Car Insurance Rates for a GMC Canyon in Bakersfield

It’s well known that insurance companies want to keep you from comparing rates. Drivers who compare other prices will, in all likelihood, switch to a new company because there is a high probability of finding a policy with more affordable rates. A survey found that consumers who routinely compared rates saved approximately $3,400 over four years compared to policyholders who don’t regularly compare prices.

If saving the most money on GMC Canyon insurance in Bakersfield is your goal, then having a grasp of how to choose a company and compare insurance can make shopping around easier.

Truthfully, the best way to find cheaper quotes for GMC Canyon insurance is to compare prices once a year from companies that sell auto insurance in Bakersfield. You can shop around by following these guidelines.

1. Try to comprehend coverages and the measures you can take to keep rates low. Many policy risk factors that result in higher rates like tickets, at-fault accidents, and a negative credit history can be rectified by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Keep reading for the details to help prevent expensive coverage and find possible discounts that are available.
2. Compare price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agencies can quote rates for a wide range of insurance providers. View prices
3. Compare the quotes to the price on your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate. If you can save some money and switch companies, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.

A valuable tip to remember is to compare the same deductibles and limits on every quote request and to quote with as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this provides an apples-to-apples comparison and maximum price selection.

When price shopping your coverage, obtaining a wide range of quotes will increase your chances of finding more affordable insurance.

The companies shown below provide free rate quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you click on several of them to get the cheapest price.

Insurance coverage analysis

The premium table shown next showcases different insurance prices for GMC Canyon models. Being more informed about how auto insurance prices are figured can benefit drivers when making decisions when shopping your coverage around.

Prices above based on single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Table data does not factor in specific garaging location which can impact auto insurance rates substantially.

Deductible comparison

The hardest decision when buying coverage is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The following insurance rates help summarize the differences in price between low and high comp and collision deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $250 physical damage deductible and the second pricing table uses a $500 deductible.

Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy. Price estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can decrease or increase auto insurance rates considerably.

Based on these figures, using a $250 deductible will cost you approximately $16 more each month or $192 annually averaged for all Canyon models than opting for the higher $500 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $250 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally average at a minimum 16 months between claim filings, you would probably be better off if you decide on a higher deductible.

How accidents and violations affect rates

The diagram below highlights how speeding tickets and fender-benders can influence GMC Canyon yearly insurance costs for different age groups. The premium estimates are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

GMC Canyon insurance premiums by gender in Bakersfield

The example below illustrates the comparison of GMC Canyon insurance rates for male and female drivers. The costs are based on no claims, a clean driving record, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Why you need auto insurance

Despite the high insurance cost for a GMC Canyon in Bakersfield, buying auto insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.

• Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability insurance coverage in order to drive the car legally. 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 have a loan on your GMC, almost all lenders will force you to buy full coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the bank will be required to insure your GMC at a much higher rate and require you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.
• Insurance protects not only your GMC Canyon but also your financial assets. It will also provide coverage for all forms of medical expenses incurred in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, your policy will pay to have it repaired.

The benefits of carrying adequate insurance definitely exceed the price paid, especially for larger claims. According to a recent study, the average American driver is currently overpaying as much as $865 each year so compare rates at least once a year to ensure rates are inline.

How do Insurance Companies Determine GMC Canyon Insurance Rates?

Many different elements are taken into consideration when premium rates are determined. Some factors are common sense such as your driving history, although some other factors are less apparent such as your credit history or how safe your car is.

Listed below are some of the most common factors used by insurance companies to determine premiums.

Use one insurance company and save – Lots of insurers allow lower prices to people that purchase more than one policy. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. If you currently are using one company, you still need to check prices from other companies to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. You may still find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.

Do you have a stressful job? – Occupations like real estate brokers, architects, and medical professionals have higher premium rates in part from intense work situations and extremely grueling work hours. On the flip side, careers such as farmers, students and retirees get better rates.

A car insurance lapse can increase premiums – Driving without insurance is against the law and car insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance expire. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance might get you fines and jail time. You may have to file a SR-22 with the California department of motor vehicles.

