It’s safe to conclude that auto insurance companies don’t want you to look for cheaper rates. Consumers who shop rates annually will, in all likelihood, move their business because there are good odds of finding a lower-priced policy. A recent survey found that people who routinely compared quotes saved about $72 a month compared to drivers who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding the most affordable auto insurance is the reason for your visit, then having some insight into the best way to quote and compare insurance premiums can help simplify the task of finding more affordable coverage.
It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get cheaper BMW Alpina B7 insurance in Bakersfield is to compare quotes annually from companies in California.
First, try to understand the coverage provided by your policy and the factors you can control to drop your rates. Many rating criteria that cause high rates like accidents, traffic tickets, and an imperfect credit history can be rectified by paying attention to minor details.
Second, get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for a wide range of insurance providers. Find a Bakersfield insurance agent
Third, compare the new rates to your current policy and determine if there is any savings. If you can save some money and decide to switch, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
One key aspect of rate comparisons is to try to use identical deductibles and limits on each price quote and and to get prices from as many auto insurance providers as possible. Doing this enables a level playing field and a complete rate analysis.
Low Cost companies for BMW Alpina B7 insurance in California
The car insurance companies shown below offer price quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, we suggest you visit two to three different companies to get the most competitive price.
Lower Your Bakersfield Insurance Premiums
Many different elements are part of the equation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are obvious like an MVR report, although some other factors are not quite as obvious like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.
- Driving citations hurt – Your driving record impacts premiums far more than you think. Attentive drivers pay lower auto insurance prices than people who have multiple driving citations. Even one citation can increase the cost of insurance substantially. People who have multiple citations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may find that they have to to file a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to prevent their license from being revoked.
- Only buy extra policy coverages you need – There are quite a few add-on coverages that can add up if you aren’t diligent. Add-on coverages like replacement cost coverage, towing, and motor club memberships may be wasting your money. You may think they are a good idea when deciding what coverages you need, but if you have no use for them think about removing them and cutting costs.
- Five star IIHS safety rating saves money – Vehicles with high crash test scores get lower rates. Safer cars reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims passed on to you as lower rates. If your BMW scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov it is probably cheaper to insure.
- Vocation stress can make you pay more – Jobs such as doctors, executives, and dentists generally pay the highest average rates in part from intense work-related stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, jobs such as actors, athletes and the unemployed have lower than average premiums.
Cheaper Bakersfield auto insurance rates with discounts
Companies do not advertise all their discounts very well, so we break down some of the more common as well as some of the hidden discounts that may be available.
- Good Grades Discount – Performing well in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Claim-free drivers have much lower rates when compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Sign Early and Save – Some auto insurance companies provide a discount for buying a policy early. This discount can save up to 10%.
- Full Payment Discount – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
Don’t be shocked that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
The best auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts can be found below.
- The Hartford discounts include good student, bundle, air bag, driver training, anti-theft, vehicle fuel type, and defensive driver.
- American Family has savings for accident-free, good student, air bags, mySafetyValet, Steer into Savings, TimeAway discount, and good driver.
- Progressive offers discounts including online quote discount, continuous coverage, multi-policy, online signing, homeowner, good student, and multi-vehicle.
- Travelers may offer discounts for save driver, payment discounts, good student, multi-car, home ownership, new car, and driver training.
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include good student, distant student, mature driver, homeowner, business and professional, pay in full, and multi-car.
- USAA offers discounts for family discount, new vehicle, driver training, good student, loyalty savings, and defensive driver.
- Liberty Mutual may include discounts for new vehicle discount, new move discount, exclusive group savings, preferred payment discount, new graduate, and teen driver discount.
If you need lower rates, check with every insurance company what discounts are available to you. All car insurance discounts might not be offered in your state. If you would like to view insurers offering auto insurance discounts in California, click this link.
Compare prices but still have a local neighborhood Bakersfield car insurance agent
Some people just want to talk to an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. A good thing about comparing car insurance online is you may find cheaper premium rates and still have an agent to talk to. And buying from small agencies is important particularly in Bakersfield.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is instantly submitted to agents in your area that provide free Bakersfield car insurance quotes for your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent directly to your email. You can find the lowest rates AND an agent nearby. If you want to compare rates from one company in particular, you would need to visit that company’s website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Best car insurance agent in Bakersfield
When searching for a local insurance agency, there are a couple of types of insurance agents and how they operate. Car insurance agents are considered either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Independent Agents
Agents that choose to be independent do not sell for just one brand and that is an advantage because they can write policies with any number of different companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they quote lower rates, your policy is moved internally and you stay with the same agent.
If you need lower rates, you will want to compare quotes from a few independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison. Many write coverage with smaller regional carriers which could offer lower prices.
Shown below are Bakersfield independent agencies that can possibly get you free car insurance rate quotes.
- Nationwide Insurance: Michaud Insurance Agency Inc
201 California Ave – Bakersfield, CA 93304 – (661) 633-9900 – View Map - Clifford and Bradford Insurance Agency
1515 20th St – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 283-8100 – View Map - Miroslava Hernandez Insurance Agency
6433 E Brundage Ln # 2 – Bakersfield, CA 93307 – (661) 326-7200 – View Map
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive insurance agents work for only one company such as American Family, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Drivers often buy from the same agent for years primarily because of loyalty to the company and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Bakersfield that are able to give comparison quotes.
- Keith Goree – State Farm Insurance Agent
11350 Ming Ave #230 – Bakersfield, CA 93311 – (661) 663-9000 – View Map - Sal Brito – State Farm Insurance Agent
1410 Wible Rd #107 – Bakersfield, CA 93304 – (661) 398-5144 – View Map - Dennis Stitt – State Farm Insurance Agent
1811 Oak St Ste 155 – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 327-6990 – View Map
Picking an car insurance agent requires you to look at more than just the price. These are valid questions to ask:
- Is auto insurance their primary focus in Bakersfield?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- How long has their agency been in business in Bakersfield?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
- How are claims handled?
Find cheap rates by comparing often
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where someone dropped collision coverage to discover at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
Consumers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, high prices, unfair underwriting practices or even being labeled a high risk driver. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
We’ve covered a lot of techniques to save on BMW Alpina B7 insurance in Bakersfield. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. You may even discover the lowest car insurance rates are with a small mutual company.
More resources
- Credit and Insurance Scores (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for 4×4 Vehicles in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)