Save Money on Kia Soul Insurance in Santa Ana

It goes without saying that insurance companies don't want customers comparing rates. People who shop around for the cheapest rate are very likely to buy a different policy because the odds are good of finding coverage at a cheaper rate. Remarkably, a study showed that consumers who compared rate quotes regularly saved about $3,400 over four years as compared to drivers who didn't regularly shop around.

If finding the most affordable Kia Soul insurance in Santa Ana is why you're here, then understanding how to get rate quotes and compare cheaper coverage can save time, money, and frustration.

The easiest way to find cheaper prices for Kia Soul insurance is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from insurers who can sell car insurance in Santa Ana. You can shop around by following these guidelines.

First, gain an understanding of the coverage provided by your policy and the changes you can make to lower rates. Many things that increase rates such as traffic citations, accidents, and an unfavorable credit rating can be controlled by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.

Second, request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can provide price quotes for many different companies.

Third, compare the new rates to your current policy premium and determine if cheaper Soul coverage is available in Santa Ana. If you find better rates and make a switch, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.

Fourth, provide notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your current coverage. Submit a down payment and signed policy application to the newly selected company. When you receive it, keep your new proof of insurance paperwork with your registration paperwork.

One thing to point out is to use identical deductibles and limits on each price quote and and to get price estimates from as many companies as possible. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete selection of prices.

The intent of this article is to instruct you on the most effective ways to compare rates and some money-saving tips. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will definitely be able to lower your rates using the ideas presented in this article. But California drivers must comprehend how companies market on the web because rates are impacted by many factors.

When price shopping your coverage, comparing more quotes provides better odds of finding the best offered rates. Some regional insurers cannot provide Santa Ana Soul insurance quotes online, so it's necessary to compare prices from those companies as well.

The companies shown below provide free quotes in California. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you visit several of them to get a more complete price comparison.

Rate information and statistics

The information displayed below outlines detailed analysis of policy rates for Kia Soul models. Having a good grasp of how rates are determined can help you make informed decisions.

Above prices assume single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy. Rate quotes do not factor in your specific Santa Ana location which can revise rates considerably.

Can higher deductibles save money?

When buying car insurance, a common question is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The comparisons below determine how much more you'll pay when you choose different comp and collision deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $100 deductible for physical damage and the second price table uses a $500 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, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and claim-free. Information does not factor in specific Santa Ana garaging location which can raise or lower prices considerably.

We can derive from the above data that using a $100 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $29 more each month or $348 every year than requesting the higher $500 deductible. Since you would pay $400 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go at a minimum 14 months between claim filings, you would save money by going with a higher deductible. The table below shows a better example of how this calculation is made.

The example below demonstrates how deductibles and can affect Kia Soul insurance premiums for each different age category. The costs are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no other discounts are factored in.

Full coverage or liability only

The illustration below illustrates the difference between Kia Soul car insurance costs with and without full coverage. The data assumes no claims, a clean driving record, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are single, and no policy discounts are applied.

When to eliminate full coverage

There is no clear-cut rule to eliminate physical damage coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than 10% of the vehicle's replacement cost less your deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let's say your Kia Soul book value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company would pay you is $5,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying in excess of $500 annually to have full coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

There are some cases where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you can't afford to buy a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not remove full coverage.

Why You Might Pay Higher Rates in Santa Ana

Many different elements are part of the equation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are pretty understandable like your driving record, although others are more transparent like your continuous coverage or your commute time.

Shown below are a few of the things used by insurance companies to determine your prices.

• Tickets inflate prices - Good drivers get better prices compared to drivers with tickets. Just one speeding ticket or other violation can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who have careless violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions might be required by their state to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state's licensing department in order to prevent their license from being revoked.

  The diagram below illustrates how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders can drive up Kia Soul car insurance costs for different age groups. The price estimates are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

• Battle of the sexes - Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean males are worse at driving than females. Males and females get in auto accidents in similar percentages, but men get into accidents with more damage. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers generally have the highest accident percentage and are penalized with high insurance rates.

  The illustration below visualizes the comparison of Kia Soul car insurance rates for male and female drivers. The premiums assume no violations or accidents, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied.
• Low deductibles mean high premiums - Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket if a claim is determined to be covered. Protection for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Examples of covered claims are colliding with a stationary object, hail damage, and having a roll-over accident. The larger the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
• Avoid unnecessary extra policy coverages - Insurance policies have a lot of extra add-on coverages that can waste your money when buying insurance. Things like rental car coverage, better glass coverage, and motor club memberships may not be needed and are just wasting money. The coverages may be enticing initially, but now you might not need them so consider taking them off your policy.
• Low stress vocation equals lower rates - Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Jobs like military personnel, executives, and stock brokers have higher average rates in part from intense work requirements and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, occupations such as professors, engineers and performers generally pay rates lower than average.
• Lower rates with a multi-policy discount - Most larger insurance companies will give better rates to customers that buy multiple policies in the form of a multi-policy discount. Discounts can be anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you already get this discount, you may still want to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Consumers may find better rates by buying insurance from a different company.
• Cheap insurance rates for being claim-free - Companies in California generally give most affordable rates to insureds who only file infrequent claims. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your car insurance is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.

• Performance impacts insurance rates - The type of car you need insurance for makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. Smaller low performance passenger cars usually are quite affordable to insure, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.

  The data below uses these assumptions: married male driver age 50, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It compares Kia Soul rates compared to other models that have a range of performance risks.

• Kia Soul claim probability - Insurers take into consideration historical loss data for every vehicle to determine a price that will be profitable for them. Models that historically have high amounts or severity of claims will have higher premium rates. The data below shows the insurance loss data used by companies for Kia Soul vehicles.

  For each coverage category, the claim amount for all vehicles averaged together equals 100. Values that are 100 or less suggest a positive loss record, while values that are 100 or greater indicate higher probability of having a loss or a tendency for losses to be larger than average.

  Auto Insurance Loss Data for Kia Soul Models

  Vehicle Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Kia Soul	89	98	84	138	138	118

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years

Insurance does more than just repair your car

Despite the high cost, insuring your vehicle is a good idea for several reasons.

• Almost all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires specific limits of liability insurance 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.
• If your Kia has a loan, almost all lenders will stipulate that you have insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If the policy lapses, the bank will be required to insure your Kia for a lot more money and force you to pay for the expensive policy.
• Insurance protects not only your car but also your financial assets. It will also reimburse you for most medical and hospital costs that are the result of an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you cause an accident and are sued. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage.

The benefits of insuring your car greatly outweigh the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is wasting up to $855 a year so it's recommended you shop around at every policy renewal to make sure the price is not too high.