It takes a few minutes, but the best way to find low-cost car insurance rates in Bakersfield is to start doing a yearly price comparison from insurance carriers who sell insurance in California. Drivers can shop around by following these steps.
Step 1: Try to learn a little about the different coverages in a policy and the changes you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that drive up the price such as traffic violations and an unacceptable credit score can be remedied by paying attention to minor details. This article provides the details to lower rates and get bigger discounts.
Step 2: Request rate estimates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes for a wide range of companies.
Step 3: Compare the new quotes to your existing rates to determine if switching companies saves money. If you can save some money and change companies, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
Step 4: Provide written notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit a down payment along with a signed application to your new insurance company. Once received, store the proof of insurance paperwork with your vehicle’s registration.
One key aspect when comparing rates is to try to use identical deductibles and limits on each quote request and to quote with all possible companies. Doing this enables an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete selection of prices.
It’s easy to assume that car insurance companies want to prevent you from shopping around. Insureds who do rate comparisons will presumably switch car insurance companies because of the high probability of finding lower prices. Remarkably, a study showed that consumers who compared rates annually saved as much as $860 a year compared to people who never shopped for cheaper rates.
If finding discount rates on insurance is the reason you’re here, learning how to get free comparison quotes and analyze cheaper coverage can save money and time.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will definitely be able to find the best rates using the concepts covered in this article. Finding the cheapest car insurance coverage in Bakersfield is actually not that difficult if you follow our advice. But California car owners must understand the way companies determine what you pay and take advantage of how the system works.
Companies offering Fiat 124 Spider insurance in Bakersfield
The following companies have been selected to offer comparison quotes in Bakersfield, CA. If several companies are displayed, it’s a good idea that you click on several of them in order to find the most competitive rates.
Lower rate quotes by earning discounts
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may find discounts that may help make it more affordable. Certain credits will be shown when you purchase, but a few must be asked for prior to receiving the credit.
- Safe Driver Discounts – Drivers without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
- Multi-line Discount – Select insurance carriers reward you with lower premium rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags could see savings of more than 20%.
- College Student – Kids who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from Bakersfield without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- Defensive Driving Course – Passing a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill and make you a better driver.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you can combine your homeowners and auto policy with the same insurance company you could earn a discount of nearly 15% which can help you find the cheapest Fiat 124 Spider insurance in Bakersfield.
- Waiver for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a few companies such as Progressive and Allstate permit an accident before raising your premiums with the catch being you have to be claim-free before the accident.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and can earn a small discount on your policy.
- No Accidents – Drivers with accident-free driving histories get the best auto insurance rates when compared to policyholders that have many claims.
Don’t be surprised that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free auto insurance policy, nobody gets a free ride.
A list of companies and their possible discounts are included below.
- GEICO may have discounts that include defensive driver, federal employee, air bags, membership and employees, and five-year accident-free.
- SAFECO offers discounts including multi-car, teen safe driver, accident prevention training, drive less, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, and anti-theft.
- State Farm has discounts for defensive driving training, driver’s education, passive restraint, student away at school, and multiple policy.
- MetLife may offer discounts for good student, good driver, claim-free, accident-free, and multi-policy.
- 21st Century may include discounts for defensive driver, student driver, air bags, homeowners, anti-lock brakes, and teen driver.
- Progressive has savings for good student, online signing, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, and online quote discount.
Double check with each company which credits you are entitled to. Savings might not apply everywhere. To see providers with discount auto insurance rates in Bakersfield, click here.
Informed Consumers Save on Insurance
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that help calculate the rates you pay for insurance. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make educated decisions that could help you find cheaper rates. Lots of factors are used in the calculation when pricing auto insurance. Some are pretty understandable like a motor vehicle report, but some are not quite as obvious such as your credit history or how financially stable you are.
The factors shown below are a partial list of the pieces utilized by car insurance companies to help set premiums.
Safer vehicles mean better insurance rates – Vehicles that have high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Vehicles engineered for safety result in less severe injuries and fewer serious injuries means less claims paid passed on to you as lower rates.
See if your company offers a multi-policy discount – Most larger companies give lower prices to people that purchase more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Discounts can be five, ten or even twenty percent. Even if you qualify for this discount already, it’s still a good idea to comparison shop to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. It’s possible to still find better rates by buying insurance from a different company.
