Searching for affordable Sacramento Kia Optima Hybrid insurance quotes might appear rather challenging for drivers new to online price comparisons. With such a large number of insurers available, how can drivers have a chance to compare every possible option in order to find cheaper car insurance rates?
It’s hard to fathom, but almost 70% of insureds in California renewed their policy with the same company for a minimum of four years, and just short of a majority have never compared quotes from other companies. Many drivers in America could save $859 every year, but most undervalue the amount of money they would save if they bought a different policy.
Consumers should take time to do rate comparisons every six months because prices are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you think you had the best deal on Kia Optima Hybrid insurance in Sacramento two years ago you can probably find a better rate quote now. There are lots of tips to save on Optima Hybrid insurance online, but I’m going to show you some of the best ways to buy car insurance cheaper in Sacramento.
Locating the most cost-effective car insurance policy in Sacramento is not that difficult. Essentially every car owner who requires lower cost car insurance most likely will find a cheaper policy. But California car owners benefit from understanding the way insurance companies price insurance differently because rates fluctuate considerably.
When comparison shopping, more quotes will enable you to find more affordable insurance. Not every company allows you to get rate quotes online, so it’s necessary to compare prices on coverage from those companies, too.
The following companies can provide price comparisons in Sacramento, CA. To find cheaper auto insurance in Sacramento, we recommend you visit as many as you can to find the most competitive car insurance rates.
Get affordable rates on Kia Optima Hybrid insurance in Sacramento with these five car insurance discounts
Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise the entire discount list very well, so below is a list a few of the more common as well as some of the hidden credits available to you. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you could be paying more than you need to.
- Discount for New Cars – Insuring a vehicle that is new can save up to 30% since newer models have better safety ratings.
- Good Students Pay Less – Performing well in school may save as much as 25% on a Sacramento car insurance quote. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Not all car insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a small discount if you purchase some life insurance too.
- Driver Training Discounts – Taking a safe driver course could cut 5% off your bill and make you a better driver.
- Switch and Save Discount – A few companies give discounts for switching policies before your current expiration date. This discount can save up to 10%.
Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
A few of the larger companies and some of the discounts can be read below.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including good student, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, federal employee, driver training, and emergency military deployment.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may include discounts for good student, paperless, multi-policy, safe driver, group or association, and anti-lock brakes.
- American Family offers premium reductions for air bags, Steer into Savings, early bird, accident-free, mySafetyValet, and good driver.
- Esurance has savings for anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, online shopper, safety device, claim free, and online quote.
- Progressive has discounts for multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, multi-policy, online quote discount, good student, online signing, and homeowner.
- State Farm discounts include student away at school, multiple autos, multiple policy, passive restraint, good student, and Drive Safe & Save.
- AAA includes discounts for AAA membership discount, good driver, good student, multi-policy, education and occupation, and pay-in-full.
Check with each insurance company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts listed above might not apply in your state.
Choosing vehicle insurance is an important decision
Even though Sacramento Optima Hybrid insurance rates can get expensive, insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.
- Almost all states have minimum liability requirements which means state laws require specific minimum amounts of liability 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 your vehicle has a lienholder, it’s most likely the lender will force you to buy full coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender will be forced to insure your Kia at a more expensive rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects both your Kia and your personal assets. It will also cover medical transport and hospital expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage will also pay to defend you if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your Kia gets damaged, your policy will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having insurance outweigh the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. The average driver in California is overpaying over $865 each year so compare rate quotes at every policy renewal to make sure the price is not too high.
When to have guidance from an agent
Many drivers just want to get advice from a local agent and doing that can be a smart decision A good thing about comparing insurance prices online is you may find better rates and also buy local.
After completing this short form, the coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents in Sacramento that give free quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to do any legwork because quoted prices will be sent instantly to you. Get lower rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If you wish to compare rates from one company in particular, you just need to find their quoting web page to submit a rate quote request.
Picking a company should depend on more than just a cheap price quote. Any agent in Sacramento should have no problem answering these questions:
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
Exclusive agents vs. Independent agents
If you would like to find a reliable insurance agency, it can be helpful to understand the types of insurance agents that you can select. Agents are considered either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Exclusive Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive write business for a single company and examples are Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They are unable to shop your coverage around so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive agents are trained well on sales techniques which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Consumers often buy from exclusive agents primarily because of the brand legacy and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Sacramento who may provide you with rate quotes.
- Ron Andre – State Farm Insurance Agent
394 Florin Rd – Sacramento, CA 95831 – (916) 428-2918 – View Map - Timothy Aust – State Farm Insurance Agent
2710 Arden Way – Sacramento, CA 95825 – (916) 482-5328 – View Map - Sig Lindley – State Farm Insurance Agent
8110 Pocket Rd #201 – Sacramento, CA 95831 – (916) 428-7370 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents in the independent channel are appointed with more than one company and that gives them the ability to insure through many companies and find the cheapest insurance rates. If prices rise, they can switch companies in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When searching for an agent, we recommend you get quotes from multiple independent agents in order to compare the most rates. Most also have access to mutual insurance companies that many times have cheaper rates.
The following is a list of independent insurance agencies in Sacramento willing to provide price quote information.
- Bates Insurance Agency | Auto Insurance and Homeowners Insurance and Car Insurance
2306 J St – Sacramento, CA 95816 – (916) 251-3548 – View Map - Cliff Cottam Insurance Services
1111 Howe Ave #535 – Sacramento, CA 95825 – (800) 807-6871 – View Map - Leland Insurance Agency
910 Florin Rd # 108 – Sacramento, CA 95831 – (916) 428-1309 – View Map
Auto insurance coverages 101
Having a good grasp of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the right coverages for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Liability – This coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property that is your fault. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 15/30/5 which stand for $15,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $30,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $5,000.
Liability coverage protects against things like repair costs for stationary objects, medical expenses, pain and suffering, emergency aid and loss of income. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford. California state minimum liability requirements are 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.
The next chart demonstrates why the minimum limit may not provide you with enough coverage.
Medical costs insurance – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses for nursing services, chiropractic care, EMT expenses, X-ray expenses and prosthetic devices. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers you and your occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers things such as hitting a deer, a broken windshield, vandalism and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with another car or object. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for things such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, sideswiping another vehicle and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible on your Optima Hybrid in order to get cheaper collision rates.
UM/UIM Coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your Kia Optima Hybrid.
Since many California drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (15/30/5), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.