Save Money on Auto Insurance in Oceanside

Do you want to stop overpaying and find cheaper insurance rates in Oceanside, CA? Are you regretting the purchase of overpriced insurance? You’re preaching to the choir because there are many Oceanside consumers feeling the pinch from expensive insurance.

Amazlingly, a recent NerdWallet.com study showed that most insurance policyholders have been with the same company for well over three years, and 38% of drivers have never compared rates from other carriers. California insurance shoppers could pocket as much as 35% a year just by shopping around, but they just don’t understand the actual amount they would save if they replace their high priced policy. Having so many options when it comes to insurance, it can be hard to locate the lowest cost company.

Quoting and buying the cheapest protection in Oceanside can be fairly easy. If you have coverage now or just want a better rate, you can learn to reduce premiums without having to cut coverage. Comparison shoppers just have to use the best way to compare prices online.

Score discounts to get cheaper Oceanside auto insurance quotes

Some insurance providers don’t necessarily list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following list contains some of the more common and also the more inconspicuous discounts that may be available. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you could be paying more than you need to.

• Early Switch Discount – Some auto insurance companies give discounts for switching companies prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
• Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Service Members Pay Less – Being on active deployment in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Telematics Discount – Insureds that choose to allow their auto insurance company to scrutinize their driving habits by installing a telematics device such as State Farm’s In-Drive might see lower rates if their driving habits are good.
• Distant Student – Kids who live away from home to go to college and leave their car at home may qualify for this discount.
• Multiple Cars – Purchasing coverage when you have all your vehicles with the same auto insurance company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
• Theft Deterrent – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency so companies will give you a small discount.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
• Discount for Home Ownership – Being a homeowner can earn you a little savings because maintaining a house requires a higher level of personal finance.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you combine your home and auto policies and insure them with the same company you could get a discount of over 10 percent off each policy depending on the company.

Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.

The best auto insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts are:

• American Family has savings for early bird, mySafetyValet, accident-free, defensive driver, TimeAway discount, and air bags.
• Farm Bureau offers discounts including driver training, youthful driver, safe driver, renewal discount, multi-vehicle, 55 and retired, and multi-policy.
• State Farm may offer discounts for defensive driving training, good driver, good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and passive restraint.
• Travelers discounts include continuous insurance, payment discounts, hybrid/electric vehicle, multi-policy, and good student.
• The Hartford policyholders can earn discounts including good student, vehicle fuel type, air bag, driver training, defensive driver, bundle, and anti-theft.
• GEICO may have discounts that include military active duty, five-year accident-free, seat belt use, multi-vehicle, and good student.
• Progressive may include discounts for homeowner, online quote discount, continuous coverage, online signing, and good student.

When getting a coverage quote, ask every insurance company which discounts they offer. Savings might not be available to policyholders in your area. If you would like to view insurance companies with significant discounts in Oceanside, follow this link.

All the larger insurance companies provide price estimates online. Getting insurance prices online can be done by anyone as you just enter your coverage information into a form. Upon sending the form, the system makes automated requests for credit information and your driving record and returns a price quote based on the data you entered. Quoting online helps simplify price comparisons, and it’s also necessary to perform this step if you want to find the lowest possible payments on insurance.

In order to find out how much you can save on insurance, consider comparing rates from the companies shown below. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend that you enter deductibles and limits identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will have rate comparison quotes using the exact same coverages.

The providers in the list below are ready to provide comparison quotes in Oceanside, CA. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you visit two to three different companies to find the cheapest car insurance rates.

Data based on married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Premium costs do not factor in specific Oceanside garaging location which can alter prices significantly.

Raise deductibles and save

One of the hardest decisions when shopping for auto insurance is how high should the physical damage deductibles be. The figures shown below may help you to understand the rate fluctuation between high and low physical damage coverage deductibles. The first data set uses a $250 deductible for comp and collision and the second rate table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Hyundai Sonata rates are for example purposes only. To get rates for your specific vehicle, click here.

Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-policy. Prices do not factor in garaging location in Oceanside which can impact auto insurance rates noticeably.

We can derive from the above data that using a $250 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $33 more each month or $396 for a full year than requesting the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would pay $750 more to settle a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you usually have more than 23 months between claim filings, you would more than likely save some money if you choose a higher deductible.

How high should deductibles be?

The chart below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles and can increase or decrease Nissan Sentra annual premium costs for each age group. The prices are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no other discounts are factored in.

Nissan Sentra rates are for example purposes only. To get rates for your specific vehicle, click here.

Cost comparison with and without full coverage

The chart below examines Chevrolet Malibu auto insurance rates with full coverage and liability only. The information is based on no claims or driving citations, $1,000 deductibles, single female driver, and no discounts are applied.

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

When to drop comp and collision

There is no exact formula to delete full coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is more than 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Chevrolet Malibu replacement cost is $4,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $3,000 after you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $300 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are some cases where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not remove full coverage.

Compare rates but buy from a local neighborhood Oceanside car insurance agent

Many drivers would prefer to sit down with an agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and help you file claims. A nice benefit of getting free rate quotes online is you can get the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local agencies is especially important in Oceanside.

To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is emailed to companies in Oceanside who will give you quotes to get your business. There is no reason to find an agent since price quotes are sent directly to you. If for some reason you want to compare rates from a specific company, you can always jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.

Do you need an independent or exclusive car insurance agent?

When searching for a local Oceanside insurance agency, it’s important to understand the types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Agencies in Oceanside can either be independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for. Either type can properly insure your vehicles, but it is a good idea to know the differences because it can impact which type of agent you select.

Independent Agents

These agents are appointed with more than one company and that enables them to quote your coverage through lots of different companies and get the cheapest rates. If they quote lower rates, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to do anything. When comparing car insurance rates, you need to get insurance quotes from a couple of independent agencies for the best price selection.

Below is a small list of independent agencies in Oceanside that may be able to give you comparison quotes.

View more Oceanside agents

Exclusive Agents

Agents that elect to be exclusive can only write with one company and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. They are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so you might not find the best rates. These agents receive a lot of sales training on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.

Listed below is a short list of exclusive agents in Oceanside willing to provide price quotes.

View more Oceanside agents

Finding the right auto insurance agent should include more criteria than just a cheap quote. These questions are important to ask:

• Does the agency have a current Errors and Omissions policy?
• Can they help ensure a fair claim settlement?
• Is the agent CPCU or CIC certified?
• How does the company pay claims for a total loss?
• Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
• Are they able to provide referrals?
• How long has the business existed?
• Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?

Upon getting good answers to these questions and low cost Oceanside auto insurance quotes, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that is reliable enough to adequately provide car insurance. Keep in mind you are able to cancel a policy when you choose so never assume that you are permanently stuck with a specific agent for any length of time.

Don’t give up on cheap rates

When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where an insured cut full coverage and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your strategy should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best possible price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Some insurance providers may not provide the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies work with local independent agents. The cheapest insurance in Oceanside can be purchased both online and from local insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection.

Much more information about insurance in California can be read at these links:

• Rollover Crash FAQ (iihs.org)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Veterans in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers Requiring a SR22 in San Diego? (FAQ)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Over Age 70 in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Teenage Females in San Diego? (FAQ)
• Should I Purchase an Umbrella Liability Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
• State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)