Save Money on Dodge Avenger Insurance in Sacramento

The best way we recommend to find low-cost auto insurance rates is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from companies in Sacramento. Drivers can shop around by following these guidelines.

First, get a basic knowledge of how insurance companies determine prices and the measures you can take to drop your rates. Many policy risk factors that are responsible for high rates such as at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and a negative credit score can be rectified by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.

Second, request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple sources.

Third, compare the price quotes to your existing rates to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save money and buy the policy, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.

Fourth, provide notification to your current company of your intention to cancel your existing policy and submit the required down payment along with the signed application for your new policy. Once the paperwork is finalized, place the new certificate of insurance along with your vehicle registration.

The most important part of shopping around is to use similar coverage information on every quote and and to analyze every insurance company. This ensures a fair price comparison and a thorough selection of prices.

Remarkably, a study showed that a large majority of drivers kept their policy with the same company for well over three years, and practically 40% of insurance customers have never compared rates with other companies. Many drivers in Sacramento can save hundreds of dollars each year by just comparing quotes, but they mistakenly think it’s difficult to compare rate quotes.

If you are insured now or just want a better rate, you can follow these tips to find better prices while maintaining coverages. Finding the cheapest coverage in Sacramento is not that difficult as long as you know where to start. Consumers only need to know the most effective way to compare price quotes from many different companies online.

Cheapest companies for Dodge Avenger insurance in California

The following companies have been selected to offer free rate quotes in California. If you want the best cheap auto insurance in Sacramento, we recommend you compare several of them to find the cheapest car insurance rates.

Auto insurance statistics and figures

The data table displayed below covers estimates of rate quotes for Dodge Avenger models. Knowing how auto insurance premiums are determined can benefit drivers when making smart choices when purchasing an auto insurance policy.

Prices based on married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in garaging location in Sacramento which can decrease or increase prices considerably.

Choosing deductibles

One common question asked by Sacramento drivers is how low should you set your deductibles. The comparisons below summarize the premium difference between high and low coverage deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $100 deductible and the second set of prices uses a $1,000 deductible.

Premium data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in specific zip code location which can lower or raise prices substantially.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $100 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $48 more each month or $576 every year across all Dodge Avenger models than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $900 more if you file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to go more than 19 months between claims, you would save money if you opt for a higher deductible.

One big caveat is that increasing deductibles to save money results in a higher out-of-pocket expense when you have to file a claim. That will require some extra savings in the event you have to pay the higher deductible.

Comparison of full coverage and liability-only policies

The chart below compares Dodge Avenger insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage. The data is based on a clean driving record, no claims, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Should you pay for full coverage or liability only?

There is no set guideline to stop buying full coverage on your policy, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Dodge Avenger replacement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company will settle for is $8,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying over $800 annually for full coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

There are a few situations where buying only liability insurance is not a good idea. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should keep full coverage in place.

Determine discounts to get cheap Sacramento insurance rates

Insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but there could be available discounts to help offset the cost. Some of these discounts will be visible at the time you complete a quote, but some need to be specifically requested before you get the savings.

• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to use their safety belts could save 15% off PIP or medical payments premium.
• Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save as much as half off their rates than drivers with accidents.
• Driver Training Discounts – Taking time to complete a course in safe driver may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
• Good Student Discount – Excelling in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
• Government Employees – Federal government employees can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
• Auto/Life Discount – Insurance carriers who offer life insurance give a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.
• Sacramento Homeowners Discount – Owning a house in Sacramento can get you a discount because maintaining a house requires a higher level of personal finance.
• Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy may earn a small discount since newer models are generally safer.
• Discount for Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles can qualify you for lower prices on the low mileage vehicles.
• Claim-Free Discount – Drivers with accident-free driving histories get the best insurance rates as opposed to accident-prone drivers.

A quick disclaimer, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most cut individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. If you do the math and it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will positively reduce your overall bill.

The information below illustrates the difference between Dodge Avenger car insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the premium. Data assumes a female driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, homeowner, and marriage discounts applied.

To see providers that offer many of these discounts in California, click here.

Local insurance agents

Many people would prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent and that can be a great decision Insurance agents can make sure you are properly covered and help in the event of a claim. An additional benefit of price shopping on the web is that drivers can save money and get the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.

By using this simple form, your information is immediately sent to participating agents in Sacramento who will give competitive quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to contact any insurance agencies since price quotes are sent instantly to you. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance company, just navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.

Finding the right insurance company shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. Some important questions to ask are:

• Who are their largest clients?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
• What companies can they write with?
• Will the agent help in case of a claim?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?
• Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
• Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
• What is the financial rating for the quoted company?

When researching a local Sacramento insurance agent, there are a couple of types of insurance agents and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Car insurance agencies may be either independent agents or exclusive agents. Either one can sell affordable car insurance policies, but we need to point out the difference in how they write coverage because it may have an impact on the type of agent you choose.

Exclusive Agencies

These type of agents normally can only provide a single company’s rates like American Family, State Farm, and AAA. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so you need to shop around if the rates are high. These agents receive extensive training on what they offer and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.

The following are Sacramento exclusive insurance agents who can help you get rate quotes.

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Independent Agencies or Brokers

Agents of this type are not required to write business for one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they quote lower rates, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part. If you are comparing rate quotes, we recommend you compare prices from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.

Below are independent insurance agents in Sacramento who can help you get price quote information.

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Coverages available on your insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of your insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are the usual coverages found on most insurance policies.

Comprehensive auto coverage

This covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as fire damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and hitting a deer. The most a insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.

Auto liability insurance

Liability coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property. It protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 15/30/5 which stand for a limit of $15,000 per injured person, a limit of $30,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $5,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage protects against things such as funeral expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, structural damage, court costs and pain and suffering. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but buy higher limits if possible. California requires drivers to carry at least 15/30/5 but drivers should carry more coverage.

The chart below shows why buying low liability limits may not provide you with enough coverage.

UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (which is 15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Medical payments and PIP coverage

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like pain medications, ambulance fees, X-ray expenses and surgery. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Collision coverage

Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Avenger resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for claims such as crashing into a ditch, sustaining damage from a pot hole, backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible on your Avenger to save money on collision insurance.

Keep this in mind when shopping around

Affordable Dodge Avenger insurance in Sacramento is available both online and also from your neighborhood Sacramento agents, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who may not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional carriers only sell coverage through independent insurance agencies.

When you buy Sacramento car insurance online, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. The aim is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

We just presented some good ideas how you can find affordable Dodge Avenger insurance in Sacramento. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the lowest rates come from the smaller companies. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.

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