Remarkably, a study showed that the vast majority of California auto insurance customers have stayed with the same insurance company for over three years, and about 40% of consumers have never even shopped around for lower-cost coverage. American drivers can cut their rates by 47% a year just by comparing rates, but most just don’t grasp how much money they would save if they moved their coverage to a different company.
To save the most money, the best way to get cheaper car insurance rates in Bakersfield is to regularly compare price quotes from insurers in California. This can be done by following these steps.
Step 1: Get a basic knowledge of individual coverages and the factors you can control to prevent rate increases. Many rating factors that cause high rates like traffic citations, accidents, and a not-so-good credit rating can be improved by making minor changes in your lifestyle. This article gives ideas to prevent rate hikes and find missing discounts.
Step 2: Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from many different companies.
Step 3: Compare the new quotes to the price on your current policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save some money and decide to switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
Step 4: Notify your agent or company of your intent to cancel your existing policy. Submit a completed policy application and payment to your new agent or company. As soon as you have the new policy, keep your new certificate of insurance in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
One thing to point out is to make sure you enter similar limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to analyze as many auto insurance providers as possible. Doing this helps ensure a fair price comparison and a complete rate analysis.
Choosing the most cost-effective insurance policy in Bakersfield is actually quite easy if you know where to start. If you have a policy now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your rates using the techniques presented in this article. Comparison shoppers just need to use the tricks to get comparison quotes online.
Affordable companies for Hummer H2 insurance
The companies shown below provide price comparisons in Bakersfield, CA. If multiple providers are shown, we suggest you visit two to three different companies to get a more complete price comparison.
Insurance discounts help lower rates for Hummer H2 insurance in Bakersfield
Some companies don’t necessarily list every discount available in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the best known and also the lesser-known insurance savings. If you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you are not getting the best rate possible.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle up could cut 10% or more on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Pay Early and Save – By making one initial payment rather than spreading payments over time you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Military Deployment Discount – Having a deployed family member could qualify you for better prices.
- Driving Data Discount – People who choose to allow their company to look at driving patterns by using a telematic data system such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate may get a rate reduction if they are good drivers.
- Claim-Free Discount – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of more than 20%.
- Organization Discounts – Joining qualifying employment or professional organizations is a simple method to lower premiums when getting a Bakersfield car insurance quote.
A little note about advertised discounts, many deductions do not apply to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the fact that it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.
Large insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are outlined below.
- The Hartford may include discounts for bundle, good student, defensive driver, air bag, anti-theft, driver training, and vehicle fuel type.
- American Family includes discounts for early bird, bundled insurance, accident-free, Steer into Savings, good driver, and TimeAway discount.
- Progressive has discounts for continuous coverage, multi-policy, homeowner, good student, multi-vehicle, online signing, and online quote discount.
- Travelers has savings for payment discounts, continuous insurance, good student, multi-car, save driver, and hybrid/electric vehicle.
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include electronic funds transfer, business and professional, teen driver, early shopping, and good student.
- USAA offers discounts for multi-policy, defensive driver, vehicle storage, annual mileage, and military installation.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include newly retired, teen driver discount, new graduate, multi-policy, preferred payment discount, good student, and multi-car.
If you need low cost Bakersfield car insurance quotes, ask each company or agent the best way to save money. A few discounts might not be offered in Bakersfield.
Which is the best auto insurance?
Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing a policy for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one-size-fits-all type of policy. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions can help discover if your situation may require specific advice.
- Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- Is my son or daughter covered when driving my car?
- What is the minimum liability in California?
- Why do I have to buy liability insurance?
- What are good deductibles for a Hummer H2?
- Should I buy only the required California minimum liability coverage?
- What are the financial responsibility laws in my state?
- How do I insure my teen driver?
If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.
Insurance agents are professional risk managers
Some people would rather buy from a licensed agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Professional agents can help you choose the best coverages and help in the event of a claim. One of the benefits of getting free rate quotes online is you may find cheaper premium rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your information gets sent to insurance agents in Bakersfield that can provide free Bakersfield car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to find an agent as quotes are delivered directly to your email. If you wish to get a price quote from a specific insurance company, don’t hesitate to find their quoting web page and complete a quote there.
Deciding on an provider requires more thought than just the quoted price. Below are some questions you should ask.
- Where are claims handled?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
- Is coverage determined by price?
- In the event of vehicle damage, can you pick the collision repair facility?
If you would like to find a reliable agent, it’s helpful to know the different types of agencies and how they are distinctly different. Insurance policy providers are considered either independent agents or exclusive agents. Both can handle insurance, but it’s important to point out the subtle differences since it may influence the type of agent you choose.
Exclusive Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive have only one company to place business with such as American Family, State Farm, and Allstate. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive agents in Bakersfield that can give you rate quotes.
Mike Brazzell – State Farm Insurance Agent
3721 Columbus St – Bakersfield, CA 93306 – (661) 872-7770 – View Map
Sal Brito – State Farm Insurance Agent
1410 Wible Rd #107 – Bakersfield, CA 93304 – (661) 398-5144 – View Map
Rosie Schweer – State Farm Insurance Agent
4200 Gosford Rd #103 – Bakersfield, CA 93313 – (661) 396-7961 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents of this type do not write with just one company and that enables them to quote your coverage amongst many companies and find you cheaper rates. If premiums increase, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to find a new agent. If you are trying to find cheaper rates, we recommend you get insurance quotes from independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison.
The following are Bakersfield independent insurance agents that can give you price quotes.
Clifford and Bradford Insurance Agency
1515 20th St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 283-8100 – View Map
Crosby and Crosby Insurance Services
111 H St – Bakersfield, CA 93304 – (661) 327-5531 – View Map
William K Lyons Agency Inc
2100 F St # 200 – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 327-9731 – View Map
The most affordable rates come from being thorough
You just learned some good ideas how to lower your Hummer H2 insurance auto insurance rates in Bakersfield. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. Consumers may even find the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies. Regional companies can often provide lower premium rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
When buying insurance coverage, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where an insured cut full coverage only to find out that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest cost, not the least amount of coverage.
More information is available on the following sites:
- Senior Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for a Hyundai Elantra in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Lyft Drivers in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Male in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)