Cheap Car Insurance in California - How You Can Find Cheap California Auto Insurance Rates-SaveMoneyGuides.com
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Hey, my name is admin, and I first published 'Cheap Car Insurance in California - How You Can Find Cheap California Auto Insurance Rates-SaveMoneyGuides.com' on 11th August, 2008, within the Insurance section.
From-SaveMoneyGuides.com-Looking for cheap California auto insurance? The key to finding the cheapest California auto insurance rates is to take advantage of discounts, buy only the amount of coverage that you need, and to consistently shop around for California car insurance quotes from many different insurance companies at least once every 6 months. After all, California auto insurance rates change often and its up to you to spend a few moments doing some research so that you can find a cheap California auto insurance policy for yourself!
California is one of the biggest states in the whole country with an estimated 36,457,549 million people and experts only predict that it will continue to grow (it has grown a staggering 7.6% from 2005 to 2006). With so many people living in the state, one can only assume that there will be many more drivers entering the this Western area of the United States, hence more vehicles will be on the roads of California in years to come. Because of this it is no surprise that rates in California can get to be very expensive when it comes to automobile insurance, especially in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.
It is important to understand however, that potential customers can still find cheap CA automobile insurance if they shop around and do everything they need to do before deciding on a company. One thing about this state is that has great diversity when it comes to population. People from all over the world come to California to live and because of this automobile insurance companies have to shape their coverage to them.
Before even deciding on the type of coverage you want from a particular automobile insurance company it is important to know the state requirements (or state’s minimums) for California. This will allow you to see the least coverage possible that you can select from a particular automobile insurance company, thus it will give you the cheapest rate possible. The state of California dictates that one must be responsible for their own actions when it comes to driving a motor vehicle and that a person must know the risk associated with being behind the wheel of a car.
The statutory limits for automobile insurance within the state of California are 15/30/5. This means that any person driving a car in the roads of this state has to have a minimum of Bodily Injury of 15,000 for death of injury of any one person, Bodily Injury or 30,000 for all persons in one accident and Property Damage of $5,000 per accident. This is clear as California law is trying to prevent legal arbitrations toward any driver when is comes to automobile accidents.
One thing of note is that although having the minimum coverage can help you with the rates, in case of an accident you will not have comprehensive or collision coverage. Also, those people that bought a car and are still making payments on it, or those of you who leased a vehicle will not be able to get minimum coverage (they are required to have comprehensive and collision coverage). Because of this reason, it is important to keep in mind not only how much money you can afford when buying a new car, but how much your insurance will rise if you purchase it.
Apart from having the minimum coverage that the state of California enforces there are many other things a driver must take into account if they want a cheap California automobile insurance policy. One of them is to try and get a high deductible; however it must be a deductible that they can afford in case something happens.
If you own a relatively old car and are done making payments on the vehicle you should be ok with a minimum coverage and a high deductible (the cheapest automobile insurance policy), however if you want to be protected and have a less out of pocket cost in case something happens try a low deductible. The most common deductible is that of $500 because it’s not to low or too high at the same time, but people could even go as far as having a $1000 deductible which would decrease their rates dramatically.
Last but not least is it important to mention the variety of discounts that California car insurance companies offer to lower the rates of potential customers trying to enroll in their plans. These discounts can be the main thing when it comes to cheap automobile insurance rates in the state of California.
One thing that can definitely help your rate is if you have a clean driving record. Since the state of California is a busy one, especially when it comes to traffic, insurance companies will lower your rate if you are a good driver and drive defensively. If you get a DUI in the state, expect to pay more than double what you would for automobile insurance.
Another important discount that almost all insurance companies give is that of vehicle equipment. If you have safety features such as air bags, anti-theft alarms, anti-lock brakes and any others; then you will be good to go when it comes to discounts. Remember that theft is a high risk that insurance companies base their rates on, so if you try to prevent it with these features, your rate will be much lower.
Last but not least it is good to discuss other discounts such as good student and certified driver’s certificate. This first one if important because as you start your driving career you will be hit hard with high insurance rates simply because you wont have experience and insurance companies are taking a risk by insuring you. If you are a good student that makes good grades, you will be able to get discounts.
Also, if you go and attend a defensive drivers course, most California Auto insurance Companies will be able to give you a huge discount simply because you learned techniques that will help you become a better driver.
