Car Insurance Prices Are Rising, But I Lowered My Rate By $350 A Year In Just 30 Minutes

The offers and details on this page may have updated or changed since the time of publication. See our article on Business Insider for current information.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate auto insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Courtesy of Jackie Lam

• Tariffs are raising the price of car insurance where I live, but I'm still trying to save money.
• I didn't think I was eligible for more discounts, but I saved $350 with a short phone call.
• I could save even more by reducing my coverage, but the savings aren't great enough to justify it.

I always try to trim expenses on things I feel neutral or negative about — bills, insurance premiums, and other necessities fall under this camp. That way, I can have a little leeway to put toward things I enjoy — my hobbies, eating out with friends and family, and toward my short- and long-term goals, like tucking money aside for an emergency fund.

But with tariffs raising the cost of nearly everything, that's not always easy. I live in California, where tariffs are expected to raise car insurance rates by at least 9% or $230 annually to $2,807. I've been trying to save as much as I can on my car costs since 2024.

Last year, before my policy was renewed, I hopped on a call with my auto insurance company, Progressive Auto Insurance, in hopes that I could bring down my premium.

After chatting with an insurance specialist for about half an hour, I ended up scooping up a handful of discounts, which netted me $350 a year in savings.

I was eligible for more discounts than I thought

I thought I had already snagged all the discounts I possibly could with my auto insurance. I know, for example, that one discount Progressive doesn't offer is a low annual mileage discount.

After talking to the rep over the phone, I learned I was eligible for a good driver discount. I was also able to shave off some savings through a vehicle tracking system.

I was able to save about $350 a year, which is about $30 a month. I also paid for a full six months for additional savings.

I decided not to lower my coverage

When talking to the insurance rep, another option was to lower my coverage amounts. The minimum coverage in California is $30,000 for injury or death for one person, $60,000 for injury or death for more than one person, and $15,000 for property damage.

While I could have also lowered my coverage, I would only save about $45 during six months, $90 a year, or $9 a month. After mulling it over, I figured it wouldn't be worth it; I felt safer with my current coverage amounts.

While I'm open to lowering my coverage limits, it would have to be at a significant discount. Otherwise, I feel that I should keep the higher coverage.

I wasn't able to bundle my auto and renters insurance

I also looked into bundling my auto and renters insurance through Progressive. Through Progressive Home's Underwriting Team, I provided basic information about where I lived.

They also asked me to submit photos of my cabin, which is nestled against the San Gabriel Mountains. Unfortunately, after receiving the photos, I was denied coverage because of the shrubbery and trees surrounding my place.