Truthfully, the best way to get the cheapest auto insurance rates in Fresno is to start comparing prices yearly from providers who sell auto insurance in California.
- First, gain an understanding of coverages and the steps you can take to drop your rates. Many things that drive up the price like accidents, traffic violations, and a substandard credit score can be improved by making minor changes in your lifestyle.
- Second, compare price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can give you price quotes from multiple insurance companies. Compare rates
- Third, compare the quotes to the price on your current policy and determine if cheaper C-Max Hybrid coverage is available in Fresno. If you can save money, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Fourth, tell your current agent or company of your intent to cancel the current policy and submit the completed application along with a down payment to the newly selected company. As soon as coverage is bound, place your new proof of insurance paperwork along with the vehicle’s registration papers.
An essential thing to point out is to compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on each quote and and to get quotes from every company you can. Doing this provides an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete selection of prices.
It’s an obvious statement that insurance companies don’t want you to look for a cheaper policy. People who compare rates annually are inclined to switch companies because of the good chance of finding a cheaper policy. A study showed that people who compared prices regularly saved over $3,450 over four years as compared to drivers who never compared prices.
If finding the lowest price for insurance in Fresno is your objective, then knowing the best ways to find and compare insurance can make the process less intimidating.
Reducing your Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance rates is an easy way to save money. All you need to do is spend a few minutes on the computer getting comparison quotes to see which company has low cost Fresno auto insurance quotes.
The companies shown below can provide comparison quotes in California. If you wish to find cheap auto insurance in Fresno, we suggest you click on several of them in order to find the most affordable rates.
Best reasons to buy insurance in California
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Ford in Fresno, buying insurance is mandatory in California but it also protects more than you think.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires a specific minimum amount of liability coverage if you drive a 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 bought your Ford C-Max Hybrid with a loan, it’s most likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you carry insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the lender may insure your Ford at a significantly higher premium and require you to fork over for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance preserves both your Ford and your assets. Insurance will also pay for most medical and hospital costs for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability insurance will also pay to defend you if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. 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 more than offset the price you pay, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. Unknowingly, the average driver overpays more than $750 every year so it’s important to compare rates once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are competitive.
Decisions You Make Can Impact Your Insurance Premiums
When buying car insurance it’s important to understand the factors that are used to determine your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables informed choices that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs. Many different elements are part of the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving history, but other factors are not quite as obvious like where you live or how safe your car is.
The items below are some of the things utilized by car insurance companies to help set your premiums.
Safer vehicles are cheaper to insure – Vehicles that have high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower rates of occupant injuries translates directly to fewer claims which can result in lower premiums.
Credit rating impacts premium costs – Having a bad credit history is likely to be a major factor in determining what you pay. Drivers who have very good credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have lower credit ratings. If your credit is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your Ford C-Max Hybrid by improving your rating.
Use but don’t abuse your insurance – If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Insurance companies in California generally give discounts to drivers who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of claims that pose a financial burden.
Rental and towing coverage may not be needed – There are a ton of extra add-on coverages that sound like a good idea at the time if you aren’t diligent. Things like coverage for rental cars, accident forgiveness, and extra equipment coverage are probably not needed. You may think they are a good idea when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money consider taking them off your policy.
Cheaper rates with high comp and collision deductibles – Comp and collision deductibles define how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket if a covered claim is submitted. Insurance for physical damage to your car, also called comprehensive and collision insurance, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some coverage claims could be a windshield broken by a bird, fire damage, and damage caused by road hazards. The more of the claim you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the bigger discount you will receive.
Pay more if you have a long commute – Living in smaller towns and rural areas of the country can be a good thing if you are looking for the lowest rates. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents. Urban drivers have more auto accidents and longer commute times. More time behind the wheel translates into higher accident risk.
Single drivers take more risk – Being married may cut your premiums when shopping for car insurance. It usually means you are more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.
Insurance losses for a Ford C-Max Hybrid – Insurance companies use data from past claims to calculate a price that will offset any claims. Models that the data determines to have increased losses will cost more for specific coverages. The table shown below demonstrates the historical insurance loss data for Ford C-Max Hybrid vehicles.
For each coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles, as an average, is represented as 100. Numbers that are below 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while numbers that are greater than 100 point to more losses or larger claims.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford C-Max Hybrid | 99 | 92 | 95 | 94 | 89 | 100 |
Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Discounts for cheap insurance rates
Some insurers do not list all their discounts very well, so the list below gives a summary of both well-publicized in addition to some of the lesser obvious savings tricks you should be using when you buy Fresno auto insurance online.