Commute or pleasure use – Driving more miles annually the more it will cost to insure it. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Autos that have low annual miles can be on a lower rate level compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your car insurance policy correctly shows the right rating data, because it can save money. An incorrectly rated Canyon may be wasting your money.

Remove unneeded extra policy coverages – There are quite a few optional add-on coverages that you can buy on your Canyon policy. Coverages for coverage for rental cars, towing, and Farm Bureau memberships may not be needed and are just wasting money. You may think they are a good idea when deciding what coverages you need, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.

Pay less if you’re married – Having a significant other may cut your premiums on your car insurance policy. Having a spouse generally demonstrates drivers are more responsible and it’s statistically proven that married drivers tend to file fewer claims.

GMC Canyon insurance claim data – Companies use claims history to calculate a rate that will offset losses. Models that statistically have higher loss trends will cost more to insure. The data below shows the loss history for GMC Canyon vehicles.

For each type of coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles, regardless of manufacturer or model, equals 100. Values that are under 100 imply a favorable loss record, while values over 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or a tendency for claims to be larger.

Insurance policy discounts you can’t miss

Companies don’t always advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the list below contains both well-publicized as well as some of the hidden discounts that may be available. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you are not getting the best rate possible.

• Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies provide a small discount for completing your application on the internet.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Select larger companies give a discount for buying a new policy before your current coverage expires. The savings is around 10%.
• Bundled Policy Discount – If you combine your home and auto policies and insure them with the same company you could save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
• Payment Method – By paying your policy upfront rather than paying in monthly installments you can avoid monthly service charges.
• Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Buying a policy with several vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Own a Home and Save – Owning your own home or condo can get you a discount because it requires personal responsibility.

You should keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.

The chart below shows the comparison of GMC Canyon auto insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the premium. The price estimates are based on a female driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, homeowner, multi-car, multi-policy, safe-driver, and marriage discounts applied.

To choose providers that offer discounts in Bakersfield, follow this link.

Neighborhood Bakersfield auto insurance agents

A lot of people just want to visit with an insurance agent. A nice benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you can get cheaper premium rates and still choose a local agent. And buying from neighborhood insurance agencies is definitely important in Bakersfield.

After filling out this short form, your insurance data gets sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to find an agent on your own since price quotes are sent to your email. Get lower rates and work with a local agent. If you wish to compare prices from a specific insurance company, you just need to navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.

When researching a reliable insurance agency, you need to know there are two different agency structures from which to choose. Car insurance agents in Bakersfield may be either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents do not have single company limitations and that enables them to quote your coverage through many companies depending on which coverage is best. If your premiums go up, they simply move your policy to a different company and that require little work on your part. If you are comparing car insurance prices, you absolutely need to include independent agents to have the best price comparison.

Below are Bakersfield independent insurance agents who can help you get free car insurance quotes.

More Bakersfield agents

Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies

These type of agents are contracted to one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to provide other company’s prices so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive agents receive a lot of sales training in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price.

The following are Bakersfield exclusive insurance agents that are able to give rate quotes.

More Bakersfield agents

Choosing the best insurance agent should depend on more than just the price. These are valid questions to ask:

• Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
• Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
• Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
• Which company do they place the most coverage with?
• How long has their agency been in business in Bakersfield?
• Who is covered by the car insurance policy?

If you get good responses to any questions you may have as well as a affordable price, you’ve probably found an insurance agent that can be relied on to properly insure your vehicles. Just understand that it’s your policy and you can cancel coverage whenever you wish so don’t assume that you are permanently stuck with any specific agency for the full term.

The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest

You just learned a lot of techniques to save on GMC Canyon insurance in Bakersfield. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the best car insurance rates are with the smaller companies. They can often provide lower premium rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

When shopping online for auto insurance, it’s a bad idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, an insured cut collision coverage to discover at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at the lowest possible cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

Other learning opportunities

• Teen Driving Statistics (iihs.org)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for Active Military in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Bakersfield Auto Insurance for a Chevrolet Equinox? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for Welfare Recipients in Bakersfield? (FAQ)
• What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)
• Auto Crash Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Event Data Recorders FAQ (iihs.org)
• Five Mistakes to Avoid (Insurance Information Institute)