The words “affordable” and “insurance” really don’t belong together, in particular when you are shopping around for the lowest insurance rates for government employees. Because it’s so expensive, let’s learn about some things that have a considerable impact on auto insurance premiums, and find a few ways to take the sting out of the next policy you buy.
The make and model of vehicle you are seeking coverage for is probably the biggest factor when consumers are trying to find the most economical car insurance for government employees. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, poor crash test ratings, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost more to insure than more modest models. The table below ranks insurance premiums for some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure in California.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $1,113 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 2WD | $1,223 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,233 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $1,316 |
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $1,364 |
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,371 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,383 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,410 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,429 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $1,434 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $1,479 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $1,484 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $1,508 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,514 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $1,508 |
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Data based on single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rate information does not factor in specific location which can modify coverage rates greatly.
Based upon the rates shown, we can tell that models like the Honda CR-V, Ford F-150, Toyota Prius, and GMC Sierra are some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for state and federal workers.
Deciphering which companies offer the best car insurance rates for government employees takes a little more work in order to find a policy that fits your budget. Each auto insurance company uses a different method for filing rates in each state, so let’s examine the lowest cost car insurance companies in California.
We do need to point out that Stockton car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially decrease or increase the cost of having a policy. Turning one year older, marrying your spouse, or getting a DUI can cause premium changes resulting in some companies being more affordable than others.
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| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,860 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
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USAA generally has some of the best car insurance rates in Stockton at around $1,143 a year. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA also are some of the best Stockton, CA auto insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you currently have coverage with Nationwide and switched to Wawanesa, you could realize savings of roughly $56. California drivers with CSAA might save as much as $77 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might see rate reductions of $181 a year.
Be aware that those rates are averaged across all insureds and vehicles and do not factor in a vehicle location for government employees. So the company that fits your age and vehicle best may not even be in the list above. That’s why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
Full coverage rates compared to liability-only
Lowering the price of car insurance should be important to most people, and one good way to buy cheaper insurance for government employees is to not pay for full coverage. The chart below illustrates the difference between car insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The premium estimates are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.
If the expense is averaged for all age categories, full coverage on your policy costs $2,558 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. That amount may make you wonder if full coverage is worth the money. There is no specific rule of when to stop paying for full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than about 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s claim settlement value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most you would receive is $2,000 after you pay the deductible. If you are paying more than $200 annually to have full coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
There are some scenarios where buying only liability insurance is not a good idea. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not buy liability only.
Discounts on Stockton insurance rates
Auto insurance companies that offer cheap quotes for government employees may also provide special discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 25% or more if you are eligible. A list of companies and some of their more popular discounts are:
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including good student, driver’s education, student away at school, passive restraint, safe vehicle, Drive Safe & Save, and defensive driving training.
- Esurance may include discounts for good driver, online quote, emergency road assistance, Switch & Save, safety device, and online shopper.
- Progressive includes discounts for multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, continuous coverage, online signing, online quote discount, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include multi-car, newly retired, good student, new move discount, multi-policy, and newly married.
- Auto-Owners Insurance offers premium reductions for multi-policy, group or association, teen driver, anti-theft, safe vehicle, and safe driver.
- GEICO offers discounts for federal employee, anti-theft, driver training, seat belt use, daytime running lights, and military active duty.
The illustration below visualizes the comparison of insurance premiums with and without discounts. The premiums are based on a male driver, no violations or claims, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $500 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with multiple policy, defensive driving course, marriage, homeowner, anti-theft, and safe-driver discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, theaverage yearly reduction on car insurance for government employees is 28% or $576.
The importance of comparing Stockton car insurance rates
Stockton car insurance rates are calculated based on many things that will increase or decrease the price you have to pay. Getting older, moving across town, or getting a driving violation can produce rate changes resulting in some companies being more affordable than others.
Not only may your situation change, but auto insurance companies file new rates every year to adjust for unexpected claims or profits. Higher than usual claims can result in additional premium costs, while better underwriting may result in lower-priced Stockton car insurance rates.
The chart below shows a variety of companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Stockton, CA for a 30-year-old male driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and excellent credit. When quoting prices based on his current situation, USAA offers the most affordable car insurance rates in Stockton at $1,382 annually. This is $269 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide round out the rest of the most affordable Stockton, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from above a claim surcharge, less-than-perfect credit, and a speeding ticket. Since each auto insurance company has a proprietary formula for setting rates, comparing quotes could result in a different set of the cheapest car insurance companies in Stockton as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest auto insurance in Stockton, CA with Allstate, Progressive, GEICO, and Mercury completing the list. This demonstrates why consumers need to compare rates when trying to get the best auto insurance rates for government employees. Auto insurance prices are influenced by many different factors and change dramatically, so the best option the last time you compared rates may now be wasting a lot of money.
How to find low-cost car insurance for government employees
The list below shows some of the better penny-pinching ideas that can help Stockton drivers locate low-cost coverage.
- Accident-free drivers may qualify for discounts
- Raise comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles
- Vehicles with good safety ratings have lower liability rates
- Improve your credit rating
- Do not get traffic tickets
- Older vehicles may not need full coverage
- Compare rate quotes often
That last piece of advice is remarkably significant, as was noted in this write-up. Prices fluctuate constantly, so you should be ready to buy from a different company if a lower price can be found.
We understand brand loyalty, but we do not recommend it if it’s costing you a wad of cash every year. It only take a few minutes to shop around to find cheaper car insurance for government employees in Stockton.