We don’t have to tell you that car insurance companies don’t want you to look for cheaper rates. People who shop around annually will probably move their business because there is a good chance of finding discount prices. A recent survey revealed that consumers who shopped around every year saved approximately $850 each year as compared to drivers who never compared other company’s rates.
If finding the lowest price on Volvo S60 insurance is your target objective, then having some knowledge of how to choose a company and compare insurance coverage can save time and make the process easier.
Really, the only way to get the cheapest Volvo S60 insurance is to regularly compare quotes from providers that insure vehicles in Fresno. Drivers can shop around by following these steps.
First, try to comprehend coverages and the things you can change to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that drive up the price like traffic citations, accidents, and a substandard credit history can be improved by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. Read the full article for instructions to prevent high rates and get discounts that may be available to you.
Second, compare rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can provide rates from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can quote rates from multiple insurance companies.
Third, compare the new quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available in Fresno. If you can save money and decide to switch, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Fourth, give notification to your agent or company of your intent to cancel your current coverage and submit payment and a signed application to your new company or agent. As soon as you can, place your new certificate of insurance with your vehicle’s registration.
One thing to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare identical coverage information on each price quote and and to get prices from as many companies as possible. Doing this helps ensure a fair rate comparison and a complete price analysis.
If you have insurance now or just want a better rate, you will benefit by learning to lower your rates while maximizing coverage. This information will familiarize you with how car insurance companies work and some tips to save money. Smart buyers only have to learn the best way to quote multiple rates from multiple carriers.
Verify you’re applying every discount
Buying auto insurance is not cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help offset the cost. Some of these discounts will be visible when you quote, but a few must be specially asked for before they will apply.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Some insurance companies give a break if you buy a life policy as well.
- Full Payment Discount – If you can afford to pay the entire bill as opposed to paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
- Telematics Devices – Drivers that enable driving data collection to scrutinize when and where they use their vehicle by using a telematic data system such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system may see discounts if they show good driving skills.
- 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get reduced rates.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to fasten their seat belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Home Ownership Discount – Being a homeowner can earn you a little savings since home ownership is proof that your finances are in order.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them participate in a local driver’s education class in school.
Please keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Just because it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it’s just not the way it works.
A few popular companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be read below.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including multiple policy, good driver, safe vehicle, accident-free, multiple autos, and driver’s education.
- Esurance has savings for paid-in-full, renters, good student, defensive driver, and online shopper.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for homeowner, online quote discount, online signing, multi-policy, continuous coverage, and multi-vehicle.
- Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include newly married, teen driver discount, multi-car, newly retired, and new move discount.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has discounts for paid in full, multiple vehicles, group or association, air bags, anti-lock brakes, safe vehicle, and student away at school.
- GEICO discounts include multi-vehicle, anti-lock brakes, membership and employees, anti-theft, air bags, defensive driver, and multi-policy.
It’s a good idea to ask every company which discounts you may be entitled to. Savings may not be offered in Fresno. For a list of companies with discount rates in Fresno, click this link.
Getting a low cost price on insurance isn’t really that difficult. Just spend a little time to compare rates from different insurance companies.
The companies shown below are ready to provide quotes in California. In order to find the best cheap car insurance in CA, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can to find the lowest car insurance rates.
Educated Choices Result in Lower Insurance Premiums
Lots of factors are considered when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are obvious such as traffic violations, although some other factors are less apparent such as whether you are married and annual miles driven. The best way to find cheaper car insurance is to take a look at the rating factors that go into determining car insurance rates. If you understand what determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get cheaper rates.
The factors shown below are just a few of the factors companies use to determine your rate level.
- Car insurance policy lapses increase prices – Allowing your coverage to lapse can be a sure-fire way to increase your renewal premiums. Not only will you pay higher rates, not being able to provide proof of insurance could result in a license revocation or jail time.
- Extra coverages push up costs – There are many extra bells and whistles that sound like a good idea at the time if you aren’t careful. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage, and term life insurance may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them consider taking them off your policy.
- More miles equals more premium – The more you drive your Volvo every year the more you’ll pay to insure it. A lot of insurance companies charge to insure your cars partially by how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Improper usage on your S60 can result in significantly higher rates. Verify your declarations sheet shows the right rating data.
- Older drivers pay less – Older insureds are shown to be more cautious, cost insurance companies less in claims, and are safer drivers. Inexperience drivers have been known to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
- Liability insurance is peace of mind – The liability coverage on your policy will provide protection if ever you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Your liability coverage provides for a legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to other policy coverages, so buy as much as you can afford.
