Find Cheaper California Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Under 21

Everyone has different tastes in autos, and the style of vehicle needing coverage is probably the biggest factor when comparing cheap car insurance for drivers under 21 in California. Vehicles with high performance features, poor safety ratings, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than safer models.

The next tables outlines coverage premiums for a number of the cheapest automobiles to buy insurance for.

Data variables include single female driver age 19, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Prices do not factor in zip code location which can influence prices noticeably.

Data variables include single female driver age 19, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in vehicle location which can alter prices substantially.

Table data represents single female driver age 19, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Rate quotes do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can increase or decrease price quotes greatly.

One of the many factors that impact the cost of insurance is where you live in California. Cities with larger populations or higher claims like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas that are not as densely populated enjoy lower insurance rates.

The information below rates the more expensive cities in California for drivers under 21 to buy an auto insurance policy in.

Information shown are approximated as the specific zip code location can raise or lower coverage rates greatly.

Finding out which company has the best insurance rates for drivers under 21 calls for a bit more work than just quoting one company’s rates. Each auto insurance company uses their own calculation for determining rates in each state, so let’s take a look at the insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in California.

Keep in mind that California insurance rates are based on many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price of your policy. Improving your credit score, moving to a new city, or getting a driving violation may prompt premium changes that can now make some companies cheaper than before.

USAA may offer some of the cheapest car insurance rates in California at around $1,143 a year. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the most economical California auto insurance companies.

As the example above demonstrates, if you are currently insured with CSAA and switched to Wawanesa, you might see an annual savings of approximately $65. California drivers with Nationwide could save as much as $93 a year, and 21st Century customers might see rate reductions of $209 a year.

To get a fast rate comparison, click here to get a free quote or quote rates from the companies below.

Understand that those prices are averaged for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not figured with a rate increase for drivers under 21. So the car insurance company that has the cheapest rates for you may not even be included in the list of companies shown earlier. That illustrates why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own specific driver and vehicle information.

Cost difference between full coverage and liability

Finding cheap car insurance for drivers under 21 in California should be important to the majority of drivers, and a good way to buy cheap insurance is to buy only liability coverage. The illustration below compares premium costs with and without physical damage coverage. The rate quotes are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are factored in.

If averaged out across all ages, physical damage coverage costs $2,501 per year over liability only. Many people question if it’s worth it to buy full coverage. There is no clear-cut formula of when to exclude full coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your vehicle’s book value is $11,500 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would receive is $10,500 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $1,050 a year for your policy with full coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.

Company comparison: Geico vs Allstate vs Progressive vs State Farm

If you’re looking for the best car insurance for minors, four companies to take a look at are Geico, Allstate, Progressive, and State Farm. All of them offer physical damage and liability coverage, but each has unique coverages that policyholders can choose from. The data below compares and contrasts some of the ratings and options that are available for customers.

Find cheap car insurance for drivers under 21 in California

The list below shows a few thrifty ideas that can help California drivers locate cheap coverage.

• Vehicles with safetly features generally cost less to insure
• Just one traffic violation will increase your rates
• At-fault accidents can raise rates significantly
• Good credit can help you save money
• Higher physical damage deductibles lower rates
• Compare rate quotes often

That last piece of advice is extremely necessary, as was stressed in the prior article. Rates in California change frequently, so don’t be hesitant to buy from a new company if a cheaper price is available. Being loyal to a particular company is commendable, but we do not recommend it if it’s costing you a small fortune. Spend a few minutes and compare rates to find cheaper car insurance for drivers under 21.

Cheap insurance quotes for minors

Drivers have a lot of ways to purchase insurance in California, but the most prevalent ways are from a captive (or exclusive) agency like State Farm or Liberty Mutual, an independent agent, or direct from companies such as Geico or Progressive.

You can use whichever you prefer, but it’s important to understand the differences in how they function.

Independent agents are appointed by several companies and can compare rates with all of them. These types of agents are not employed by one specific company and can give you a larger rate selection, which may provide you with a better comparison. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can just switch to a different company and you won’t have to switch agencies.

A captive or exclusive agent is restricted to a single insurance company, two examples being State Farm and Allstate agents. Exclusive agents normally do not have the ability to provide other companys’ prices, so if their pricing is high, there is no alternative.

Buying insurance direct means you skip the middleman (the agent) and instead shop from a direct company like Esurance or Geico. This option may be preferred by drivers who have little risk and have some degree of understanding of what specific coverages they need.

Which way works best to find cheap car insurance for drivers under 21 in California? It would be obvious to point out buying from a direct company results in the cheapest rates since it doesn’t require paying agent commissions, but that is generally not the case. A good argument could also be made that going through an independent agent is the best way to save due to having more companies to select from, but again, that’s not a true statement. And sometimes, exclusive agents may have very competitive prices that other companies cannot beat.

Due to the fact that insurance rates vary so much, really the best method to ensure you are not overpaying is to compare lots of quotes. Put in the effort to get price quotes from all three in order to have the best selection to choose from. To see some of the cheapest online companies available, click here to view.