How long has it been since the last time you looked for more affordable insurance rates in Stockton, CA? Stockton shoppers have options when shopping for the best price on Buick Regal insurance. You can either waste hours calling around getting price quotes or leverage the internet to compare rates.
There are more efficient ways to buy insurance and we’ll show you the proper way to get price quotes on a Buick and get the cheapest rates from both online companies and Stockton agents.
We hope to help you learn how car insurance works and some money-saving tips. If you are already insured, you stand a good chance to be able to get lower rates using the following tips. Drivers only have to learn the most efficient way to find the lowest price from many different companies.
Getting a more affordable price on insurance is pretty simple and can save money. Drivers just need to take the time comparing rates from some recommended companies.
The companies shown below are ready to provide free rate quotes in California. If multiple companies are shown, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can to get the best price comparison.
Three main reasons to buy car insurance
Despite the high cost, paying for car insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy specific limits of liability insurance coverage in order to license the vehicle. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your Buick Regal has a loan, it’s guaranteed your bank will make it a condition of the loan that you have full coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the bank may insure your Buick at a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance protects both your assets and your vehicle. Insurance will also pay for many types of medical costs incurred in an accident. Liability coverage will also pay for a defense attorney if you are sued as the result of an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of buying enough insurance greatly outweigh the cost, especially when you need to use it. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is overpaying more than $830 a year so smart consumers compare quotes once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are competitive.
Information about specific coverages
Knowing the specifics of your policy helps when choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Collision insurance
Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Regal from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers claims like hitting a parking meter, backing into a parked car, driving through your garage door and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible on your Regal to get cheaper collision coverage.
Liability car insurance
Liability coverage will cover injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property by causing an accident. It protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have limits of 15/30/5 which stand for a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $30,000, and a limit of $5,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.
Liability can pay for claims like emergency aid, legal defense fees, court costs and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible. California state law requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy more coverage.
The illustration below shows why buying minimum limits may not be enough.
Comprehensive auto coverage
Comprehensive insurance pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as falling objects, rock chips in glass, damage from getting keyed and hitting a deer. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage pay for bills for ambulance fees, chiropractic care, dental work and EMT expenses. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Buick Regal.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Find cheaper rates by being thorough
As you quote Stockton auto insurance, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
People leave their current company for a variety of reasons including denial of a claim, delays in responding to claim requests, high prices and even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a new company is actually quite simple.
Cheap Buick Regal insurance in Stockton is available online in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should compare both to have the best selection. A few companies may not have rates over the internet and most of the time these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agents.
Steps to saving on Buick Regal insurance in Stockton
It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get budget Buick Regal insurance in Stockton is to regularly compare price quotes from providers that sell auto insurance in California. You can compare rates by following these steps.
Step 1: Try to understand the different coverages in a policy and the steps you can take to lower rates. Many risk factors that result in higher prices such as at-fault accidents, careless driving, and an imperfect credit history can be remedied by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
Step 2: Compare rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple companies.
Step 3: Compare the price quotes to your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate in Stockton. If you find a lower rate and make a switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
Step 4: Provide notification to your current company of your intention to cancel your current coverage and submit a signed application and payment to the new company. Make sure you place your new certificate of insurance along with the vehicle’s registration papers.
One thing to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare similar coverage information on every quote request and and to compare as many carriers as you can. This provides a fair rate comparison and a better comparison of the market.
More detailed car insurance information is available in the articles below:
- State Car Insurance Guides (GEICO)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Sentra in Stockton? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Young Drivers in Stockton? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for Real Estate Agents in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Warning systems don’t curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Institute)
- Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)