If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to get affordable car insurance rates is to compare prices once a year from providers that insure vehicles in Stockton. Prices can be compared by following these guidelines.
- Step 1: Spend a few minutes and learn about policy coverages and the things you can change to keep rates in check. Many factors that cause high rates such as inattentive driving and a lousy credit rating can be rectified by paying attention to minor details. This article gives additional ideas to prevent high rates and get additional discounts that may be available.
- Step 2: Get rate quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes from multiple sources.
- Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing coverage to determine if you can save on R32 insurance. If you find a lower rate quote, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
A tip to remember is to try to compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to get price quotes from as many carriers as you can. Doing this enables an apples-to-apples comparison and a good representation of prices.
It goes without saying that car insurance companies don’t want you comparing rates. Insureds who shop for lower rates are inclined to switch insurance companies because there is a good probability of finding coverage at a more affordable price. A study showed that people who shopped around every year saved as much as $865 annually compared to policyholders who never compared rates.
If finding the cheapest price for auto insurance is why you’re reading this, then learning about the best way to shop and compare insurance coverage can help simplify the task of finding more affordable coverage.
Finding the cheapest car insurance coverage in Stockton can be easy if you know a few tricks. Basically, every car owner who has to buy car insurance should find a cheaper policy. But California car owners do need to learn how the larger insurance companies determine prices and apply this information to your search.
To find inexpensive Stockton car insurance quotes, there are several ways of comparing price quotes from many insurance companies in California. The simplest method to comparison shop is to perform an online rate comparison. When comparing insurance rates, know that more quotes will improve the odds of getting the best offered rates. Not every company provides online rate quotes, so it’s important to also get price quotes from them, too.
The companies shown below have been selected to offer quotes in California. If multiple companies are shown, it’s highly recommended you visit several of them to find the cheapest auto insurance rates.
Cheap Stockton insurance rates with discounts
Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list all available discounts very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized as well as some of the hidden insurance savings.
- Student in College – Any of your kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
- No Accidents – Drivers with accident-free driving histories get the best insurance rates when compared to policyholders that have many claims.
- Federal Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government may qualify for a discount when you quote Stockton car insurance depending on your company.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some larger companies give discounts for signing up before your current R32 insurance policy expires. It could save around 10% when you buy Stockton car insurance online.
- Accident Forgiveness – This isn’t a discount exactly, but companies like GEICO, State Farm, and Progressive will allow you to have one accident before they charge you more for coverage if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – If you can combine your home and auto policy with the same company you will save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Options like air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of 20% or more.
One last thing about discounts, most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. If you do the math and it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck.
A few of the larger companies and the discounts they provide are shown below.
- AAA offers discounts for pay-in-full, education and occupation, multi-car, multi-policy, and AAA membership discount.
- Progressive has savings for continuous coverage, homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, good student, online quote discount, and online signing.
- State Farm includes discounts for anti-theft, good student, safe vehicle, accident-free, Steer Clear safe driver discount, good driver, and defensive driving training.
- Esurance may offer discounts for anti-lock brakes, safety device, Pac-12 alumni, paid-in-full, multi-policy, and Switch & Save.
- Nationwide may include discounts for anti-theft, family plan, business or organization, good student, and defensive driving.
When getting a coverage quote, ask every prospective company which discounts can lower your rates. Some credits might not be offered in Stockton. If you would like to see a list of insurance companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in California, follow this link.
Why you need car insurance
Even though it can be expensive, paying for car insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires specific minimum amounts 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 you have a loan on your R32, most lenders will make it a condition of the loan that you buy insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may buy a policy for your Volkswagen for a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them for it.
- Insurance protects both your assets and your vehicle. Insurance will pay for most medical and hospital costs for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay to defend you in the event you are sued. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, collision and comprehensive coverages will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of buying car insurance are definitely more than the cost, particularly for liability claims. An average driver in America is overpaying over $865 each year so shop around once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are inline.
Auto insurance company ratings
Picking the best insurance provider is hard considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in Stockton. The company information in the lists below could help you analyze which car insurance providers to look at shopping prices with.
Top 10 Stockton Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- Titan Insurance – 95%
- USAA – 94%
- AAA of Southern California – 92%
- AAA Insurance – 91%
- Nationwide – 90%
- State Farm – 90%
- The Hartford – 89%
- GEICO – 89%
- The General – 88%
- 21st Century – 88%
Top 10 Stockton Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- USAA – A++
- Travelers – A++
- State Farm – A++
- GEICO – A++
- Esurance – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- Allstate – A+
- Mercury Insurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- Titan Insurance – A+
Comparing quotes from local Stockton auto insurance agents
A small number of people prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and we recommend doing that One of the benefits of comparing car insurance online is you may find cheap car insurance quotes and still have an agent to talk to.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), the coverage information gets sent to agents in your area that can give you free Stockton car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to you. You can get cheaper car insurance rates without a big time investment. If for some reason you want to compare prices from a specific car insurance provider, just find their quoting web page to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing a insurance company should include more criteria than just a low price. Get answers to these questions too.
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- Is there a Errors and Omissions policy in force?
- Does the agent help file claims?
What types of car insurance agents are in Stockton?
When researching a reliable insurance agency, you need to know there are two different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. Agents in Stockton are considered either independent or exclusive.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agents
Agents in the exclusive channel can only write with one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. These agents are not able to give you multiple price quotes so you need to shop around if the rates are high. These agents are well schooled in insurance sales which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Drivers often buy from the same agent for years mainly due to the brand legacy instead of buying on price only.
Below are Stockton exclusive insurance agencies that are able to give rate quotes.
- Don Widmer – State Farm Insurance Agent
2155 W March Ln a – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 951-4008 – View Map - Allstate Insurance Agent: Myles B. Harris Jr.
8807 Thornton Rd, # D1 – Stockton, CA 95209 – (209) 472-8585 – View Map - Darius Turner – State Farm Insurance Agent
1036 W Robinhood Dr Ste 103 – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 475-9336 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agents
Independent agencies do not work for one specific company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with a variety of different insurance companies and find you cheaper rates. If they find a cheaper price, they can switch companies in-house which requires no work on your part.
If you are comparing rate quotes, it’s recommended you contact a couple of independent agencies to maximize your price options. Many can place coverage with smaller companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Stockton who can help you get rate quotes.
- Acceptance Auto Insurance
2701 E Hammer Ln #108 – Stockton, CA 95210 – (209) 472-2200 – View Map - Travaille Insurance: Travaille Amy
6735 Herndon Pl # A – Stockton, CA 95219 – (209) 473-1777 – View Map - Quality General Insurance Services
3008 E Hammer Ln # 109 – Stockton, CA 95212 – (209) 952-5139 – View Map
After getting acceptable answers to all your questions as well as an affordable premium quote, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that is professional and can provide car insurance coverage. Just remember it’s your coverage and you can cancel a policy whenever you wish so don’t assume that you are permanently stuck with any specific agency for any length of time.