How to Compare Sacramento Dodge Journey Insurance

Think you have an overpriced auto insurance policy? It’s a common feeling and there are many Sacramento consumers feeling the pinch from expensive auto insurance.

A recent survey discovered that the vast majority of auto insurance customers in California kept buying from the same company for well over three years, and almost 40% of drivers have never compared quotes from other companies. The average driver in America could cut their rates by $859 a year just by shopping around, but most tend to underestimate the large savings they would see if they just switched companies.

How to find low-cost Dodge Journey insurance in Sacramento

The easiest way to find cheaper prices for Dodge Journey insurance in Sacramento is to compare quotes annually from providers who sell auto insurance in California. You can shop around by following these steps.

1. Get an understanding of how car insurance works and the steps you can take to drop your rates. Many rating criteria that result in higher rates like accidents, traffic violations, and an imperfect credit score can be remedied by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. This article provides instructions to keep prices down and get additional discounts.
2. Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes from many different companies.
3. Compare the quotes to your existing rates to see if a cheaper rate is available in Sacramento. If you find a lower rate, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
4. Provide notification to your current agent or company to cancel your current policy and submit any necessary down payment along with the completed application for the new policy. Immediately put the proof of insurance paperwork in your glove compartment.

The key thing to know about shopping around is to compare the same liability limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to get rates from as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this helps ensure a level playing field and the best rate selection.

There is such a variety of insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s nice to be able to choose, it can be more difficult to find the lowest cost provider for Dodge Journey insurance in Sacramento.

Finding affordable coverage in Sacramento is quite easy. If you currently have auto insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to get lower rates using these methods. But California vehicle owners do need to understand how the larger insurance companies determine how much to charge and apply this information to your search.

Auto insurance analysis for a Dodge Journey

The coverage table below covers estimates of insurance rates for Dodge Journey models. Learning as much as possible about how policy premiums are established can aid in making smart choices when buying a policy.

Price data assumes married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Estimates do not factor in specific zip code location which can increase or decrease premiums considerably.

Premiums by gender and age

The information below visualizes the comparison of Dodge Journey insurance costs for male and female drivers. The rates are based on no claims or violations, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Cost comparison with and without full coverage

The example below shows the comparison of Dodge Journey auto insurance costs with full coverage and liability only. The prices are based on no accidents or driving violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

When to drop full coverage

There is no specific rule to stop buying comp and collision coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than about 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.

For example, let’s assume your Dodge Journey book 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 you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $600 annually for physical damage coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are some conditions where dropping physical damage coverage is not a good plan. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not opt for liability only.

How Car Insurance Companies Calculate Dodge Journey Insurance Rates

One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the things that are used to determine the price you pay for auto insurance. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs. Many things are used when pricing auto insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving record, but others are less apparent such as your credit history or your financial responsibility.

• Pay more if you have a long commute – Having an address in less populated areas of the country has it’s advantages when insuring your vehicles. Drivers who live in large cities have to deal with more traffic problems and longer commutes to work. Fewer drivers and short commutes translates into fewer accident claims as well as less vandalism and auto theft.

• Avoid traffic tickets – Your driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Having a single driving citation may cause rates to rise by as much as twenty percent. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance as compared to careless drivers. People who have careless violations such as DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to legally drive a vehicle.

  The chart below illustrates how speeding tickets and accidents can impact Dodge Journey car insurance rates for each age group. The price estimates are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

• Raising comp and collision deductibles saves money – The deductibles define the amount the insured will be required to pay in the event of a claim. Physical damage protection, aka comp and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be colliding with a stationary object, collision with a deer, or theft of your vehicle. The more damage repair cost you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
• Do you need those add-on coverages? – Insurance policies have a lot of additional coverages that may not really be needed on your auto insurance policy. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage, and term life insurance are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when deciding what coverages you need, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so think about removing them and cutting costs.

• Insurance losses for a Dodge Journey – Insurers use data from past claims to help set a rate to offset losses. Models that have higher loss trends will be charged more to insure. The table below demonstrates the compiled insurance loss statistics for Dodge Journey vehicles.

  For each coverage type, the statistical loss for all vehicles, as an average, is set at 100. Numbers that are below 100 suggest a positive loss record, while percentages above 100 indicate more frequent claims or an increased chance of a larger loss.

  
  

  Dodge Journey Insurance Loss Statistics

  Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Dodge Journey 4dr 2WD	80	92	80	148	163	131
  Dodge Journey 4dr 4WD	96	116	71	96

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
  Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years

Final considerations

Cheaper Dodge Journey insurance in Sacramento can be found online and from local insurance agents, so you need to quote Sacramento auto insurance with both to have the best rate selection. Some companies do not offer online rate quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies provide coverage only through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits to discover at claim time they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your objective should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how you can save on Dodge Journey insurance in Sacramento. The key concept to understand is the more you quote Sacramento auto insurance, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best rates are with a smaller regional carrier.

How to buy discount Dodge Journey insurance in Sacramento

If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to get discount car insurance rates in Sacramento is to start doing a yearly price comparison from different companies that insure vehicles in California.

Step 1: Try to comprehend the different coverages in a policy and the changes you can make to keep rates low. Many risk factors that cause high rates like traffic citations and a poor credit score can be amended by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.

Step 2: Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote rates from many different companies.

Step 3: Compare the quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if cheaper Journey coverage is available. If you can save money and change companies, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.

Step 4: Notify your current company to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to the new insurer. Once the application is submitted, put the new proof of insurance paperwork in an accessible location in your vehicle.

The most important part of shopping around is to use the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on every price quote and and to get quotes from all possible companies. This provides a level playing field and a good representation of prices.

More tips and info about insurance can be read by following these links:

• Prepare your Teens for Safe Driving (InsureUonline.org)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Inexperienced Drivers in Sacramento? (FAQ)
• How Much is Sacramento Car Insurance for a Honda Civic? (FAQ)
• How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Under 21 in Sacramento? (FAQ)
• How to shop for a safer car (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)