If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get cheaper Ford Freestar insurance in Bakersfield is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from different companies that sell auto insurance in California. You can compare prices by completing these steps.
First, read and learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the measures you can take to keep rates in check. Many factors that cause rate increases such as inattentive driving and a less-than-favorable credit history can be amended by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
Second, compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can provide rates from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agencies can provide prices from multiple sources.
Third, compare the new rates to your existing coverage and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate quote, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
Fourth, give proper notification to your current agent or company of your intention to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit a completed policy application and payment to the new company. Once received, safely store the proof of insurance paperwork in an accessible location in your vehicle.
An important part of this process is to make sure you’re comparing identical limits and deductibles on each quote and to quote with as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this guarantees an accurate price comparison and a complete rate analysis.
Sad but true, a large majority of auto insurance policyholders have stayed with the same insurance company for at least four years, and 38% of drivers have never shopped around. Most drivers in California can save nearly 35% each year by just comparing rate quotes, but they assume it’s a waste of time to save money by comparing rate quotes.
Cheapest Ford insurance rates in Bakersfield
The providers in the list below are our best choices to provide price quotes in California. If more than one company is shown, it’s highly recommended you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Learn How to Lower Your Insurance Rates
Lots of things are taken into consideration when premium rates are determined. Some factors are common sense like an MVR report, but others are more transparent like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven. One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the elements that aid in calculating the level of your policy premiums. If you know what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that may result in much lower annual insurance costs.
Impacts performance impacts auto insurance premiums – The performance of the car, truck or SUV you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. The best insurance prices are generally reserved for lower cost passenger vehicles, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
Traffic violations will cost you – Careful drivers have lower premiums compared to bad drivers. Having just one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Drivers who have received license-revoking violations such as DUI or willful reckless driving are required to submit a SR-22 form with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
Get better rates if married – Your spouse can get you a discount on your car insurance bill. It is viewed as being more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Expect high rates for teens – Inexperience drivers have been known to get distracted easily when driving with friends and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher. Adding a beginning driver onto a policy can really hurt. Mature drivers are more responsible, file fewer claims, and usually have better credit.
Save miles driven and save money – The more miles you rack up on your Ford each year the more you will pay for car insurance. Almost all companies calculate rates partially by how you use the vehicle. Cars that have low annual miles receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Having the wrong rating on your Freestar is throwing money out the window. Verify your car insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because improper ratings can cost you money.
Never have car insurance lapses – Driving any period of time without insurance is against the law and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. And not only will your rates increase, not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you fines or a revoked license. You will then be forced to file a SR-22 with the California motor vehicle department.
Affordable Ford Freestar insurance quotes in Bakersfield
Car insurance can cost a lot, but you may find discounts that you may not even know about. Some discounts will apply when you purchase, but some need to be specifically requested before you get the savings.
- Good Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more as compared to drivers with claims.
- Full Payment Discount – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can avoid monthly service charges.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles have fewer accidents and will save you 10% or more on Freestar insurance in Bakersfield.
- Theft Prevention System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will qualify for a discount on a Bakersfield car insurance quote.
- Good Student Discount – Maintaining excellent grades may save you up to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
- Accident Free – Claim-free drivers pay much less compared to frequent claim filers.
- Own a Home and Save – Owning your own home or condo may trigger a policy discount on car insurance since owning and maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low annual miles could qualify for lower premium rates due to less chance of an accident.
Discounts lower rates, but most of the big mark downs will not be given to the whole policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.
To see a list of insurance companies with discount rates in Bakersfield, follow this link.
Buying car insurance from Bakersfield insurance agencies
A lot of people still like to visit with an insurance agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases Insurance agents are trained risk managers and will help you if you have claims. A good thing about price shopping on the web is that you can find the lowest rates and also buy local.
To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, the quote information is submitted to local insurance agents who will give competitive quotes to get your business. There is no reason to leave your computer since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance company, don’t hesitate to search and find their rate quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Picking an company is decision based upon more than just the bottom line cost. Below are some questions you should ask.
- How long has their agency been in business in Bakersfield?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in California?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
- What company do they have the most business with?
- What discounts might you be missing?
Compare rates from both independent and exclusive car insurance agents
When looking for local Bakersfield agents, there are a couple of different agency structures and how they are slightly different. Agents in Bakersfield may be either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments. Either one can write policy coverage, but we need to point out why they differ since it may influence the selection process.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
These type of agents can only provide one company’s prices and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They usually cannot compare rates from other companies so you might not find the best rates. These agents receive a lot of sales training on sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers frequently use the same agent mainly due to the brand rather than low price.
The following are exclusive insurance agencies in Bakersfield who may provide you with comparison quotes.
- Jeremy Scheidle – State Farm Insurance Agent
2017 24th St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 861-9797 – View Map - Keith Goree – State Farm Insurance Agent
11350 Ming Ave #230 – Bakersfield, CA 93311 – (661) 663-9000 – View Map - Farmers Insurance: Eric Peters
1519 Eye St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 872-8113 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These type of agents often have many company appointments and that allows them to write policies through lots of different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, they can switch companies in-house and the insured can keep the same agent.
When searching for an agent, we highly recommend that you get rate quotes from a few independent agents in order to compare the most rates. They often place coverage with small regional insurance companies which may provide better rates.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Bakersfield willing to provide price quote information.
- Hay Insurance Agency Inc.
4921 Calloway Dr # 101 – Bakersfield, CA 93312 – (661) 829-8933 – View Map - Clifford and Bradford Insurance Agency
1515 20th St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 283-8100 – View Map - California Insurance Specialist
1601 New Stine Rd # 100 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 397-3944 – View Map
Best car insurance company in California
Selecting the best insurer can be challenging considering how many different companies there are to choose from in California. The ranking data shown next could help you pick which coverage providers to look at comparing rates from.
Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
Safeco | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
Travelers | 80 | 87 | 87 | 83% | A++ | 85.2 |
Farmers Insurance | 78 | 87 | 88 | 79% | A | 84.3 |
Compare Rates Now Go |
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Persistence is the key to cheap rates
When shopping online for auto insurance, never sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. Too many times, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price.
Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including denial of a claim, lack of trust in their agent, extreme rates for teen drivers or an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a great new company can be less work than you think.
Cheaper Ford Freestar insurance in Bakersfield is attainable both online in addition to many Bakersfield insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers may not offer online rate quotes and these regional carriers prefer to sell through independent agents.
Helpful articles
- Reducing Your Risks in a Car Crash Video (iihs.org)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a School Permit in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for a Nissan Sentra in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Bakersfield Auto Insurance for a Toyota RAV4? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Bakersfield Auto Insurance for Uninsured Drivers? (FAQ)
- Car Insurance for Teen Drivers with Divorced Parents (Allstate)
- Self-driving cars won’t replace humans (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Winter Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- Front crash protection reduces rear-end crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)