2023 Farmers Signal Review

Your Farmers rate could have gone up for many reasons, such as a recent claim or a new driver being added to the policy. Other factors that could cause Farmers to raise your rate include getting into an accident, being convicted of a moving violation, and adding coverage to your policy. Farmers may also raise your premiums for reasons that are beyond your control, such as recent natural disasters, increasing repair and healthcare costs, and crime trends.

Top Reasons Why Farmers Raises Rates 

• Recent claims
• New driver or car added to a policy
• Moving violations
• At-fault accidents
• Increased coverage
• Lower deductible
• Recent switch to an expensive car
• Relocation to a high-risk zip code
• Decline in creditworthiness

How to Lower Your Farmers Insurance

If you're struggling to afford your Farmers premium, there are a few steps that you can take to lower your rate. You can start by looking for Farmers discounts that you can qualify for, such as the anti-lock brake or anti-theft discount. You can also make changes to your policy, including raising your deductible and reducing your coverage.

Another option is to switch insurance companies. Each insurer calculates rates differently, so you may be able to get the same amount of coverage elsewhere at a lower price. As a general rule, you should get quotes from at least three different companies every 6-12 months to make sure that you're still getting the best deal. 

Yes, Farmers uses telematics through Signal, a program that tracks a customer's driving habits using the mobile app. Customers can sign-up for Signal and receive a discount of up to 30% if they consistently practice safe driving.

What Farmers Telematics Tracks

• Total mileage
• Braking
• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• The time of day that you drive

In order to use Signal, drivers need to have an internet connection and enable location services on their phone, which will allow the app to automatically record trips when it detects driving activity. After you start logging trips, the discount will be applied when your renew your policy. The discount lasts for as long as you are enrolled in Signal. If you practice bad driving habits while using Signal, Farmers will not raise your base premium. But you probably won't get much of a discount, if any. Currently, Signal is available in all states except Hawaii, New York, South Carolina, and California.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to usage-based insurance.

No, Farmers does not offer a specific low mileage discount. Farmers premiums do take mileage into account, however, as rates are an average of 24% lower for customers who drive 7,500 miles annually than for customers who drive 15,000 miles annually, according to WalletHub data.

Low mileage drivers usually save on their Farmers premium because less time on the road means a smaller chance of filing a claim. Besides offering lower premiums for low mileage drivers, Farmers offers good student, safe driver and paid in full discounts, among others.

It's also worth noting that Farmers has a usage-based insurance program called Signal, which can help low mileage drivers save money. Signal tracks mileage and other driving habits, saving policyholders up to 30%.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to Farmers discounts.

Yes, Farmers offers a type of pay-per-mile insurance called Signal. This is technically usage-based insurance, which is similar to pay-per-mile coverage because it factors mileage into premium calculations, but it also considers driving habits such as speeding.

Signal Considers:

• Total mileage
• Braking
• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• The time of day that you drive

It's important to note that these factors collectively affect a customer's insurance premium, so Signal is not strictly pay-per-mile. However, it's still a good option for safe, low-mileage drivers who don't mind being tracked for insurance purposes. For more information, check out WalletHub's guide to usage-based insurance.

You can get the Farmers safe driver discount by staying accident and violation-free for at least three years. Farmers does not specify an exact safe driver discount amount, as it varies between states.

If you don't qualify for the Farmers safe driver discount, there are still ways for you to save on your premium. For example, Farmers offers a multi-car discount for drivers who insure more than one vehicle in their household.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to Farmers discounts.

Farmers offers a good driver discount, but the amount varies by state. In order to receive a Farmers good driver discount, drivers must be accident and violation-free for at least three years, and this can even include time that you've been insured by another company.

After get into an accident or get a ticket, you will have to wait three years in order to qualify for the discount again. Additionally, accidents that are forgiven by Farmers accident forgiveness still count against your good driver discount, even though your base premium will not go up.

If you don't qualify for Farmers's good driver discount, there are still ways to save on your premium. For example, Farmers offers a multi-vehicle discount for drivers who want to insure more than one vehicle on their policy. You can also lower your rate by altering your coverage or increasing your deductible.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to Farmers discounts.

Farmers is cheap for families who have teen drivers, and even offers discounts specifically for those drivers, like the Farmers shared family car discount. This discount is for households that have more drivers than vehicles and a driver under the age of 21 in the home. Farmers is not one of the cheapest car insurance companies overall, though, and high-risk drivers, or drivers who need to have an SR-22 on file, may find cheaper rates elsewhere.

