The words “low-cost” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, in particular when trying to find the best coverage prices for active military. In an attempt to save some money, let’s lead off by showing you a few of the things that significantly impact insurance premiums, and see how we can help you shave a little off your next policy.
For military personnel, one of the big components that are looked at to help calculate the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where you keep your vehicle in Fresno. Regions with more people or even just more weather-related claims tend to pay more, whereas more rural areas benefit from lower prices.
The illustration below sorts the most costly cities in California for active military in which to buy car insurance. Fresno comes in at #17 with a yearly cost of $1,457 for the average policy, which is about $121 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 8 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 10 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 11 | Santa Clarita | $1,548 |
| 12 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 13 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 14 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 17 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 20 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 21 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 22 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
| 23 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 24 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,298 |
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Annual rates are estimated as the specific zip code location can modify auto insurance rates noticeably.
Establishing which company quotes the cheapest auto insurance rates for active military requires a little more sweat in order to find coverage that fits your budget.
Each company has a different formula for filing rates in each state, so to begin we’ll rank the most budget-friendly auto insurance companies in Fresno, CA. It’s important that you understand Fresno auto insurance rates are based on many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price you have to pay. Improving your credit score, having a claim, or getting a DUI can cause premium changes that can now make some companies cheaper than competitors.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates for Military
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 5 | Century National | $1,214 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
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USAA has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Fresno at around $1,121 each year. This is $530 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National also rank well as some of the most economical Fresno, CA auto insurance companies.
In the above example, if you currently have coverage with CSAA and switched to USAA, you might see yearly savings of in the vicinity of $77. Policyholders with Nationwide might save as much as $92 a year, and Century National policyholders might cut rates by $93 a year.
To find out how your current rates compare, click here to get quotes or visit any of the low-priced companies below.
Remember that these estimates are averages across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and are not factoring in an exact vehicle garaging location for active military. So the car insurance company that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
Should you buy full coverage?
Paying a lower price for auto insurance is probably important to most vehicle owners, and an easy way to buy cheaper insurance for active military is to only buy liability insurance. The information below visualizes the comparison of insurance prices with full coverage and liability only. The price estimates are based on no claims, a clean driving record, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Averaged for all age groups, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs an additional $1,849 per year more than just buying liability insurance. At some point, almost every driver questions if physical damage coverage is worth the money. There is no exact formula that works best for making the decision to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is more than around 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.
The diagram below illustrates how your choice of deductibles can change insurance premiums when searching for cheap insurance for active military. The premiums are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no additional discounts are factored in.
A 30-year-old driver could lower rates by $476 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $712 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, like the age 20 example, could potentially save as much as $1,008 every year by using higher deductibles when buying full coverage. If you make the decision to raise deductibles, it will now be necessary to have additional funds in a savings account to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense that deters many people from opting for higher deductibles.
How to find the cheapest car insurance for active military
The list below summarizes some of the better money-saving suggestions that can help Fresno drivers locate lower-cost auto insurance.
- Insure your home and auto with the same company
- Avoid at-fault accidents and claims
- Choose a safer vehicle and pay lower rates
- Earn discounts for being claim-free
- Violations and traffic tickets increase rates
- Compare rate quotes often
That last idea is remarkably significant, as was affirmed in the prior article. Coverage rates change frequently, so you should be ready to switch to a new company if you can find a cheaper rate. Staying with the same car insurance company is fine, but it’s not recommended if that devotion results in you overpaying hundreds every year. It only takes a couple minutes to compare prices and find cheaper auto insurance for active military in Fresno.