A state website has a new tool that could save consumers effort and money when it comes to shopping for car insurance.
The possibility of a car crash is the main reason drivers need insurance. To drive legally in California, drivers need liability insurance.
To get the best deal on that insurance, many consumers have to shop around. Consumer Chris Duke said it is about price and whoever has the best one.
After shopping around, Duke said he went with Progressive Insurance. That is same company consumer Meggie Sichi left after she shopped around. She says she got a lower quote from Farmers Insurance.
Finding the best car insurance deal can be an ordeal, but a new state website can help. The website does the comparisons for consumers and could take some of the pain out of the process.
First, users choose the kind of insurance they want: basic liability or standard. Then users put in their location and some personal information. When user click "get premiums" they will see dozens of companies followed by numbers that include a wide range.
Joe Ridout with Consumer Action said taking time to compare makes sense.
"We often will spend hours trying to compare how to save $40 or $50 on an Xbox or a plane ticket but we don't spend that much time comparing prices for costlier items like auto insurance," he said.
The site warns consumers that the numbers are not premium quotes. For that, consumers will need to do their own legwork, but the website is an unbiased start that could end in saving time and money.
For a link to the state's auto insurance comparison page, click here.
