Find Affordable Kia Optima Insurance in Stockton

Smart shoppers know that car insurance companies don’t want you to look for cheaper rates. Drivers who shop around for better prices will, in all likelihood, buy a new policy because there is a high probability of finding discount prices. A recent study showed that people who routinely shopped for cheaper coverage saved $3,450 over four years compared to people who never shopped around for better prices.

If finding the lowest price for Kia Optima insurance in Stockton is your goal, then learning a little about how to compare auto insurance can help make the process easier and more efficient.

If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to save on auto insurance rates in Stockton is to compare prices once a year from different companies who provide car insurance in California. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.

First, try to understand how companies set rates and the things you can change to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that cause rate increases such as traffic citations and poor credit history can be controlled by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.

Second, request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can quote rates from multiple companies.

Third, compare the price quotes to your existing rates and see if there is a cheaper rate in Stockton. If you can save some money and change companies, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.

Fourth, provide proper notification to your current company to cancel your existing policy. Submit the application along with any required down payment to your new company or agent. Once coverage is bound, store the proof of insurance certificate along with your vehicle registration.

One important bit of advice is to try to compare the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on every quote and and to get quotes from as many different companies as possible. Doing this enables a level playing field and a thorough price selection.

If you have a current car insurance policy or need a new policy, you will benefit by learning to buy cheaper car insurance while maintaining coverages. The purpose of this post is to familiarize you with the best ways to compare prices and how you can save the most money. Shoppers just have to understand the tricks to shop for car insurance from many different companies.

Get More Affordable Insurance Costs by Understanding These Factors

Many things are taken into consideration when you quote your car insurance policy. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, but other factors are less apparent such as your credit history or how financially stable you are. It’s important that you understand the factors that come into play when calculating your policy premiums. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates, this enables informed choices that may reward you with big savings.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine your rate level.

• Use credit responsibly and save – A driver’s credit score factor in determining premium rates. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure than those with worse credit. If your credit history can be improved, you could pay less to insure your Kia Optima if you improve your credit rating.
• Physical damage deductibles – Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are rear-ending another vehicle, collision with a deer, and having a roll-over accident. The more damage repair cost you’re willing to pay, the less money you will pay for auto insurance.
• Single drivers take more risk – Getting married helps lower the price on your auto insurance policy. It usually means you are more mature and insurance companies reward insureds because married couples file fewer claims.

• Costs are impacted by vehicle performance – The performance level of the vehicle you are insuring makes a significant difference in determining your rates. The lowest base rates are for the lowest performance passenger models, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.

  The following chart is based on a single female driver age 20, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It illustrates Kia Optima insurance premiums compared to other models of vehicles that have different performance risks.

• Driver age impacts rates – Teenage drivers in California are proven to get distracted easily when driving therefore auto insurance rates are much higher. Parents adding a teen driver to your policy can cause a big jump in price. Older, more experienced drivers have been proven to be more responsible, file fewer claims, and receive fewer citations.

  The next chart uses these variables: single driver, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

• Why do you need liability protection? – Liability insurance will afford coverage if you are found liable for an accident. Your liability coverage provides legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.

• Kia Optima insurance loss data – Auto insurance companies factor in historical loss data when setting premium prices. Models that are shown to have higher losses will cost more to insure.

  The information below illustrates the loss history for Kia Optima vehicles. For each coverage category, the statistical loss for all vehicles, as a total average, is a value of 100. Values that are below 100 suggest a positive loss record, while percentage values above 100 point to more losses or statistically larger losses.

  
  

  Auto Insurance Loss Data for Kia Optima Models

  Vehicle Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Kia Optima	115	101	107	133	142	120
  Kia Optima Hybrid	143	115	116	139	158	151

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years

Insurance rate breakdown

The coverage information displayed next showcases estimates of coverage costs for Kia Optima models. Learning a little about how insurance prices are established can be of help when making smart choices when buying a car insurance policy.

Data variables include married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Price information does not factor in specific zip code location which can influence auto insurance rates considerably.

Higher deductibles save money

One of the more difficult decisions when buying auto insurance is how high should your deductibles be. The comparison tables below may help to conceptualize the rate differences when you select higher and lower insurance deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second rate table uses a $500 deductible.

Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Premium costs do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can alter premium rates noticeably.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $100 deductible will cost you roughly $32 more each month or $384 every year than buying the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $400 more out of your own pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go more than 13 months between claim filings, you would probably save some money going with the higher deductible.

The chart below shows how different deductible levels and can impact Kia Optima annual premium costs for different age categories. Data assumes a married male driver, full coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.

Comparison of auto insurance rates by age and gender in Stockton

The diagram below compares Kia Optima annual premium costs for male and female drivers. The costs are based on no claims or violations, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.

Kia Optima full coverage rates compared to liability only

The information below illustrates the difference between Kia Optima auto insurance rates with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The premium estimates are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

When to buy liability coverage only

There is no clear-cut rule of when to exclude full coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than about 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Kia Optima claim settlement value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company would pay you is $6,000 after the deductible is paid. If you are currently paying more than $600 annually for full coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

There are some cases where removing full coverage is not recommended. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to carry full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage.

Determine discounts to get cheap Stockton auto insurance rates

Some insurance providers don’t always list all discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance.

• Anti-lock Brake System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with ABS and/or traction control are safer to drive and the ABS can save up to 10%.
• Cautious Driver Discounts – Insureds without accidents can save as much as half off their rates than drivers with accidents.
• Safety Course Discount – Participating in a class that teaches driver safety techniques may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
• Save over 55 – Drivers over the age of 55 may receive a small discount on rates.
• Low Mileage – Low annual miles can earn substantially lower premium rates.
• Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts of more than 20%.

Discounts lower rates, but most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.

The chart below shows the difference between Kia Optima insurance costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. Data assumes a female driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, marriage, and multi-car discounts applied.

A partial list of companies that may offer quotes with these money-saving discounts include:

• GEICO
• MetLife
• State Farm
• Progressive
• Mercury Insurance
• 21st Century
• Allstate

Before you buy a policy, ask all companies you are considering to give you their best rates. Some discounts might not be available to policyholders in Stockton. If you would like to view providers with discount rates in California, click this link.

Don’t give up on cheap rates

Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including policy non-renewal, lack of trust in their agent, denial of a claim and delays in paying claims. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding the right insurance provider is easier than you think.

We covered quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on Kia Optima insurance in Stockton. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the better likelihood of getting affordable Stockton auto insurance quotes. You may even discover the biggest savings come from a small local company.

When shopping online for insurance, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

Much more information about insurance in California can be found on the following sites:

• A Tree Fell on Your Car: Now What? (Allstate)
• Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for Infrequent Drivers in Stockton? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Stockton Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 60? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Stockton Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Honda CR-V in Stockton? (FAQ)
• New Honda safety features benefit drivers of all ages (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
• Automakers compete to add autobraking (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Protect Yourself Against Auto Theft (Insurance Information Institute)