If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get more affordable car insurance rates is to regularly compare quotes from different companies who provide car insurance in Stockton. Rate comparisons can be done by following these guidelines.
Step 1: Try to understand the different coverages in a policy and the measures you can control to keep rates low. Many factors that result in higher rates like traffic tickets, fender benders, and poor credit history can be remedied by being financially responsible and driving safely. Keep reading for additional tips to prevent high rates and find discounts that you may qualify for.
Step 2: Get rate quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote rates from multiple insurance companies.
Step 3: Compare the new quotes to the price on your current policy and see if you can save money. If you find better rates and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
Step 4: Give notification to your current company to cancel your current policy and submit a down payment and signed policy application to your new agent or company. Once the paperwork is finalized, store the proof of insurance paperwork in your vehicle’s glove compartment or console.
An important part of this process is that you’ll want to make sure you compare similar limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to get prices from as many companies as you can. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and and a good selection of different prices.
We don’t have to point out that fact that auto insurance companies want to keep your business as long as possible. Consumers who shop around at least once a year are very likely to switch insurance companies because there is a good chance of finding good coverage at a lower price. A recent study showed that people who compared rates regularly saved on average $70 a month compared to policyholders who never shopped around for lower prices.
If saving the most money on insurance in Stockton is your objective, then having some insight into the best way to quote and compare car insurance can help you be more efficient.
Buying the cheapest car insurance in Stockton is much easier if you know where to start. If you have car insurance now, you will be able to get lower rates using the ideas you’re about to read. Vehicle owners just need to use the quickest way to shop their coverage around from many companies at once.
The car insurance companies shown below are our best choices to provide price quotes in California. If the list has multiple companies, we suggest you visit several of them to get the lowest price.
Car insurance is an important decision
Despite the high cost, maintaining insurance serves a purpose in several ways.
First, the majority of states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific level of liability protection in order to drive the car legally. 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 your vehicle has a lienholder, it’s most likely the lender will force you to carry insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank may buy a policy for your Kia for a lot more money and force you to reimburse them for it.
Third, car insurance protects your Kia Sorento and your assets. It will also pay for most medical and hospital costs for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your Kia gets damaged, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having insurance more than cancel out the cost, particularly for liability claims. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer overpays more than $830 a year so compare rates at every policy renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Eight Tips to Get Cheaper Stockton Insurance Prices
When buying auto insurance it’s important to understand the factors that help determine your policy premiums. When you know what positively or negatively determines premiums, this enables you to make decisions that may result in much lower annual insurance costs. Lots of factors are part of the equation when pricing auto insurance. Some are obvious such as your driving history, but others are not as apparent such as your marital status or your commute time.
The factors shown below are some of the major factors that factor into your rate level.
- Always keep your auto insurance policy in force – Driving without insurance is a big no-no and any future policy may cost more because you let your coverage cancel without a new policy in place. Not only will you pay more, not being able to provide proof of insurance might get you fines or a revoked license.
- Women tend to take less risk – The statistics show that females tend to be a little less risky than males. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women have fender benders in similar numbers, but guys get into accidents with more damage. Not only that, but men also get more serious tickets such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly.
- Low mileage costs less – The higher the miles on your Kia in a year’s time the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks that sit idle most of the time qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Incorrect rating for your Sorento may be wasting your money. It’s a good idea to make sure your auto insurance policy is rated on the right rating data.
- Your location is important – Being located in smaller towns and rural areas of the country can save you money when insuring your vehicles. Fewer drivers on the road translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers who live in large California cities have to deal with more aggressive driving styles and longer commute times. The longer drive time means higher likelihood of an accident.
- Liability protection is peace of mind – Your policy’s liability coverage will afford coverage when you are ruled to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to comp and collision, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
- Optional features impact rates – Selecting a car model with advanced anti-theft systems can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features like OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all hinder auto theft and help lower rates.
- Teen drivers pay more – Teenage drivers in California are statistically shown to be inattentive with other occupants in the car and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher. Parents adding a young driver to your policy can cause a big jump in price. More experienced drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, tend to file fewer claims, and usually have better credit.
- Vocation stress can affect rates – Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as fire fighters, executives, and accountants tend to have the highest rates in part from high stress levels and lots of time spent away from family. On the flip side, jobs such as scientists, engineers and retirees pay lower than average rates.