Average Rates for Farmers Car Insurance vs. Top Competitors

Note: Premiums are representative of a family with a teen driver in CA; individual premiums will vary.

Farmers may not be one of the cheapest car insurance companies for most drivers, but it does offer a variety of discounts, like discounts for taking a driver training course or for going paper-less with your policy. Plus, Farmers rewards customer loyalty with discounts for insuring more than one car and bundling multiple policies, such as home and auto. 

Your final premium is based on a variety of factors, though, such as your driving record, insurance history, and more. Every insurance company determines their rates differently, so the best way to find a good deal is to compare quotes from multiple insurers and take advantage of every discount.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's review of Farmers and see Farmers' full profile.

You can lower your Farmers car insurance costs by taking advantage of Farmers discounts, opting for a higher deductible, and reducing your coverage, among other things. Farmers considers a variety of factors when calculating your premium, though some – like your age and location – are out of your control. Fortunately, you can take steps to influence other factors in order to lower your rate.

How to Lower the Cost of Car Insurance from Farmers

Use Farmers's auto insurance discounts

Farmers offers a wide variety of discounts that can help you lower your overall car insurance bill. For example, drivers can get a discount of 20% on average  if they bundle home and auto policies with Farmers . Or you can save up to 5%  on your premium if you live in California and drive a vehicle that is not powered solely by gasoline.

Raise your car insurance deductible 

Opting for a higher deductible on any of your insurance policies from Farmers can lower your premium. But if you decide to go this route, it's important that you choose a deductible amount that you can still afford if you suddenly need to file a claim. Otherwise, you might not be able to use the coverage that you have.

Reduce your car insurance coverage 

Most states require a certain amount of bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage. But there are other coverage options (like comprehensive, collision, personal injury protection, and uninsured motorist) that you may not have to purchase, depending on your state.

Less coverage usually means lower premiums, but it could also lead to higher costs in the long run, so it's important to approach coverage decisions with caution.

Improve your driving record

Practicing safe driving habits and avoiding moving violations can help you qualify for lower Farmers insurance rates long-term. You may also be able to attend traffic school in order to remove a violation or points from your record, depending on your state. Farmers even offers a 15% discount to drivers who take an approved defensive driving course.

Build and improve your credit

Because your credit history is correlated with your likelihood of filing an insurance claim, Farmers uses your credit data to calculate your premium in states where it is legal. As a result, having good credit makes you less of an insurance risk, which will reduce your rates over time.

Drive less 

Whether you can shorten your commute to work, use more public transportation, or even ride a bicycle more, driving fewer miles each year could lower your Farmers premium.

Drive an insurance-friendly car

Expensive cars, sports cars, and cars with high rates of theft are considered to be riskier to insure than cheaper, more practical vehicles. Before you buy a new car, get a new quote from Farmers to see how it will affect your rate. If the cost is out of your budget, then you should probably choose a different car.

Sign up for Signal

Signal, the Farmers telematics program, rewards you for good driving with a discounted premium. Specifically, Signal tracks miles driven, braking, speed, distracted driving, and the time of day that you drive. By using Signal, drivers can save up to 30% on their rate.

Finally, if you're still struggling to afford your Farmers policy, you should consider switching insurers. Even if you're not actively looking for a new policy, it's generally a good idea to compare quotes from three different companies every 6-12 months. To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to switching car insurance companies.

Yes, Farmers offers a defensive driving course discount for drivers aged 55 and older who have successfully completed an approved driver's education course. By voluntarily taking an approved defensive driving course, Farmers car insurance customers in eligible states can get a discount of up to 15% for three years. Once the discount expires, drivers can renew it by taking another course.

Defensive driving courses improve your driving skills by teaching you how to handle difficult situations on the road. For example, common traffic school topics include DUI/DWI laws, the consequences of different moving violations, and how to share the road. Specific details vary between states and classes, but online defensive driving courses typically cost up to $40 and take 4-12 hours to complete.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to Farmers discounts.

No, Farmers does not have a dash cam discount, since no major car insurance company in the United States offers dash cam discounts as of March 2021. The closest thing Farmers has to a dash cam discount is Signal, which monitors policyholders' driving habits and adjusts their premiums accordingly.

Signal from Farmers is a type of usage-based insurance. The program tracks miles driven, braking, speed, distracted driving, and the time of day that you drive and can save policyholders up to 30%.

Even though Farmers does not offer a dash cam discount, purchasing a dash cam could still be worth it in the long run. For instance, dashboard cameras can help prove fault in a car accident, prevent insurance fraud, and provide evidence in traffic court.