It’s hard to miss the catchy commercials from auto insurance companies like Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, and Farmers claiming the cheapest price. So drivers should just pick the one with the catchiest commercial, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple as there are a whole bunch of unknowns such as if you have a spouse, the safety features built into your vehicle, and whether you are female or male, that all go into determining the rate you pay. This article goes into detail about the things that cause high insurance rates and will hopefully give the reader a good beginning to your search for cheaper coverage.
One of the more important considerations that help determine insurance cost is where you normally keep your vehicle in Fresno. Areas with more people or higher crime rates tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.
The table below lists the highest-priced places in California for a learners permit to purchase car insurance in. Fresno is ranked at #15 with a yearly premium of $1,502 for the average insurance policy, which is approximately $125 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 7 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 8 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 9 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 10 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 11 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 12 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 13 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 14 | Riverside | $1,527 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,389 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
Premium costs are comparative as the specific geographic location can impact coverage prices greatly.
Finding decent, budget insurance is not always easy, and deciding which companies have the cheapest insurance rates for a learners permit will require even more perseverance. Each insurance company has a different process to set policy rates, so we’ll go over the most competitive insurance companies in Fresno.
It’s a good idea to know that Fresno, CA insurance rates are based on many factors that may substantially change the price you pay. This price fluctuation is why it is crucial to compare as many rates as possible to find the most budget-friendly insurance rates for a learners permit. Auto insurance prices can be altered by many factors and can change without notice, so the most economical option the last time you checked may now be quite expensive.
Cheapest Insurance Rates in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,155 |
| 2 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 3 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,491 |
| 8 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 9 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 12 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
USAA may offer some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Fresno at around $1,155 each year. CSAA, Wawanesa, Century National, and Nationwide also are some of the cheapest Fresno, CA auto insurance companies.
In this example, if you are currently insured with Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you could realize yearly savings of approximately $37. Policyholders with Century National may save as much as $71 a year, and Nationwide policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $108 a year.
To discover how much you can save, click here or visit any of the low-priced companies below.
Be aware that those policy prices are averages across all insureds and vehicles and do not factor in a vehicle location for a learners permit. So the company that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That illustrates why you need to get rate quotes using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
Does it make sense to buy full coverage?
Lowering the price of insurance is important to most drivers, and an easy way to reduce the cost of insurance for a learners permit is to not pay for full coverage. The chart below shows the difference between yearly insurance costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. Data assumes no claims, a clean driving record, $250 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.
Averaged out for all age groups, full coverage on your policy costs $3,093 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. That touches on the question when is the right time to remove full coverage. There is no set guideline of when to phase out full coverage, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
There are some scenarios where dropping physical damage coverage is not in your best interest. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you are required to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should maintain full coverage.
Types of discounts on Fresno auto insurance
Insurance companies that offer cheap quotes for a learners permit may also provide discounts that could lower prices by as much as 25% or more if you qualify for them. A list of companies and the discounts they provide are outlined below.
- GEICO may include discounts for driver training, multi-vehicle, membership and employees, federal employee, seat belt use, and good student.
- MetLife includes discounts for claim-free, good driver, defensive driver, accident-free, multi-policy, and good student.
- Progressive may have discounts that include multi-vehicle, homeowner, online quote discount, good student, continuous coverage, online signing, and multi-policy.
- Travelers offers discounts for continuous insurance, early quote, good student, save driver, payment discounts, and driver training.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for bundle discounts, teen safety rewards, homeowner, accident prevention training, and teen safe driver.
- AAA has savings for good student, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, good driver, and education and occupation.
The example below shows the comparison of annual premium costs with and without discounts. The prices are based on a male driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with anti-theft, passive restraint, vehicle safety, paperless filing, continuous coverage, and paid-in-full discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, the amount saved on insurance for a learners permit is 28% or $1,210.
The agents shown below can probably provide answers to your questions and help you determine which is the best policy, as lots of drivers aren’t clear which coverage they need and would like to have professional advice when trying to find the best insurance rates for a learners permit. It can be time-consuming to find the cheapest rate yourself, so using a licensed agent can provide you comfort knowing your coverage gives you adequate protection. To locate a Fresno auto insurance agent nearest to you, click the link at the bottom.
- Mark Headrick State Farm®
1020 E Perrin Ave #101 – Fresno, CA 93720 – (559) 433-3733 - Marc Bomarito – State Farm Insurance Agent
9497 N Fort Washington Rd Ste 101 – Fresno, CA 93730 – (559) 224-8660 - Reza Sarkhosh Insurance Agency, Inc.
2491 W Shaw Ave #124 – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 243-9000
Find a Fresno, CA insurance agent near you
How to find economical auto insurance for a learners permit
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are a few money-saving ideas that can help you buy cheaper coverage.
- Claim-free drivers earn discounts
- Do not pay for full coverage if not needed
- Vehicles with safetly features generally cost less to insure
- Buying car and homeowners insurance together can save money
- Clean up your credit rating
- Raise your physical damage coverage deductibles
- Comparison shop at least once a year
The last tip in the list is especially valuable, as we hit on in this article. Insurance prices change a lot, so drivers shouldn’t hesitate to buy a policy from a new company if a better deal can be had.
Brand loyalty is great, but is isn’t recommended if that dedication is costing money that could be used for better things. If you have a few minutes, compare prices and find cheaper insurance for a learners permit in Fresno.