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Insurance loss probability for a Kia Sorento – Auto insurance companies factor in insurance loss information to help calculate premium rates. Models that the data determines to have a higher amount or frequency of claims will cost more for specific coverages.
The next table shows the compiled insurance loss statistics for Kia Sorento vehicles. For each type of coverage, the claim amount for all vehicles, regardless of manufacturer or model, is equal to 100. Numbers shown that are under 100 are indicative of better than average losses, while values that are above 100 point to more frequent losses or statistically larger claims.
Kia Sorento Insurance Loss Statistics Make and Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Kia Sorento 4dr 2WD 80 86 82 110 111 94 Kia Sorento 4dr 4WD 85 87 101 97 98 85 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEStatistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Discount Stockton insurance quotes
Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there could be available discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but some need to be asked for before you get the savings. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you are not getting the best rate possible.
- Distant College Student Discount – Youth drivers who live away from home at college and leave their car at home can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Good Student – A discount for being a good student may save you up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Organization Discounts – Participating in qualifying clubs or civic groups is a simple method to lower premiums when getting a Stockton auto insurance quote.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Buying a policy with primary and secondary vehicles on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.
- Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Taking a course in safe driver may get you a small discount and also improve your driving technique.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft so companies will give you a small discount.
- Home Ownership Discount – Owning your own home or condo can help you save on insurance because it demonstrates responsibility.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you may earn over 10 percent off each policy depending on the company.
We need to note that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think you could get a free insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
A partial list of companies that may offer these discounts are:
Before buying, ask every company the best way to save money. Savings might not be offered everywhere. To view insurance companies that offer the discounts shown above in Stockton, click here to view.
Insurance agent or online?
Some people prefer to buy from a local agent and that can be a great decision Good agents will help you protect your assets and help file insurance claims. An additional benefit of comparing car insurance online is the fact that you can find cheap car insurance quotes and still have a local agent.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, the quote information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents that can provide free Stockton auto insurance quotes to get your business. You won’t need to search for any insurance agencies as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. If you wish to get a price quote from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to jump over to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Finding the right insurer should include more criteria than just the price. These are valid questions to ask:
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- How would your car be valued if totaled?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in California?
- Are they primarily personal or commercial lines agents in Stockton?
- Where would glass claims be handled in Stockton?
If you need to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, you should know the types of agencies and how they work. Insurance agencies in Stockton are either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Both types of agents can insure your vehicles, but we need to point out why they differ since it could factor into buying decisions.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
These agents work for only one company and examples are State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so they really need to provide good service. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Listed below is a list of exclusive insurance agents in Stockton willing to provide comparison quotes.
Jim Molina – State Farm Insurance Agent
7273 Murray Dr #7 – Stockton, CA 95210 – (209) 473-0516 – View Map
State Farm: Don Guzman
4719 Quail Lakes Dr f – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 473-9401 – View Map
Angel Sepulveda – State Farm – Stockton
6838 Pacific Ave – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 952-2154 – View Map
Independent Agents
Agents that elect to be independent are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage through many companies and potentially find a lower price. If they quote lower rates, your agent can just switch to a different company and you don’t have to find a new agent. If you are comparing rate quotes, you absolutely need to include price quotes from at least one independent agent so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
Shown below are Stockton independent insurance agencies who can help you get price quote information.
Beacon Padula Insurance
1150 W Robinhood Dr Suite 2b – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 478-3775 – View Map
C.Chuck Taylor Insurance Agency
9210 Thornton Rd # 5 – Stockton, CA 95209 – (209) 477-2234 – View Map
Rangel Insurance
6025 Pacific Ave – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 474-7777 – View Map
After talking to the agent and getting acceptable answers for all questions you ask and an acceptable price quote, you may have just found an insurance agent that meets your needs to adequately provide car insurance.
Don’t give up on affordable premiums
When searching for affordable Kia Sorento insurance quotes, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at the best possible price.
In this article, we presented a lot of information how to reduce Kia Sorento insurance prices online in Stockton. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from the least-expected company. These smaller insurers can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.
Additional information can be found below:
- Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Lyft Drivers in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for State Employees in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for College Students in Stockton? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for First-time Drivers in Stockton? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for Drivers Under 21 in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Stockton Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record? (FAQ)
- Auto Insurance FAQ (Farmers Insurance)
- If I File a Claim will My Insurance Go Up? (Insurance Information Institute)