- Senior Citizens – Older drivers could receive a small decrease in premiums.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member could qualify you for better rates.
- Government Employee Discount – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with a few insurance companies.
- Good Driver Discounts – Drivers without accidents could pay up to 40% less than less cautious drivers.
- E-sign – A few larger online companies will give a small break get Fresno auto insurance digitally online.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Buying a new car instead of a used C-Max Hybrid can cost up to 25% less because newer vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Participating in a course in driver safety could earn you a small percentage discount if your company offers it.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to wear their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get better rates if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
As is typical with insurance, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the premium cost.
Larger insurance companies and some of the discounts are:
- Progressive may have discounts that include online signing, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, and online quote discount.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts including homeowner, business and professional, distant student, youthful driver, teen driver, and alternative fuel.
- Farm Bureau may offer discounts for multi-vehicle, good student, youthful driver, driver training, multi-policy, and 55 and retired.
- State Farm has savings for multiple policy, Drive Safe & Save, defensive driving training, safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, good driver, and student away at school.
- GEICO includes discounts for defensive driver, anti-lock brakes, driver training, multi-vehicle, and military active duty.
- SAFECO may include discounts for teen safety rewards, anti-lock brakes, drive less, bundle discounts, accident prevention training, and multi-car.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including multi-car, new graduate, teen driver discount, exclusive group savings, newly married, good student, and newly retired.
When quoting, ask each company the best way to save money. Some credits might not be offered everywhere.
Special considerations
When choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. You are unique.
For instance, these questions may help highlight whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- What discounts do I qualify for?
- When would I need additional glass coverage?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- Does my Ford C-Max Hybrid qualify for pleasure use?
- If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?
If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.
When should I get advice from an agent?
Certain consumers just prefer to talk to a local agent. Most agents can help determine the best coverages and will help you if you have claims. A good thing about getting online price quotes is that you can find cheaper car insurance rates and also buy local.
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your insurance coverage information is emailed to local insurance agents who will give you quotes for your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to search for an agent since price quotes are sent to you instantly. If you have a need to get a rate quote from a specific insurance company, you would need to find their quoting web page to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing the best provider shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Are they actively involved in the community?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
- Is auto insurance their primary focus in Fresno?
- How many companies do they write for?
Auto insurance agents in Fresno come in two varieties
If you are searching for a reliable agent, you should know the types of insurance agents and how they are slightly different. Agencies in Fresno can be categorized as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Both types can handle auto insurance, but it is important to understand the subtle differences because it may have an impact on your selection of an agent.
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents
Agents in the exclusive channel can only write with one company and examples are Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot provide other company’s prices so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive insurance agents are usually well trained on sales techniques which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Some people will only buy from the same agent for years partially due to high brand loyalty and solid financial strength.
Below are exclusive insurance agencies in Fresno who may provide you with comparison quotes.
- Farmers Insurance – Jagdeep Singh
4185 W Figarden Dr #101 – Fresno, CA 93722 – (559) 527-5530 – View Map - Steph Flores Peters – State Farm Insurance Agent
371 E Bullard Ave #104 – Fresno, CA 93710 – (559) 274-0600 – View Map - Farmers Insurance
7161 N Millbrook Ave # 103 – Fresno, CA 93720 – (559) 447-9838 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These type of agents can sell policies from many different companies and that enables them to quote your coverage through lots of different companies depending on which coverage is best. If they find a cheaper price, an independent agent can move your coverage which is easy for the insured.
When comparison shopping, you absolutely need to get some free quotes from several independent agencies so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare. They often place coverage with small mutual carriers which could offer lower prices.
The following is a list of independent insurance agencies in Fresno who can help you get comparison quotes.
- DLL Insurance Agency
5088 N Fruit Ave Suite 101 – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 451-3411 – View Map - CCIS Bonding and Insurance Services
2520 W Shaw Ln #104 – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 320-2247 – View Map - Dalena Benik and Associates Insurance
6740 N. West Street #108 – Fresno, CA 93711 – (559) 578-3022 – View Map
Persistence pays off
Throughout this article, we presented many ways to shop for Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote Fresno auto insurance, the better likelihood of getting affordable Fresno auto insurance quotes. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier.
When you buy Fresno auto insurance online, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, drivers have reduced collision coverage only to regret that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.
Insureds leave their current company for many reasons like lack of trust in their agent, extreme rates for teen drivers, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or even high rates after DUI convictions. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new insurance company is easier than you think.
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- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Nissan Rogue in Fresno? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for Active Military in Fresno? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for Drivers Under 25 in Fresno? (FAQ)
- Self-driving cars won’t replace humans (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Understanding Limits and Deductibles (Allstate)
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