What Insurance is Cheapest for First-time Drivers in Stockton?

The words “low-priced” and “insurance” probably shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, specifically when comparison shopping for the cheapest coverage for first-time drivers. To help control this cost, let’s go over a few of the factors that significantly impact car insurance premiums, and come up with some ideas to shave a little off the next policy you buy.

Finding low-priced auto insurance is easier said than done, and deciding which insurers offer the most affordable car insurance rates for first-time drivers may require more quotes for comparison. Every auto insurer uses a slightly different approach to set policy rates, so first let’s look at the rankings for the car insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Stockton, CA.

Best Auto Insurance Prices for Inexperienced Drivers

Start Your Free Quote

USAA may offer some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Stockton at around $1,109 each year. This is $542 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also make the cut as some of the cheaper Stockton, CA insurance companies.

In the above example, if you currently have a policy with CSAA and switched to Wawanesa, you could realize annual savings of about $29. Insureds with Nationwide could save as much as $106 a year, and 21st Century customers might realize rate reductions of up to $209 a year.

If you want to see how much you could save, click here to get quotes or quote prices from the following companies.

Understand that those premium estimates are averaged for all insureds and vehicles and and are not calculated with a specific vehicle garaging location for first-time drivers. So the car insurance company that is most affordable for your situation may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That is why you need to get rate quotes from many companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.

One of the many criteria that are looked at to help calculate car insurance rates is where you keep your car in Stockton. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people likely pay more, whereas less populated areas have the luxury of lower rates.

The next table shows the most expensive cities in California for first-time drivers in which to buy car insurance. Stockton makes the list at #8 with an annual cost of $1,556 on average, which is approximately $130 monthly.

Annual rates are estimated as the vehicle garaging location can influence coverage rates greatly.

The vehicle model needing coverage is one of the largest considerations that determines the availability of affordable coverage for first-time drivers. Vehicles with higher performance, poor safety ratings, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more economical and safe models. The list below outlines car insurance prices for a selection of the most cost-effective automobiles to buy insurance for.

Above prices assume single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Estimates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can change premium rates noticeably.

Based upon these rates, you can conclude that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Volkswagen Jetta will be a few of the cheaper vehicles to insure for new drivers. The cost of auto insurance will be more costly because of the fact that there is more claim exposure for first-time drivers, but overall those particular vehicles will have the least expensive rates compared to other types of vehicles.

Choosing the highest-rated auto insurance company can be difficult considering how many companies there are in California. The ranking information listed below can help you decide which companies to look at shopping prices with.

These rankings only include the largest companies in the United States, so smaller companies are not included in this list. To check rates from many more California auto insurance companies, simply click here.

Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies in Stockton Ranked by A.M. Best Rating

1. USAA – A++
2. Travelers – A++
3. State Farm – A++
4. GEICO – A++
5. Esurance – A+
6. Nationwide – A+
7. Allstate – A+
8. Mercury Insurance – A+
9. Progressive – A+
10. Titan Insurance – A+

Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies in Stockton Ranked by Customer Satisfaction

1. Titan Insurance – 95%
2. USAA – 94%
3. AAA of Southern California – 92%
4. AAA Insurance – 91%
5. Nationwide – 90%
6. State Farm – 90%
7. The Hartford – 89%
8. GEICO – 89%
9. The General – 88%
10. 21st Century – 88%

Discounts on Stockton auto insurance rates

Auto insurance companies that offer quotes for first-time drivers may have premium discounts that can reduce rates by 25% or more if you meet specific eligibility requirements. A list of car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts include:

• Progressive has savings for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online signing, homeowner, continuous coverage, and good student.
• AAA discounts include pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, good driver, anti-theft, multi-policy, and good student.
• Farmers Insurance includes discounts for switch companies, homeowner, alternative fuel, good student, distant student, and youthful driver.
• GEICO has discounts for defensive driver, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, membership and employees, multi-vehicle, military active duty, and air bags.
• Esurance offers premium reductions for claim free, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, online quote, and emergency road assistance.
• SAFECO policyholders can earn discounts including bundle discounts, anti-lock brakes, accident prevention training, safe driver, and homeowner.
• State Farm offers discounts including Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, defensive driving training, anti-theft, and good student.

The information below illustrates the comparison of car insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the rates. The rates are based on a male driver, no violations or accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $100 deductibles.

The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with paperless filing, good student, paid-in-full, vehicle safety, continuous coverage, and anti-theft discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, theamount saved on car insurance for first-time drivers is 28% or $1,210.

The chart below highlights how deductible choice can change insurance costs when searching for cheap insurance for first-time drivers. The price estimates are based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are factored in.

The data above shows that a 50-year-old driver could lower rates by $370 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $556 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the 20-year-old category, can cut $1,230 or more by choosing a higher deductible. If you do make the decision to raise your deductibles, it is important to have plenty of savings on hand to enable you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one drawback of using higher deductibles.

Don’t stick with an overpriced policy

California car insurance rates are influenced by many factors that can increase the price of coverage. Simply getting older, buying another vehicle, or getting a speeding ticket may generate price changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors. And not only may your rating factors change, but insurers amend premium rates every year or even multiple times each year in order to offset underwriting gains or losses. Heavier than normal losses may cause price increases, while a better claims history can result in lower-cost Stockton car insurance rates.

To help illustrate this point, the bar chart below analyzes the cheapest car insurance in Stockton, CA for a 40-year-old male driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and good credit. When comparing rates based on his current risk profile, USAA might quote the best car insurance rates in Stockton at $1,406 annually. This is $245 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National are also on the list of the top five cheapest Stockton, CA auto insurance companies.

In the next rate comparison, we’ll give the driver from above a chargeable claim, a little lower credit rating, and a few blemishes on his driving record. Since each auto insurance company has a different formula to determine rates, comparing insurance quotes may now show a significantly different list of the cheapest companies as shown below.

Grange now has the best price on car insurance in Stockton with Mercury, Progressive, Allstate, and The Hartford now being in the top five. This example proves why it is so important to take the time to shop around when trying to find cheap auto insurance rates for first-time drivers. Prices are determined by many factors and can change without notice, so the cheapest company when you bought your policy may now be one of the more expensive options.

The agents listed below are willing to aid you in deciding which car insurance policy is best, since lots of people like to have a little guidance when comparing insurance rates for new drivers. It can be challenging to find the best policy on your own, and a licensed agent can give you satisfaction knowing your policy gives you sufficient protection if you have a claim.

To locate a Stockton auto insurance agent in your neighborhood, click the button at the bottom of the list.

• Big Savings Insurance Agency, Inc
  7153 Pacific Ave – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 956-2000
• Farmers Insurance: Olivia Lara
  4110 N El Dorado St – Stockton, CA 95204 – (209) 518-9465
• Farmers Insurance – Beatriz Salazar Perez
  2111 W March Ln b201 – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 463-2302
• Farmers Insurance – Reklai Salazar
  7843 N Pershing Ave – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 407-4000

More insurance agents in Stockton, CA