Everyone knows that auto insurance companies want to keep you from comparing prices. Consumers who compare rates at least once a year are highly likely to move their business because there is a good chance of finding a policy with better rates. A recent survey revealed that drivers who regularly compared price quotes saved on average $70 a month compared to drivers who never shopped around for cheaper prices.
If finding the best price on Lincoln LS insurance in Bakersfield is your ultimate objective, then having a grasp of how to choose a company and compare car insurance can make it simple to find affordable coverage.
It takes a little time, but the best way to get budget auto insurance rates is to start comparing rates regularly from insurance carriers in Bakersfield.
- Take a little time to learn about policy coverages and the things you can control to keep rates low. Many policy risk factors that increase rates like speeding tickets, careless driving and a bad credit score can be amended by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. This article gives more ideas to help keep prices low and find more discounts that you may not know about.
- Compare price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes for a wide range of companies.
- Compare the quotes to your existing policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find better rates, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
A key point to remember is to try to use the same amount of coverage on each price quote and and to get price quotes from as many companies as you can. Doing this provides an apples-to-apples comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
The method we recommend to compare rates for Lincoln LS insurance in Bakersfield is to realize most of the larger companies participate in a system to quote your coverage. To get started, all you need to do is provide a small amount of information such as if you lease or own, how much you drive, the ages of drivers, and whether the vehicles are used for commuting. Those rating factors is sent automatically to many different companies and they respond with quotes very quickly.
If you would like to compare rates now, click here and enter the information requested.
The providers in the list below offer price quotes in Bakersfield, CA. If the list has multiple companies, we suggest you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.
Car insurance in California serves several purposes
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Lincoln LS in Bakersfield, insurance is mandatory in California but it also protects more than you think.
- The majority of states have mandatory insurance requirements which means state laws require specific minimum amounts of liability insurance if you want to drive legally. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your LS has a lienholder, it’s guaranteed your bank will require you to buy insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Lincoln at a significantly higher premium and force you to pay the higher premium.
- Insurance protects not only your Lincoln but also your assets. It will also provide coverage for all forms of medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay to defend you if you are sued as the result of your driving. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, your policy will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of having car insurance more than offset the price you pay, particularly for liability claims. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver is currently overpaying as much as $810 a year so we recommend shopping around each time the policy renews to ensure rates are inline.
Earn discounts to get lower-cost Bakersfield auto insurance rates
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list the entire discount list very clearly, so the next list breaks down some of the best known as well as the least known credits that may apply to you.
- Pay Early and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Save with a New Car – Buying a new car instead of a used LS can be considerably cheaper due to better safety requirements for newer models.
- Life Insurance Discount – Not all companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a break if you buy some life insurance too.
- Claim-Free Discount – Bakersfield drivers who stay claim-free are rewarded with significantly better rates on Bakersfield car insurance quote in comparison with bad drivers.
- Home Ownership Discount – Owning your own home or condo may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
- Student in College – Kids who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle could get you a discount.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Participating in a safe driver course is a good idea and can lower rates and also improve your driving technique.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags can receive discounts up to 30%.
As is typical with insurance, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Just because you may think all the discounts add up to a free policy, nobody gets a free ride.
Companies and their possible discounts are:
- GEICO may offer discounts for driver training, federal employee, seat belt use, five-year accident-free, multi-vehicle, and emergency military deployment.
- Travelers offers discounts for IntelliDrive, new car, early quote, save driver, good student, multi-policy, and multi-car.
- Farm Bureau policyholders can earn discounts including youthful driver, good student, multi-vehicle, 55 and retired, and renewal discount.
- Liberty Mutual may include discounts for hybrid vehicle, new vehicle discount, new move discount, new graduate, exclusive group savings, good student, and teen driver discount.
- American Family has savings for multi-vehicle, defensive driver, good student, bundled insurance, accident-free, Steer into Savings, and air bags.