- Lower premiums for cars with good safety ratings – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. Vehicles built for safety reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders. If the Volvo S60 has at least four stars on Safercar.gov it is probably cheaper to insure.
- Gender is a factor – Statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. This data doesn’t prove that men are WORSE drivers than women. They both cause fender benders at about the same rate, but guys tend to have more serious accidents. Men also tend to receive more major tickets like DUI and reckless driving.
-
Loss probability for a Volvo S60 – Companies analyze the history of losses when they set coverage costs for each model. Models that the data determines to have increased claim numbers or amounts will cost more for coverage. The table below outlines the compiled insurance loss statistics for Volvo S60 vehicles.
For each policy coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles as a whole equals 100. Numbers shown that are under 100 are indicative of better than average losses, while percentage numbers above 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or tendency to have higher losses.
Volvo S60 Insurance Claim Statistics Specific Volvo Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Volvo S60 4dr 2WD 103 85 83 76 72 65 Volvo S60 4dr 4WD 111 73 90 65 66 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEEmpty fields indicate not enough data collected
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Neighborhood insurance agents
Some consumers would prefer to buy from a licensed agent and that can be a smart move Good insurance agents are highly skilled in risk management and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that you can find cheap auto insurance quotes and still choose a local agent. And providing support for small agencies is important especially in Fresno.
To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your coverage information is submitted to participating agents in Fresno who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to drive around because prices are sent instantly to you. If you wish to get a comparison quote from a specific company, don’t hesitate to search and find their rate quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
If you prefer to buy auto insurance from local Fresno agents, it’s important to understand the different agency structures and how they operate. Agents in Fresno can be categorized as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Either type can insure your vehicles properly, but it’s important to know how they differ since it can affect your agent selection.
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
These type of agents do not write with just one company and that enables them to quote your coverage with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If prices rise, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don’t have to switch agencies. If you are comparing auto insurance prices, we highly recommend that you get some free quotes from at least one independent agent to get the best comparison. A lot of them also have access to less well-known companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Listed below is a partial list of independent insurance agents in Fresno who can help you get price quotes.
- Dalena Benik and Associates Insurance
6740 N. West Street #108 – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 578-3022 – View Map - United Valley Insurance Services
3245 W Figarden Dr – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 256-2500 – View Map - New Horizon Insurance Services- Fresno
7543 N Ingram Ave #105 – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 244-6644 – View Map
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive generally can only insure with one company and some examples include Farmers Insurance and State Farm. They are unable to shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price. A lot of people use the same exclusive agent mainly due to the prominent brand name and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Fresno willing to provide price quote information.
- Tim Franz – State Farm Insurance Agent
5534 E Kings Canyon Rd – Fresno, CA 93727 – (559) 251-3777 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: Frank Salvio
745 E Locust Ave Ste 109 – Fresno, CA 93720 – (559) 449-1603 – View Map - Progressive Insurance
7020 N Marks Ave #107 – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 353-3500 – View Map
Selecting an insurance agency is decision based upon more than just a cheap quote. Any agent in Fresno should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- Will high miles depreciate repair valuations?
- Do they offer accident forgiveness?
- Are they involved in claim handling?
Insurance is an important decision
Despite the potentially high cost of Volvo S60 insurance, insurance serves an important purpose.
- Most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability insurance in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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 loan on your vehicle, it’s guaranteed your bank will stipulate that you have comprehensive coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Volvo at an extremely high rate and force you to pay for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance safeguards both your vehicle and your assets. Insurance will also pay for all forms of medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability insurance also covers legal expenses if you are sued as the result of your driving. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of having insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, especially if you ever need it. The average driver in America is wasting up to $820 a year so smart consumers compare quotes each time the policy renews to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Cheaper auto insurance premiums are out there
People switch companies for a number of reasons such as policy non-renewal, high prices, questionable increases in premium and even poor customer service. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new auto insurance company can be less work than you think.
While you’re price shopping online, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where an insured cut liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage at the best possible price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Affordable Volvo S60 insurance in Fresno can be bought online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies do not provide online quoting and usually these regional carriers only sell through independent insurance agencies.
To learn more, feel free to visit these articles:
- Protecting Teens from Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Government Employees in Fresno? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Fresno Car Insurance Rates for Young Drivers? (FAQ)
- How Much Auto Coverage do I Need? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)
- What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)