If you’re curious to know the cost of car insurance in California, keep in mind that its amount depends on various factors – these may include your age, driving history, car make/model and coverage level preferences among others. MoneyGeek’s car insurance calculator takes all these into consideration when estimating rates.
Drivers involved in accidents or charged with moving violations may see their premiums increase; however, it’s important to remember that this doesn’t last forever; under state “good behavior” laws, rates may decrease after accumulating certain time without accident or violation. Unfortunately, tickets or accidents could lead to higher premiums down the line, so to save on auto insurance premiums altogether it would be wiser avoiding driving violations and traffic tickets as much as possible.
Age can have a dramatic effect on an annual premium, as younger drivers typically pay more due to a lack of experience and being statistically more likely to cause accidents than older drivers with greater experience and usually better driving records. On the other hand, older drivers typically pay less due to having more road time under their belt and tending to maintain better records than their counterparts.
Location plays an integral role in your car insurance premiums, particularly if you reside in a large city with high traffic volumes. As congestion can often increase the risk of accidents, insurance providers consider such areas higher-risk.
Your vehicle also plays an integral part in the cost of your policy, with some models more complex to repair due to more complex parts and features, while some are more likely to be stolen or damaged than others – thus accounting for why those driving sports cars pay more in car insurance than drivers of sedans.
Some factors are under your control, like your credit score – used to assess how reliable you are as a customer – which you can improve by paying your bills on time and maintaining a low debt-to-income ratio, thus helping lower rates. Other rating factors, like age or number of driving violations on your record are beyond your reach and require consideration by lenders when rating customers.
Car insurance calculators are an excellent way of estimating how much California car insurance policy will cost you; however, to get an accurate quote and explore all your options fully. Speak with an insurance broker first! MoneyGeek’s insurance brokers have vast expertise in assessing the property and casualty insurance market and can connect you with insurers that can offer competitive rates. MoneyGeek can assist with the Assigned Risk Plan if your past record makes finding affordable auto insurance challenging. View their top-rated providers here. Mark Fitzpatrick is a Senior Content Producer at MoneyGeek who has spent five years analyzing the insurance industry. Currently leading P&C insurance content production for MoneyGeek he conducts original research while creating personalized content for consumers.