- Progressive includes discounts for online signing, homeowner, online quote discount, continuous coverage, and multi-policy.
Double check with each insurance company to give you their best rates. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered on policies in every state.
When should I talk to an insurance agency?
A lot of people still prefer to talk to an insurance agent and doing so can bring peace of mind An additional benefit of getting free rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get lower rates and still choose a local agent. Supporting local insurance agencies is definitely important in Bakersfield.
After filling out this short form, your insurance data is submitted to participating agents in Bakersfield who will give you quotes to get your business. You don’t have to even leave your home because prices are sent instantly to you. Get lower rates without requiring a lot of work. If for some reason you want to compare prices for a specific company, feel free to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
When looking for a local agent, you must know there are a couple different agency structures and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Agents are categorized either independent or exclusive.
Independent Insurance Agencies
Agents in the independent channel do not sell for just one brand so they can quote policies through many different insurance companies and find you cheaper rates. If prices rise, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When shopping rates, you should always contact a couple of independent agencies for maximum quote selection. They often place coverage with smaller mutual companies which can be an advantage.
Listed below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Bakersfield that may be able to give you cheap rate quotes.
- Omega Financial and Insurance Services Inc
400 H St – Bakersfield, CA 93304 – (661) 326-6870 – View Map - California Canyon Insurance Agency
B, 4900 California Ave #210 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 377-2978 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: Mountain Pacific Insurance And Financial Services
3100 19th St #250 – Bakersfield, CA 93301 – (661) 873-4780 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be exclusive are contracted to one company like Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents cannot compare other company’s rates so always compare other rates. Exclusive agents are highly trained on sales techniques which aids in selling service over price. Consumers often use the same agent primarily because of the brand instead of buying on price only.
The following is a list of exclusive agencies in Bakersfield who can help you get price quotes.
- Dawn Fore – State Farm Insurance Agent
4801 Truxtun Ave #200 – Bakersfield, CA 93309 – (661) 324-2300 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Scott Brown
6501 Schirra Ct #100 – Bakersfield, CA 93313 – (661) 837-4100 – View Map - Mike Boyer – State Farm Insurance Agent
9720 Brimhall Rd Ste 200 – Bakersfield, CA 93312 – (661) 588-1140 – View Map
Picking an car insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. Get answers to these questions too.
- How will an accident affect your rates?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Do they have 24-hour customer assistance?
- How are they compensated?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
Car insurance 101
Understanding the coverages of your insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Coverage for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for bills like chiropractic care, nursing services, doctor visits, hospital visits and funeral costs. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
This gives you protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Lincoln LS.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (California limits are 15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Usually the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liability limits.
Liability coverages
This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property that is your fault. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 15/30/5 which means a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $30,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $5,000. Some companies may use a combined limit which limits claims to one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability insurance covers things such as structural damage, bail bonds and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford. California state law requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.
The chart below shows why buying the state minimum limits may not provide adequate coverage.
Comprehensive coverages
This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like a broken windshield, hail damage, damage from a tornado or hurricane, fire damage and falling objects. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision coverage
This coverage pays for damage to your LS resulting from a collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, rolling your car, crashing into a ditch, colliding with another moving vehicle and hitting a mailbox. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to bump up the deductible on your LS in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Quote more and you will save more
Low-cost Lincoln LS insurance in Bakersfield can be purchased both online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to get a complete price analysis. Some auto insurance companies do not offer the ability to get quotes online and these regional carriers work with independent insurance agencies.
People who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including policy cancellation, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, policy non-renewal and not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason, switching companies can be pretty painless.
As you quote Bakersfield car insurance, it’s not a good idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many instances, someone sacrificed liability coverage limits only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Other information
- Distracted Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for a Nissan Rogue in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- How Much is Car Insurance for 16 Year Olds in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
- How Much is Bakersfield Auto Insurance for Infrequent Drivers? (FAQ)
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
- Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)