Prices can change based on your address – Being located in a rural area may provide you with better prices when shopping for auto insurance. Fewer people translates into fewer accident claims and a lower car theft rate. City drivers regularly have traffic congestion and more severe claims. More time commuting can result in more accidents.
Too many policy claims and you’ll pay more – Auto insurance companies in California award cheaper rates to insureds who are claim-free. If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can definitely plan on increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of the large, substantial claims.
Drive fewer miles and save – The more you drive each year the more you will pay for insurance. Almost all companies calculate prices partially by how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Having the wrong rating on your 124 Spider may be costing you higher rates. It’s a good idea to make sure your insurance policy correctly shows the correct driver usage, because it can save money.
Liability coverage – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance will afford coverage if you are determined to be liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage starting from day one. It is affordable coverage as compared to coverage for physical damage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
Insurance policy lapses increase rates – Not maintaining insurance is a big no-no and you may have a hard time finding new coverage because you let your insurance lapse for non-payment. Not only will rates go up, getting caught without coverage will get you a revoked license or a big fine.
Auto insurance can be complex
Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no one-size-fits-all type of policy. Your situation is unique.
For example, these questions can help discover if you will benefit from professional help.
- Is there coverage for injuries to my pets?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Bakersfield?
- Who is covered when they drive my Fiat 124 Spider?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
- Is water damage covered by my policy?
- Can good grades get a discount?
- Do I need special coverage while pulling a rented trailer?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form.
Auto insurance is available from local insurance agents
A lot of people prefer to buy from a local agent. A nice benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you may find cheap auto insurance quotes and also buy local.
Once you complete this simple form, your insurance data is transmitted to local insurance agents who will give competitive quotes for your business. You won’t even need to find an agent because quoted prices will be sent to you directly. It’s the lowest rates AND an agent nearby. If you want to compare prices from a particular provider, feel free to search and find their rate quote page and complete a quote there.
Choosing the best insurer needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price quote. Any agent in Bakersfield should have no problem answering these questions:
- Are they involved in claim handling?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- How often do they review coverages?
- How long has their agency been open in Bakersfield?
Multiple types of auto insurance agents in Bakersfield
If you prefer to buy auto insurance from a reliable insurance agent, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents and how they can quote your rates. Auto insurance agents can either be exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
These type of agents can only place business with one company and examples are Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. They are unable to compare other company’s rates so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive agents are well schooled on their company’s products which aids in selling service over price.
Below are Bakersfield exclusive agencies who may provide you with price quotes.
Jeremy Scheidle – State Farm Insurance Agent
2017 24th St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 861-9797 – View Map
Farmers Insurance – James Burton Jr.
1309 S H St – Bakersfield, CA 93307 – (661) 836-1300 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Lee Hernandez
1801 21st St Ste 3 – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 327-7761 – View Map
Independent Agents
Independent agents do not have single company limitations so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally which makes it simple for you. When comparing auto insurance prices, you will want to get rate quotes from several independent agencies in order to compare the most rates.
Listed below is a short list of independent agents in Bakersfield willing to provide comparison quotes.
California Canyon Insurance Agency
B, 4900 California Ave #210 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 377-2978 – View Map
NSE Insurance Agencies, Inc.
5330 Office Center Ct # 69 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 327-0620 – View Map
Baldwin Georgenton Insurance
4200 Truxtun Ave # 102 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 327-8010 – View Map
What is the best auto insurance company in Bakersfield?
Finding a highly-rated car insurance company can be rather challenging considering how many companies provide coverage in California. The company ratings in the next section may help you select which auto insurers you want to consider when comparing rate quotes.
Top 10 Bakersfield Car Insurance Companies Overall
- USAA
- American Family
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- The General
- Titan Insurance
- Progressive
Affordable insurance rates are out there
In this article, we covered many ways to save on Fiat 124 Spider insurance in Bakersfield. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your prices. You may even find the lowest priced insurance comes from the least-expected company.
Consumers who switch companies do it for many reasons like an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high rates after DUI convictions, lack of trust in their agent or not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new insurance company is easier than you think.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In too many instances, someone sacrificed full coverage and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.
More tips and info about insurance is available in these articles:
- Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for a Toyota Corolla in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Bakersfield Car Insurance for a Toyota Tacoma? (FAQ)
- How Much is Bakersfield Auto Insurance for a GMC Sierra? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Bakersfield Auto Insurance Quotes After a Speeding Ticket? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Teenage Males in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for a Subaru Outback in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
- Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)
- New vehicle ratings focus on headlights (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)