Perplexed by the crazy number of car insurance companies in your area? There are such a large number of options that it can easily turn into a real difficult job to lower your rates for Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Sacramento. If you’ve ever been there, you know that Sacramento is an awesome place to live, but having to pay for pricey car insurance makes it impossible to stay on budget.
It’s a fact that auto insurance companies want to keep you from shopping around. Consumers who compare rates at least once a year are highly likely to buy a different policy because there is a great chance of finding a lower-cost company. A recent car insurance study discovered that people who made a habit of comparing rates saved as much as $865 a year as compared to drivers who don’t regularly compare prices.
If finding the lowest price for car insurance is your ultimate goal, then learning a little about how to quote and compare cheaper coverage can help you be more efficient.
It’s a good idea to quote other rates before your policy renews because prices change frequently. Even if you got the lowest price on Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Sacramento a few years ago you may be paying too much now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn one of the best ways to find great coverage at a great price.
If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to reduce the price you pay using the tips covered below. Shopping for cheaper policy in Sacramento is not that difficult. But California consumers do need to understand how the larger insurance companies compete online and take advantage of how the system works.
To find cheaper Sacramento car insurance quotes, there are several ways of comparing rates from different companies. The fastest way to compare Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance prices is to perform an online rate comparison. Just keep in mind that having more price comparisons helps increase your odds of locating the best rates.
The car insurance companies shown below provide price quotes in California. To locate the best cheap car insurance in Sacramento, we recommend you click on several of them to find the most affordable car insurance rates.
Why you need Ford vehicle insurance in California
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Ford C-Max Hybrid in Sacramento, paying for insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.
- Most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require a specific level of liability insurance 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 your Ford has a lienholder, more than likely the lender will require that you have insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If the policy lapses, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Ford at a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them for it.
- Insurance protects both your assets and your vehicle. Insurance will also pay for hospital and medical expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you cause an accident and are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of insuring your car are without a doubt worth the cost, especially with large liability claims. But the average driver in California is overpaying over $810 a year so compare rate quotes at every renewal to ensure rates are competitive.
Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance More Affordably
Part of the auto insurance buying process is learning the different types of things that come into play when calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. If you have a feel for what influences your rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that may result in lower premium levels.
The factors shown below are a partial list of the pieces utilized by car insurance companies to help set your premiums.
Premiums are affected by your credit history – Your credit score factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. Insureds with excellent credit scores tend to be more responsible than drivers who have bad credit. So if your credit is low, you could save money insuring your Ford C-Max Hybrid by spending a little time repairing your credit.
Marriage can lower rates – Having a significant other may save some money when shopping for auto insurance. Marriage generally demonstrates drivers are less irresponsible and insurance companies like that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Multiple policies with one company can save – Lots of insurance companies will give lower prices to customers who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can be five, ten or even twenty percent. Even with this discount applied, it’s still a good idea to get quotes from other companies to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to find lower rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
Where you live factors in – Choosing to live in a small town has definite advantages when talking about auto insurance. Less people means reduced accidents and lower theft and vandalism rates. Drivers in populated California areas have to deal with much more traffic and longer commute times. More time behind the wheel means higher likelihood of an accident.
Your job and auto insurance rates – Occupational choices like real estate brokers, architects, and dentists usually pay the highest average rates attributed to high stress levels and lots of time spent away from family. On the other hand, occupations such as actors, athletes and performers have lower than average premiums.
Insurance loss probability for a Ford C-Max Hybrid – Auto insurance companies use historical loss data when setting premium costs. Vehicles that historically have higher prevalence or dollar amount of losses will be charged more to insure.
The data below shows the actual insurance loss data for Ford C-Max Hybrid vehicles. For each policy coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles, as an average, is set at 100. Numbers under 100 mean the vehicle has better than average losses, while percentage numbers above 100 point to more losses or an increased chance of larger losses than average.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford C-Max Hybrid | 99 | 92 | 95 | 94 | 89 | 100 |
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Discount Sacramento car insurance quotes
Some companies don’t always list all possible discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below contains both well-publicized and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance.
- Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Student Discounts – Being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
- Renewal Discounts – A few companies allow discounts for signing up before your current expiration date. You could save around 10% when you buy Sacramento car insurance online.
- Driver Safety – Completing a safe driver course could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
- Early Payment Discounts – By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
- Claim-Free Discount – Sacramento drivers who stay claim-free have much lower rates compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Theft Deterrent System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but companies like State Farm and Progressive permit an accident without raising rates so long as you are claim-free for a set time period.
Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the whole policy. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though you would think you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Larger car insurance companies and some of the discounts are shown below.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for anti-theft, multiple policy, good student, safe vehicle, multiple autos, and student away at school.
- Nationwide may include discounts for Farm Bureau membership, defensive driving, family plan, anti-theft, and easy pay.
- GEICO discounts include daytime running lights, seat belt use, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
- AAA has savings for multi-car, anti-theft, multi-policy, pay-in-full, good student, and AAA membership discount.
- 21st Century includes discounts for early bird, defensive driver, driver training, good student, teen driver, and theft prevention.
- The Hartford may offer discounts for defensive driver, air bag, bundle, anti-theft, and good student.
Before buying, ask each company or agent the best way to save money. Depending on the company, some discounts may not be offered in your state. To find insurers that offer many of these discounts in California, click this link.
Local insurance agents
Many drivers still prefer to buy from a local agent and doing so can bring peace of mind One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find cheap auto insurance rates and still choose a local agent.
Upon completion of this quick form, your coverage information is emailed to companies in Sacramento who will give competitive quotes for your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to contact any agents since rate quotes are delivered to you. Get lower rates AND an agent nearby. If you wish to compare rates from a particular provider, you can always navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Choosing the best insurer should include more criteria than just the bottom line cost. The following questions are important to ask.
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
- How long has their agency been in business in Sacramento?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Where would your vehicle be repaired?
One last thing about your coverage
Low-cost Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Sacramento is attainable from both online companies and also from your neighborhood Sacramento agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies do not provide rate quotes online and these regional carriers work with independent insurance agencies.
Consumers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including policy non-renewal, not issuing a premium refund, delays in paying claims or even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a great new company can be pretty painless.
When searching for low cost Sacramento car insurance quotes, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The aim is to buy enough coverage at the best cost and still be able to protect your assets.
Steps to finding cheaper quotes for Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Sacramento
The best way to get the cheapest car insurance rates is to start doing a yearly price comparison from different companies who provide auto insurance in Sacramento. You can compare rates by following these guidelines.
- Get a basic knowledge of coverages and the measures you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that drive up the price such as traffic violations, accidents, and poor credit history can be improved by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Get rate quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can provide prices for a wide range of insurance providers.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy to see if a cheaper price is available. If you find a lower rate quote, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Provide written notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your current policy. Submit a signed application and payment to the new company. Make sure you safely store the certificate verifying proof of insurance in your glove compartment.
One important bit of advice is that you’ll want to compare similar deductibles and liability limits on each quote and and to compare as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this helps ensure a fair price comparison and a better comparison of the market.
More detailed auto insurance information is located in these articles:
- Shopping for a Safe Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Toyota Highlander in Sacramento? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Dodge Grand Caravan in Sacramento? (FAQ)
- Safe Vehicles for Teens (iihs.org)
- Auto Insurance for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)