Shocking but true, the majority of drivers kept their policy with the same company for a minimum of four years, and practically 40% of insurance customers have never compared rates to find lower-cost insurance. Most drivers in California could save an average of almost $500 each year, but they won’t spend time to compare other rate quotes.
The easiest way to find cheaper Pontiac G5 insurance in Sacramento is to start comparing prices yearly from insurers in California. You can compare prices by following these steps.
- Try to learn about auto insurance and the changes you can make to drop your rates. Many rating factors that are responsible for high rates like accidents, traffic tickets, and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be amended by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Obtain price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote rates for a wide range of insurance providers.
- Compare the new quotes to the price on your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find better rates and decide to switch, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
The critical component of shopping around is that you use the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to get rates from every company you can. This provides a fair price comparison and a thorough price selection.
If you are insured now, you will be able to get lower rates using the techniques presented in this article. The purpose of this post is to teach you a little about how car insurance companies work and also pocket some savings But California drivers can benefit by having an understanding of the methods companies use to calculate their prices.
When quoting car insurance, remember that quoting more will improve the odds of getting more affordable rates.
The companies shown below provide price quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, it’s highly recommended you get rates from several of them to find the most affordable auto insurance rates.
Do you qualify for these five discounts?
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always publicize all discounts very well, so we took the time to find a few of the more well known as well as the least known insurance savings. If you do not check that you are getting every discount available, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you can bundle your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you will save 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Distant Student Discount – Children who attend college more than 100 miles from Sacramento and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
- ABS Brakes – Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems can stop better under adverse conditions and will save you 10% or more on G5 insurance in Sacramento.
- E-sign Discounts – Some larger companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks shop Sacramento auto insurance on the web.
- Theft Deterrent System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. If you do the math and it seems like you can get free auto insurance, insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Auto insurance companies that may have most of these discounts possibly include:
If you need lower rates, check with each company or agent to give you their best rates. Some discounts listed above might not apply in Sacramento. To see a list of insurers that offer some of these discounts in Sacramento, click here to view.
Comparing prices from local Sacramento insurance agencies
A lot of people prefer to talk to an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. One of the great benefits of comparing car insurance online is the fact that you can find cheap rate quotes but also keep your business local. And supporting neighborhood agents is especially important in Sacramento.
After completing this short form, the coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your business. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered directly to your email. You can most likely find cheaper rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you wish to compare rates from a specific insurance company, you would need to search and find their rate quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Do you need an independent or exclusive car insurance agent?
If you are wanting to purchase car insurance from a reliable insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different types of agents and how they operate. Agents may be either exclusive agents or independent agents.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents that elect to be independent are not limited to a single company and that is an advantage because they can write policies through many different car insurance companies and find the cheapest car insurance rates. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part. When shopping rates, we recommend you get quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from. Most independent agents also contract with small mutual carriers that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
Below are Sacramento independent agencies that may be able to give you pricing information.
- Ice Insurance Agency
813 F St – Sacramento, CA 95814 – (916) 387-6800 – View Map - McClatchy Insurance Agency
2410 Fair Oaks Blvd #140 – Sacramento, CA 95825 – (916) 488-4702 – View Map - McGee and Thielen Insurance Brokers
3840 Rosin Ct #245 – Sacramento, CA 95834 – (800) 901-9636 – View Map
Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies
Exclusive agencies generally can only insure with one company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so keep that in mind. They receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price. Some insured continue to choose to use an exclusive agent mostly because of the brand instead of buying on price only.
Below is a short list of exclusive insurance agents in Sacramento who can help you get price quotes.
- Yeh Ferguson – State Farm Insurance Agent
7273 14th Ave Ste 100 – Sacramento, CA 95820 – (916) 455-5000 – View Map - Greg Lauck – State Farm Insurance Agent
950 Fulton Ave #175 – Sacramento, CA 95825 – (916) 978-9110 – View Map - Bill Batchelder – State Farm Insurance Agent
8887 Folsom Blvd #3a – Sacramento, CA 95826 – (916) 361-3114 – View Map
Finding the right car insurance agent requires you to look at more than just a cheap price quote. Some important questions to ask are:
- Are they involved in claim handling?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Is every driver in your family covered?
- Will you work with the agent or an assistant?
- What companies can they write with?
- Do they offer accident forgiveness?
- What company do they have the most business with?
Why car insurance is not optional
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Pontiac G5 in Sacramento, car insurance serves an important purpose.
- Just about all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific minimum amount of liability in order to license the vehicle. 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 you have a lien on your Pontiac G5, it’s guaranteed your bank will require that you buy insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If you default on your policy, the lender will be forced to insure your Pontiac at a more expensive rate and require you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.
- Insurance protects both your vehicle and your personal assets. It will also cover hospital and medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you cause an accident and are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of having car insurance more than offset the price you pay, especially when you need to use it. Despite what companies tell you, the average driver is wasting up to $810 a year so you should quote rates once a year at a minimum to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Car insurance coverages and their meanings
Understanding the coverages of car insurance can be of help when determining appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.
UM/UIM Coverage – This protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and damage to your Pontiac G5.
Since many California drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 15/30/5), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Medical costs insurance – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for immediate expenses such as dental work, EMT expenses, ambulance fees, hospital visits and pain medications. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision – This pays for damage to your G5 resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things like sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with a tree, hitting a parking meter, crashing into a ditch and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. Another option is to bump up the deductible on your G5 to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like damage from getting keyed, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and rock chips in glass. The maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Liability coverages – This will cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have limits of 15/30/5 which stand for $15,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $30,000, and a total limit of $5,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability can pay for claims such as court costs, emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects, bail bonds and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. California requires drivers to carry at least 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.
The illustration below demonstrates why low liability limits may not be adequate coverage.
Lower rates by being persistent
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, an insured dropped liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest cost, but do not skimp to save money.
Insureds who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including poor customer service, extreme rates for teen drivers, not issuing a premium refund or even high rates after DUI convictions. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right auto insurance provider is less work than it seems.
We just presented many ideas to shop for Pontiac G5 insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding affordable Pontiac G5 insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the lowest car insurance rates come from an unexpected company.
Additional information can be read below:
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for 19 Year Olds in Sacramento? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for 16 Year Olds in Sacramento? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Sacramento Auto Insurance Quotes for a Honda Accord? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Sacramento Auto Insurance for Teenage Males? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a Company Car in Sacramento? (FAQ)
- Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)