How to Save on Jeep Patriot Insurance in Bakersfield

It takes a few minutes, but the best way to find lower priced car insurance rates is to annually compare prices from providers who sell insurance in Bakersfield. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.

1. Take a few minutes and learn about coverages and the steps you can take to prevent rate increases. Many policy risk factors that drive up the price like accidents, careless driving, and a less-than-favorable credit history can be improved by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. This article gives more ideas to prevent expensive rate increases and find additional discounts.
2. Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple sources.
3. Compare the new rates to your existing coverage to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find better rates and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.

One thing to remember is to try to use identical coverages on every quote request and and to analyze every insurance company. Doing this ensures a fair rate comparison and a thorough price selection.

It’s hard to believe, but a large majority of drivers renewed their policy with the same company for well over three years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never compared rates from other carriers. Most drivers in Bakersfield could save almost 35% each year by just comparing rate quotes, but most just don’t grasp the benefits if they changed companies.

When comparison shopping, there are several ways to compare rate quotes from companies that offer car insurance in California. The recommended way to do a complete rate comparison is to jump online and get quotes. When price shopping your coverage, more quotes will enable you to find lower pricing.

The companies shown below have been selected to offer quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you get rate quotes from several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Auto insurance analysis for a Jeep Patriot

The coverage table displayed below showcases a range of coverage costs for Jeep Patriot models. Having knowledge of how insurance quotes are determined can help drivers make smart choices when purchasing an insurance policy.

Premium data assumes married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Rate information does not factor in garaging location in Bakersfield which can revise coverage prices considerably.

Policy deductible comparison

One common question asked by Bakersfield drivers is how high should the physical damage coverage deductibles be. The rates below can help show the differences in premium rates when you choose different physical damage coverage deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $250 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second set of rates uses a $500 deductible.

Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Rate quotes do not factor in specific garaging location which can revise auto insurance rates considerably.

Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $250 deductible costs approximately $16 more each month or $192 annually than opting for the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $250 more out of your own pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you go at a minimum 16 months between claims, you would more than likely save some money by going with a higher deductible.

The example below shows how choosing a deductible and can raise or lower Jeep Patriot insurance rates for each different age group. The information is based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied.

Safe drivers pay less for auto insurance

The example below demonstrates how citations and at-fault accidents can affect Jeep Patriot premium costs for each different age category. The information is based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.

Cost difference between full coverage and liability

The diagram below illustrates the comparison of Jeep Patriot insurance costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The premiums assume no accidents, no driving violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.

When to drop full coverage

There is no definitive guideline to stop buying physical damage insurance, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Jeep Patriot book value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would receive is $5,000 after paying your deductible. If you are currently paying more than $500 a year for full coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

There are some situations where eliminating full coverage is not financially feasible. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should maintain full coverage.

You Can Change Your Insurance Prices

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that help determine your premiums. When you understand what impacts premium levels, this allows you to make good choices that can earn you better auto insurance rates. Many different elements are part of the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Most are fairly basic such as traffic violations, but other criteria are more transparent like your vehicle usage or how financially stable you are.

Allowing your coverage to lapse raises prices – Driving with no insurance is a misdemeanor and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. In addition to paying higher rates, getting caught without coverage could result in fines and jail time. You could then be forced to file a SR-22 with the California motor vehicle department.

High performance equals high rates – The performance of the vehicle you need to insure makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. The lowest premiums are generally reserved for lower performance four cylinder passenger vehicles, but your final cost has many other factors.

The chart below assumes a single male driver age 30, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Jeep Patriot rates compared to other models that have different performance rating factors.

Annual miles is a factor – The higher the miles on your Jeep each year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. A lot of companies price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Vehicles that do not get driven very much receive better premium rates compared to those used for work or business. It’s always a good idea to double check that your declarations sheet properly reflects the correct driver usage, because it can save money. A policy that improperly rates your Patriot can cost quite a bit.

Your spouse saves you money – Having a wife or husband may earn you lower rates when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse usually means you are more responsible and statistics prove married drivers get in fewer accidents.

Jeep Patriot insurance loss probability – Companies study historical loss data to help determine rates. Vehicles that have high amounts or severity of claims will have a higher cost to insure. The information below illustrates the compiled insurance loss statistics for Jeep Patriot vehicles.

For each coverage category, the claim amount for all vehicles averaged together is considered to be 100. Values that are under 100 represent a good loss history, while values that are 100 or greater point to more losses or an increased chance of larger losses than average.

It may be expensive, but it’s not optional

Despite the high cost, auto insurance serves a purpose in several ways.

First, most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability coverage in order to be legal. 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.

Second, if your Jeep Patriot has a loan, more than likely the lender will require you to have comprehensive coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Jeep for a lot more money and force you to pay much more than you were paying before.

Third, auto insurance protects both your vehicle and your assets. It will also reimburse you for most medical and hospital costs for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.

The benefits of insuring your car more than cancel out the cost, especially when you need to use it. But the average driver in California overpays more than $855 a year so it’s important to compare rates each time the policy renews to help ensure money is not being wasted.