The recommended way to find affordable quotes for auto insurance rates is to compare prices once a year from insurers who provide car insurance in Stockton.
Step 1: Learn about what is in your policy and the changes you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that result in higher rates such as speeding tickets, careless driving and an unacceptable credit history can be controlled by being financially responsible and driving safely.
Step 2: Compare price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple companies.
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
One thing to point out is that you’ll want to compare identical coverage information on every quote and and to get rate quotes from as many different companies as possible. Doing this helps ensure the most accurate price comparison and a thorough selection of prices.
Smart shoppers know that car insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. Drivers who shop for lower rates are likely to switch auto insurance companies because they have good chances of finding a lower-priced company. A recent survey discovered that consumers who compared rates once a year saved on average $3,450 over four years compared to drivers who don’t regularly compare prices.
If finding low prices for insurance in Stockton is your objective, then knowing how to find companies and compare insurance premiums can help simplify the task of finding more affordable coverage.
Lower rates by qualifying for discounts
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but you might already qualify for some discounts to help bring down the price. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically when you quote, but once in a while a discount must be specifically requested prior to getting the savings.
- No Accidents – Drivers who don’t have accidents have much lower rates in comparison with drivers with a long claim history.
- Life Insurance Discount – Not all insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a lower price if you buy a life policy as well.
- Sign Online – Certain insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
- Own a Home and Save – Owning a house in Stockton may trigger a policy discount on auto insurance because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By making one initial payment rather than paying in monthly installments you may reduce your total bill.
It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
A list of auto insurance companies and some of the discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm may include discounts for defensive driving training, multiple autos, driver’s education, accident-free, good student, and anti-theft.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including exclusive group savings, hybrid vehicle, newly married, new move discount, preferred payment discount, multi-policy, and new vehicle discount.
- American Family may have discounts that include defensive driver, good student, Steer into Savings, good driver, multi-vehicle, bundled insurance, and air bags.
- Progressive has savings for multi-vehicle, online quote discount, continuous coverage, online signing, good student, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance includes discounts for electronic funds transfer, business and professional, bundle discounts, distant student, and early shopping.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may offer discounts for student away at school, company car, safe vehicle, safe driver, mature driver, and good student.
- SAFECO offers discounts including anti-theft, bundle discounts, homeowner, drive less, and teen safety rewards.
Before you buy a policy, ask each company how many discounts you can get. Discounts may not be available in your area. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers with the best discounts in California, click here.
The companies in the list below provide free rate quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, it’s a good idea that you compare several of them in order to find the most affordable rates.
Independent or exclusive insurance agents
Some people prefer to get advice from a local agent and that can be a smart move Professional agents can help determine the best coverages and help in the event of a claim. A good thing about getting online price quotes is that you can find lower premium rates and still choose a local agent.
After completing this quick form, your insurance data is instantly submitted to local insurance agents in Stockton that can give you free Stockton auto insurance quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t need to do any legwork as quotes are delivered to you directly. If you need to get a rate quote from a specific insurance company, feel free to find their quoting web page to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing an insurer is decision based upon more than just a low price. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- How often do they review coverages?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
- Who are their largest clients?
- Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Is auto insurance their primary focus in Stockton?
Types of car insurance agents in Stockton
If you are wanting to find a local Stockton insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agencies and how they work. Auto insurance agents in Stockton are either exclusive or independent. Both can insure your vehicles properly, but it is important to understand the difference in the companies they write for since it can affect buying decisions.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
These agents can only write with one company such as Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. They are unable to provide other company’s prices so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive agents are trained well on their company’s products which aids in selling service over price. Consumers often buy from the same agent for years primarily because of high brand loyalty rather than having low rates.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive insurance agents in Stockton who can help you get price quotes.
- Farmers Insurance – Celine Vien
7743 West Ln, Ste C4 – Stockton, CA 95210 – (209) 476-8222 – View Map - George Azevedo Jr – State Farm Insurance Agent
718 Lincoln Center – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 474-3285 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Russell Steele
829 Rosemarie Ln i – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 956-8561 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents of this type are normally appointed by many insurers and that is an advantage because they can write policies with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. If they find a cheaper price, an independent agent can move your coverage which requires no work on your part. When comparing rates, we recommend you contact several independent agencies in order to compare the most rates. Most also have access to less well-known companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Below is a short list of independent insurance agents in Stockton that can give you rate quotes.
- Beacon Padula Insurance
1150 W Robinhood Dr Suite 2b – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 478-3775 – View Map - Acceptance Auto Insurance
2701 E Hammer Ln #108 – Stockton, CA 95210 – (209) 472-2200 – View Map - RVA Insurance Agency, Inc
1341 West Robinhood Drive, ste A-1 – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 898-0650 – View Map
Best auto insurance company in Stockton
Choosing a highly-rated insurance company is difficult considering how many companies sell coverage in California. The ranking information shown next could help you pick which coverage providers to look at when shopping around.
Top 10 Stockton Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Claims Service
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- Esurance
- AAA Insurance
- Progressive
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- Allstate
- Titan Insurance
- The Hartford
Top 10 Stockton Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Service
- AAA of Southern California
- GEICO
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Mercury Insurance
- The General
- Progressive
- Allstate
- AAA Insurance
- American Family
Do the work, save more money
In this article, we covered a lot of techniques to get a better price on Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Stockton. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s very important that you do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate.
Lower-priced Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Stockton is attainable both online in addition to local insurance agencies, so get free Stockton auto insurance quotes from both of them to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies do not offer rates over the internet and these small, regional companies only sell coverage through local independent agents.
More tips and info about car insurance can be found in these articles:
- Keeping Children Safe in Crashes Video (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Toyota Corolla in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Crash Avoidance Technologies FAQ (iihs.org)
- Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)