When pricing car insurance in El Monte, CA, finding the best California car insurance agent is harder than just picking up the phone. Consumers require a competent insurance agent, and also the best car insurance prices in El Monte.
Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Progressive and Geico all promote huge savings with TV and radio ads and it can be hard to sift through the bull and find the best price available.
Buying car insurance locally
Agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is you may find better rates and still have an agent to talk to.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), the quote information is emailed to local insurance agents who will compete for your coverage. There is no need to leave your house since price quotes are sent straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy!
Picking an insurance agent requires more thought than just the premium amount. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- How are claims handled?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
Do you need an independent or captive auto insurance agent?
When finding a good insurance agency, there are a couple of different types of agents that you can select. Agents are classified as either captive or independent. Both properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn the differences because it can impact the type of agent you choose
Captive Agents
This type of agents write business for a single company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so it’s a take it or leave it situation. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Listed below is a list of captive agents in El Monte who can help you get rate quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 4788 Peck Rd – El Monte, CA 91732 – (626) 444-1131
Farmers Insurance Group – 11350 Valley Blvd # 202 – El Monte, CA 91731 – (626) 452-1371
Liberty Mutual – 9550 Flair Dr # 532 – El Monte, CA 91731 – (626) 450-0658
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company but rather can write business with lots of companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part. When shopping rates, you should always get quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.
Shown below is a list of independent agencies in El Monte willing to provide rate quotes.
Rally’s Insurance – 3818 Peck Rd # D – El Monte, CA 91732 – (626) 444-3200
Capitol West Insurance Svc – 3948 Peck Rd # A-12 – El Monte, CA 91732 – (626) 279-9797
To view a full list of insurance agents in El Monte, visit this site.
Upon receiving positive feedback and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.
But what about Geico and Esurance?
Car insurance agents are indespensible for some people, but you also have the option of buying California car insurance direct from companies that only sell online. Some specific companies who have local agents in El Monte also let you quote and buy online, and consumers should do that if you prefer to buy online.
If you’re anxious about not getting advice from an agent, that should not be a issue. Insurance companies that require consumers to choose their own coverages provide phone numbers and online resources you can use to get advice on coverages.
Is online auto insurance cheaper? It’s hard to say exactly because there are many factors that impact your rate calculation. Common sense would say that a consumer who buys direct saves money because there is no commission. For the majority of companies, however, there are very high advertising costs so the rates may be similar to buying from an agent.
The only way to know whether online companies or local agents have lower rates is to get free quotes from both and compare them. It’s even possible to receive different pricing from the same insurance company depending on if you quote online or with an agent.
More tips and info about car insurance is located at the California Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to find out which companies have the most complaints, download brochures, and read industry bulletins.
Other informative sites include this online resource for car insurance quotes in California and this page of insurance agents in El Monte.
Smart shoppers get results
Insureds switch companies for a variety of reasons including poor customer service, denial of a claim, delays in responding to claim requests or even lack of trust in their agent. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching car insurance companies can be easier than you think.
When shopping online for car insurance, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced physical damage coverage and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
