auto insurance companies in Chula Vista

The companies shown below are ready to provide free quotes in Chula Vista, CA. If multiple providers are shown, we suggest you click on several of them to find the lowest auto insurance rates.

Above prices assume single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, and safe-driver. Rates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can alter insurance rates substantially.

Analysis of deductible levels

The illustration below demonstrates how deductible levels and can increase or decrease Chevrolet Malibu insurance prices for different categories of driver ages. The premium estimates are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Chevrolet Malibu rates are for example purposes only. To get rates for your specific vehicle, click here.

Make wise decisions and cut your costs

It’s important that you understand some of the things that go into determining the price you pay for insurance. If you understand what influences your rates, this helps enable you to make changes that can earn you better insurance rates.

The list below includes a partial list of the pieces used by companies to determine premiums.

Your spouse saves you money – Your spouse can get you a discount on insurance. It translates into being more responsible and insurance companies reward insureds because married couples file fewer claims.

Are men or women drivers cheaper? – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. The data does not necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. They both cause fender benders in similar percentages, but the males have accidents that have higher claims. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving.

Excellent credit scores equal low premiums – Credit score can be a huge factor in determining premium rates. If your credit score can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your vehicle if you improve your credit rating. Insureds that have very high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims than drivers who have bad credit.

Pleasure use saves money – Driving more miles in a year the higher your rate. Almost all companies apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Autos that are left in the garage receive lower rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Make sure your insurance coverage is rated on the right rating data.

Is your vehicle built for speed? – The type of car, truck or SUV you drive makes a huge difference in the rate you pay. Small economy passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.

High deductibles equal low rates – Comp and collision deductibles state the amount of money the insured will be required to pay if you file a covered claim. Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered are collision with another vehicle, collision with a deer, and having a roll-over accident. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.

Tickets can increase prices – Careful drivers pay less for auto insurance compared to bad drivers. Even one speeding ticket or other violation could increase your next policy renewal by twenty percent. Drivers who have severe citations such as DUI or willful reckless driving may find that they have to to maintain a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.

Discounts can help lower rates on car insurance

Some insurers don’t always publicize all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the below list has both the well known and the more hidden credits available to lower your premiums when you buy Chula Vista car insurance online.

• Discount for Life Insurance – Larger insurance carriers have a lower car insurance rate if you buy a life policy as well.
• Student Driver Training – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers take driver’s ed class in school or through a local driver safety program.
• Distant College Student Discount – Older children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and won’t have access to an insured vehicle can receive lower rates.
• Theft Deterrent – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles help deter theft and will qualify for a discount on a Chula Vista car insurance quote.
• Membership in Organizations – Being in certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when getting a Chula Vista car insurance quote.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking time to complete a defensive driver class may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
• Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple cars or trucks on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Good Student – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Many companies even apply the discount to college students well after school through age 25.
• Buy New and Save – Putting insurance on a new car can save you some money because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
• Claim Free – Chula Vista drivers who stay claim-free pay much less compared to drivers who are more careless.

One last thing about discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

Large car insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts include:

• State Farm offers discounts including multiple autos, Drive Safe & Save, defensive driving training, driver’s education, and passive restraint.
• American Family may offer discounts for Steer into Savings, TimeAway discount, multi-vehicle, bundled insurance, early bird, and accident-free.
• GEICO may have discounts that include defensive driver, driver training, federal employee, air bags, good student, and seat belt use.
• 21st Century has discounts for good student, teen driver, anti-lock brakes, defensive driver, student driver, and early bird.
• Progressive includes discounts for multi-policy, continuous coverage, online signing, good student, homeowner, online quote discount, and multi-vehicle.

If you want the cheapest Chula Vista car insurance quotes, ask every prospective company to apply every possible discount. Some credits may not apply to policyholders in every state.

Buying auto insurance from Chula Vista insurance agencies

Some people just want to talk to an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Good insurance agents can make sure you are properly covered and help you file claims. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find cheap rate quotes but also keep your business local.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), the quote information is submitted to participating agents in Chula Vista that give free quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t even need to drive around since rate quotes are delivered instantly to you. In the event you want to get a rate quote for a specific company, you would need to jump over to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.

Picking the best company shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:

• Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in California?
• Which companies can they place coverage with?
• Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
• Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
• Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
• Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
• If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
• Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?

Independent or Exclusive: It’s your choice

When searching for a local Chula Vista insurance agent, you should know the different agency structures and how they function. Auto insurance agents in Chula Vista are considered either exclusive agents or independent agents. Both types of agents can provide auto insurance policies, but it is important to understand the difference in how they write coverage because it may have an impact on your selection of an agent.

Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents

Exclusive insurance agents are contracted to one company and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide other company’s prices so they really need to provide good service. They are well trained on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.

Below are Chula Vista exclusive insurance agencies that are able to give price quote information.

View more agents

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent insurance agents often have affiliation with several companies and that gives them the ability to insure with an assortment of companies depending on which coverage is best. If your premiums go up, your agent can just switch to a different company and you don’t have to switch agencies.

When shopping rates, we highly recommend that you get several quotes from several independent agencies for the best price selection.

Shown below is a list of independent agencies in Chula Vista that can give you price quote information.

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Claim statistics by make and model

What vehicles have the fewest claims? The data below outline the good and bad models for likelihood of filing claims.

Quote more and you will save more

Budget-friendly car insurance in Chula Vista is attainable from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Chula Vista agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not provide price quotes online and usually these regional carriers prefer to sell through independent insurance agencies.

You just read a lot of information how to compare car insurance rates in Chula Vista. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your auto insurance rates. You may even be surprised to find that the best rates are with some of the smallest insurance companies. They can often provide lower auto insurance rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.

When trying to cut insurance costs, make sure you don’t reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

Additional information is located on the following sites:

• Drunk Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for a Ford Explorer in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap San Diego Car Insurance Rates for Nurses? (FAQ)
• What Insurance is Cheapest for a Hyundai Elantra in San Diego? (FAQ)
• How to Avoid Buying a Flooded Car (Insurance Information Institute)
• All About Airbag Safety (State Farm)
• Reducing Your Risks in a Car Crash Video (iihs.org)
• Hybrid vehicles cost insurers more (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)