Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates in Huntington Beach?
Huntington Beach, CA is a medium-sized city in California’s Orange County and it is part of sprawling Greater Los Angles. This is a growing surfing city of 200,000 that has both beaches and a museum dedicated to the sport. Huntington Beach is also quite prosperous with a median household income of $91,000, median property value of $728,000, and 105,000 total workers. The median age is a bit high at 42 years and the average home has two cars.
Drivers will be happy to note that the city’s older population may function to reduce drivers’ auto policy premiums based on risk assessments; yet those premiums may be equally negatively impacted by longer commute times and high auto-theft rates. The average commute for a Huntington Beach employee is nearly 28 minutes, one-way. Thus, a two-employee household is likely to log 9.3 hours per week merely driving to and from work. When other trips are added, that number can rise as high as 11 hours per week in the car.
Auto theft in the greater Los Angeles area is also a serious concern. In 2018, nearly 54,000 cars were stolen, resulting in a car theft rate of 405. In fact, the Los Angeles Metro Area is ranked as the #38th worst region for auto theft nationwide. Given this high theft rate on top of other concerns, including weather events, it’s recommended that drivers consider a robust car insurance package. After all, weather and naturally caused damage leaves the hapless victim to pay out-of-pocket unless they had the forethought to purchase more insurance.
What are the Insurance Requirements in Huntington Beach?
California requires that every driver be covered by automobile insurance when they are on the public roadways. The state mandates certain minimums for all policies. Every policy should therefore cover a minimum of $5,000 in property damage, $30,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $30,000 per accident for uninsured motorist medical coverage.
However, these minimums may still leave an at-fault driver at risk for litigation if the damage they cause exceeds those minimums. Further, those liability policies won’t cover any damage done to their own car. Therefore, it’s recommended that drivers opt for a policy that covers more than these minimum amounts if possible. They might want to consider a collision or comprehensive policy that covers damage to their car.
A collision or comprehensive policy is also handy even when a driver is not at fault. An adequately covered motorist can make a damage claim with their own company while the at-fault motorist’s company takes their time to settle the claim. Their insurer will then settle up the financial discrepancies with the at-fault motorist’s company.
Most Expensive and Least Expensive Insurance Rates by Zip Code
Cheap Car Insurance in Huntington Beach by Insurer
The following chart details a driver’s options for cheap car insurance in California. Consumers should consider these low-priced policies carefully. While it’s terrific to save money on recurring expenses such as insurance premiums, drivers may also need to bundle their auto policy with other insurance, such as homeowner’s insurance or a life insurance policy. It’s also valuable to investigate each company’s reputation for customer service. After all, driver’s need top-quality care, especially after an accident.
Low Cost Auto Insurance for Bad Credit in Huntington Beach
Thankfully, California is one of the three states in the United States that does not allow insurance companies to raise rates for drivers with poor credit. This represents a tremendous savings for drivers who have fallen behind on debts but who are excellent drivers. Many states’ insurers may charge as much as an extra $1,000 or more to their customers with poor credit. Thus, California drivers will need to shop around even more in order to avoid that added financial burden.
Learn how a bankruptcy affects your credit and auto insurance rates.
Difference Between Liability and Full Coverage
What is Liability Only Insurance Coverage?
Liability-only coverage is the cheapest option for automobile insurance. This coverage level only covers vehicles that are not at fault in an accident. Thus, if you carry liability-only coverage and cause an accident, the other driver will be covered by your policy. Any damage done to your car must be covered out of pocket, if at all.
Another way to think of liability insurance is that it protects you from claims made by another driver. Without the protection of insurance, you might be sued if you were to collide with another vehicle.
Why You May Want Full Coverage Car Insurance
Full Coverage is a commonly used term which covers more than just the damage you might cause in an accident, or the coverage you are liable for. If your policy covers your liability to another vehicle, the damage done to your vehicle (collision insurance), and any incidental damage done to your car by any non-auto elements (comprehensive coverage), then you have a policy that is indeed full coverage. If you have a new car, you may wish to cover it with such a policy, as you might want the peace of mind that any damage will be covered by insurance.
What You Need to Know About the Differences Between the Car Insurance Types
The difference between full and liability coverage is quite dramatic. With liability, insurers gamble that they will only have to pay for one car in an accident. With a comprehensive or full coverage policy, insurance companies know that they are taking on more liability exposure and so their rates reflect the increased risk. In the case of a comprehensive policy, they might even have to cover claims for damages that don’t arise from a traffic incident.
Average Annual Car Insurance Rates in California by City
How to Lower Your Insurance Rates Policy
The following auto insurance discounts can be used to help lower your premiums in Huntington Beach:
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A good driving record
Being a safe driver is the best way to keep your auto insurance cost down; the fewer accidents you have the less you will pay.
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Shop around for quotes
Insurance rates can vary substantially from company to company, which is why you will need to shop around and get quotes from each company. Most companies will give you a fast, free quote online.
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Raise your deductible
If you are considering getting a full-coverage plan, you can ask for a higher deductible to lower your monthly cost. The higher the deductible the lower your price will be.
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Save on bundling
You can save some money on auto insurance by bundling. Getting both auto insurance protections along with something like homeowners’ insurance in one plan will cost less than if you were to get separate plans.
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Establish a good credit report
Insurance companies base your cost on many factors, including what’s in your credit report, so, the better your credit report is, the lower your auto insurance costs will be.
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Reduce the miles you drive daily
Reducing how many miles you drive daily can also help cut auto insurance costs. You might consider car-pooling, taking a bus, or getting places the old-fashioned way – walk.
We can help you get the best auto insurance discounts to lower your coverage costs here.
Common Factors that Affect Your Huntington Beach, CA Vehicle Insurance Rates
Insurance companies factor in many variables when determining your automobile insurance rate. They look at your age, type of car, marital status, gender, and driving record, among other factors. Age is a factor because actuaries have found that older drivers tend to be safer drivers, whether due to experience or caution.
Your type of car is also important. For instance, cherry red convertible sports cars in particular might have the highest insurance rates. On this note, be aware that you might pay a lower premium for driving the sedan version of a sporty, high-horsepower vehicle. Still, what matters most is how you drive your hot-hatch or family wagon.
That’s because your driving record is perhaps the biggest single factor in your insurance rate. It is certainly the one that you have the most control over. That is, the longer you can maintain an incident-free driving record, the lower your rates are sure to be. Incidents can be anything from a minor speeding ticket to a reckless driving charge to being at-fault in a major automobile accident.
If you have a bad driving record and need cheap insurance, compare rates here.
Check Out Car Insurance Companies in Huntington Beach and Reviews
Helpful Huntington Beach, California Vehicle Resources:
Live Traffic and Accidents
https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Traffic/Traffic_info-Huntington_Beach-_-California-United_States
DMV (Find Locations, Vehicle Registration, Titles and Insurance Info)
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/field-office/westminster/