Shockingly, a large majority of consumers renewed their policy with the same company for at least the last four years, and 38% of drivers have never even compared quotes to find lower-cost rates. Drivers in the U.S. could save as much as 46.5% every year just by comparing rates, but they don’t know the actual amount they would save if they moved their coverage to a different company.
If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to save on car insurance rates is to compare prices annually from insurers in Stockton.
First, get an understanding of policy coverages and the factors you can control to keep rates in check. Many rating factors that cause high rates such as at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a less-than-favorable credit history can be eliminated by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. This article gives additional ideas to help reduce prices and find additional discounts you may qualify for.
Second, obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while agents who are independent can quote prices from many different companies. Select a company
Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy to see if a cheaper price is available in Stockton. If you can save some money, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
Fourth, give notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit payment and a signed application for your new coverage. Be sure to put the new certificate verifying coverage with the vehicle registration.
One thing to point out is to try to compare similar limits and deductibles on every quote and and to get quotes from every company you can. Doing this enables a fair price comparison and a thorough price selection.
The majority of larger companies provide insurance quotes directly from their websites. Comparing prices online for Dodge Magnum insurance in Stockton doesn’t take much effort as all you need to do is type in your personal and coverage information as requested by the quote form. After you complete the form, their quoting system requests your credit score and driving record and returns a price quote.
The ability to get online rates for Dodge Magnum insurance in Stockton makes it a lot easier to compare rates and it is imperative to perform this step if you are searching for the most affordable premium on auto insurance.
If you want to find out how much you can save on auto insurance, compare rate quotes from the providers shown below. To compare your current rates, we recommend you replicate the coverages identical to your current policy. This helps ensure you will have a price comparison for similar coverage.
The companies shown below can provide quotes in California. If several companies are displayed, we recommend you visit as many as you can in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Why you need insurance for your Magnum
Despite the high cost, maintaining insurance serves several important purposes.
- Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require a specific level of liability coverage 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.
- If you have a lien on your Dodge Magnum, more than likely the lender will require that you carry insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the bank may buy a policy for your Dodge at a much higher rate and require you to pay much more than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects not only your Dodge but also your financial assets. It will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability coverage will also pay attorney fees if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance definitely exceed the price paid, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. Today the average American driver overpays more than $865 each year so compare rate quotes at every policy renewal to ensure rates are inline.
You Can Change Your Insurance Prices
Lots of factors are taken into consideration when premium rates are determined. Most are fairly basic such as your driving record, although others are less apparent such as your credit history or your financial responsibility. When buying insurance it’s important to understand the factors that play a part in calculating your premiums. If you know what determines premiums, this enables informed choices that can earn you cheaper rates.
- Incidental coverages may not be needed – There are many add-on coverages that can waste your money on your insurance policy. Add-on coverages like roadside assistance, towing coverage, and extra equipment coverage are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when deciding what coverages you need, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
- Keep insurance claims to a minimum – Auto insurance companies in California give lower rates to drivers who are claim-free. If you file a lot of claims you can expect much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for claims that you cannot pay yourself.
- Having a spouse pays dividends – Having a spouse can get you a discount when shopping for insurance. It demonstrates that you tend to be more responsible and insurance companies like that married drivers tend to file fewer claims.
- Prevent insurance lapses – Allowing your insurance policy to lapse can be a fast way to drive up your policy premiums. In addition to paying higher premiums, the inability to provide proof of insurance could result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
- Accidents can increase rates – Even a single chargeable violation can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets pay lower auto insurance prices as compared to careless drivers. Drivers who get serious tickets such as DUI or willful reckless driving may be required to prove financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to keep their license.
Stockton auto insurance discounts
Not too many consumers would say auto insurance is affordable, but there may be some discounts that may help make it more affordable. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but once in a while a discount must be requested specifically before you will receive the discount.
- Multiple Cars – Buying coverage for more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Drive Less and Save – Driving less can earn cheaper premium rates.
- Government Employee Discount – Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
- Senior Citizens – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens could receive a slight reduction on a Stockton auto insurance quote.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save as much as half off their rates as compared to drivers with claims.
