A recent survey discovered that most insurance customers kept their policy with the same company for a minimum of four years, and roughly 40% of drivers have never even shopped around for cheaper coverage. Many drivers in California could save approximately $469 a year by just shopping around, but they don’t invest the time required to compare rate quotes.
If you want to save money, the best way to get affordable Mercury Sable insurance in Stockton is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from insurers in California.
Step 1: Read about policy coverages and the modifications you can make to keep rates in check. Many risk factors that result in higher rates such as at-fault accidents and a low credit rating can be remedied by making minor changes in your lifestyle. Read the full article for additional tips to help prevent costly coverage and find possible discounts that are available.
Step 2: Quote rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote prices for a wide range of companies.
Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing rates and see if there is a cheaper rate. If you can save money, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Step 4: Give notification to your current company to cancel your current policy. Submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to your new insurance company. Once the paperwork is finalized, place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
One thing to remember is to compare the same level of coverage on each quote and and to get prices from as many car insurance companies as possible. This provides an accurate price comparison and the best rate selection.
Shop Mercury Sable insurance online
When shopping for inexpensive Stockton auto insurance quotes, there are a couple of ways to obtain and compare prices from lots of California auto insurance companies. The best way to find competitive Mercury Sable insurance rates consists of shopping online. Keep in mind that more quotes increases the chance that you will find better pricing.
The companies in the list below provide price quotes in California. If the list has multiple companies, we suggest you click on several of them to get the lowest price.
Insurance just makes sense
Despite the high cost, maintaining insurance serves several important purposes.
First, just about all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a minimum amount of liability if you don’t want to risk a ticket. 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.
Second, if you have a loan on your car, more than likely the lender will force you to buy insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Mercury at a more expensive rate and force you to reimburse them a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, insurance protects not only your Mercury but also your assets. It will also provide coverage for most medical and hospital costs for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance will also pay for a defense attorney if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you have damage to your Mercury as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the cost, especially when you need to use it. Unknowingly, the average driver is overpaying more than $700 annually so compare rates at every renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Not many people think insurance is cheap, but you may qualify for discounts that can help lower your rates. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but a few must be manually applied before being credited.
- Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to use their safety belts may be able to save a few bucks on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with anti-theft systems help deter theft so companies will give you a small discount.
- Waiver for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but certain companies permit an accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Discounts for Government Workers – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could qualify for a slight premium decrease depending on your company.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Have your child complete a driver education course as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars and trucks with ABS and/or traction control can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may receive a discount up to 45% than drivers with accidents.
As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will lower your premiums.
If you would like to view insurance companies with discount rates in California, follow this link.
Independent or exclusive insurance agencies
Some consumers still like to sit down and talk to an agent and that is a personal choice. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is the fact that drivers can get lower rates and still have a local agent.
Once you complete this quick form, your coverage information is sent to insurance agents in Stockton who want to provide quotes for your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to contact any agents since price quotes are sent instantly to you. You can get cheaper insurance rates without requiring a lot of work. If you need to quote rates from a specific insurance provider, just visit that company’s website and fill out their quote form.
Finding the right provider requires you to look at more than just the bottom line cost. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage in Stockton?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
- Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
- Is the agent properly licensed in California?
- Where would glass claims be handled in Stockton?
When narrowing the list to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, you should know the types of agencies and how they are distinctly different. Insurance agents can either be exclusive or independent.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive agencies write business for a single company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agents cannot place coverage with different providers so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive agencies receive extensive training on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage. Some consumers prefer to buy from exclusive agents partially due to the prominence of the brand rather than low price.
The following are exclusive agencies in Stockton that are able to give comparison quotes.
- Ann Harvie – State Farm Insurance Agent
5637 N Pershing Ave, Ste E22 – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 956-2525 – View Map - George Azevedo Jr – State Farm Insurance Agent
718 Lincoln Center – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 474-3285 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Brian Craney
42 N Sutter St #208 – Stockton, CA 95202 – (408) 390-4092 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent insurance agents often have affiliation with several companies so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. If they quote lower rates, they can switch companies in-house which is easy for the insured.
When shopping rates, you definitely need to get several quotes from several independent agencies to maximize your price options. A lot of them also have access to companies that do not advertise much that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
Shown below are Stockton independent agencies that can give you rate quotes.
- Brown and Brown Ins. Svcs. of CA Inc. DBA Debock and Muth Insurance Agency
1330 W Fremont St – Stockton, CA 95203 – (209) 465-5671 – View Map - Beacon Padula Insurance
1150 W Robinhood Dr Suite 2b – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 478-3775 – View Map - RVA Insurance Agency, Inc
1341 West Robinhood Drive, ste A-1 – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 898-0650 – View Map
Everyone needs different auto insurance coverages
When it comes to choosing your policy for your personal vehicles, there really is not a one size fits all plan. Your financial needs are unique and your auto insurance should be unique as well.
For example, these questions might point out if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- When should I have rental car coverage?
- Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
- When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Do I need special coverage while pulling a rented trailer?
- Can I get by with minimal medical coverage if I have good health insurance?
- How long can I keep a teen driver on my policy?
- How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Do the work, save more money
In this article, we presented many tips how you can save on Mercury Sable insurance in Stockton. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a small local company. They may often insure only within specific states and give better rates than the large multi-state companies such as GEICO and State Farm.
More affordable auto insurance in Stockton is attainable on the web as well as from insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies may not have price quotes online and many times these smaller companies only sell coverage through local independent agencies.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced full coverage and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
More information
- Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Active Military in Stockton? (FAQ)
- How Much are Stockton Car Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Tundra? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for a Learners Permit in Stockton? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for a Ford F-150 in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Toyota Corolla in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for a Company Car in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Smart Auto Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
- Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)