- Telematics Data – Drivers that enable companies to look at driving habits by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate could save a few bucks if they are good drivers.
- Waiver for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but a handful of insurance companies permit an accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a specific time period.
Just know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though you would think you could get a free auto insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
A list of auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be found below.
- GEICO may have discounts that include military active duty, multi-vehicle, good student, anti-theft, five-year accident-free, air bags, and daytime running lights.
- Mercury Insurance has discounts for good student, location of vehicle, annual mileage, type of vehicle, and good driver.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for homeowner, business and professional, multi-car, alternative fuel, electronic funds transfer, and teen driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including group or association, teen driver, safe vehicle, mature driver, company car, paid in full, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual may include discounts for new move discount, safety features, preferred payment discount, exclusive group savings, new vehicle discount, and teen driver discount.
- SAFECO discounts include teen safe driver, accident prevention training, anti-theft, safe driver, bundle discounts, and teen safety rewards.
- Progressive offers discounts including multi-policy, continuous coverage, online quote discount, good student, and multi-vehicle.
- USAA has savings for multi-vehicle, safe driver, new vehicle, family discount, loyalty savings, annual mileage, and vehicle storage.
Before purchasing a policy, check with every insurance company to apply every possible discount. Some credits might not apply in your state.
When to talk to an insurance agent
Certain consumers still prefer to go talk to an agent and that is OK! Professional insurance agents can make sure you are properly covered and help in the event of a claim. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is the fact that drivers can get better rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Once you complete this form (opens in new window), your information gets sent to agents in your area that give free quotes to get your business. There is no need to leave your house because prices are sent to your email. If for some reason you want to quote rates from a specific auto insurance provider, you would need to navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Picking the best insurer shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Before buying a policy in Stockton, get answers to these questions.
- How many years of experience in personal auto insurance do they have?
- Is the quote a firm price?
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
- Are they giving you every discount you deserve?
- Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- Are they involved in claim handling?
Two types of car insurance agents
If you are searching for a local Stockton insurance agency, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents and how they can service your needs differently. Auto insurance agencies may be either independent or exclusive. Both types can handle auto insurance, but it’s important to know why they differ since it can impact the type of agent you choose.
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agencies
Exclusive agencies work for only one company like Farmers Insurance and State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agencies are trained well on their company’s products which helps them compete with independent agents. Drivers often purchase coverage from exclusives mostly because of the prominent brand name and strong financial ratings.
Below is a list of exclusive agencies in Stockton who may provide you with rate quotes.
- Farmers Insurance – Russell Steele
829 Rosemarie Ln i – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 956-8561 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Manuel Luna
445 W Weber Ave #225 – Stockton, CA 95203 – (209) 957-8675 – View Map - Farmers Insurance: Elisa The Acosta Agency Acosta
1151 W Robinhood Dr – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 956-3574 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Agents in the independent channel do not have single company limitations and that allows them to write policies with an assortment of companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they quote lower rates, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to find a new agent.
If you are trying to find cheaper rates, you need to get rate quotes from several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from. Many can place coverage with companies you’ve never heard of who may have lower rates.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agents in Stockton who can help you get rate quotes.
- Dohrmann Insurance Agency, Inc.
3415 Brookside Rd – Stockton, CA 95219 – (209) 478-1400 – View Map - 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 - Stockton Insurance Services
1407 E Miner Ave – Stockton, CA 95205 – (209) 941-4444 – View Map
After getting reasonable responses for all questions you ask and a good coverage price, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that can be relied on to properly insure your vehicles.
Persistence will pay off
People who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including delays in responding to claim requests, policy cancellation, unfair underwriting practices or being labeled a high risk driver. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching insurance companies is easier than you think.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, an accident victim reduced full coverage to discover at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest cost, not the least amount of coverage.
More affordable insurance in Stockton is attainable on the web as well as from independent agents in Stockton, so get free Stockton auto insurance quotes from both of them in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not offer online rate quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
More tips and info about insurance can be found in the articles below:
- Bodily Injury Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- How Much are Car Insurance Rates for a Honda Civic in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Understanding your Policy (NAIC.org)
- Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
- Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)