We don’t have to point out that fact that auto insurance companies don’t want policyholders to shop around. Drivers who do rate comparisons are very likely to buy a new policy because of the good chance of finding lower rate quotes. A survey found that consumers who routinely shopped around saved over $70 a month compared to people who never compared rates.
If finding the cheapest price for Honda HR-V insurance in Oakland is the reason you’re reading this, then learning about how to get rate quotes and compare cheaper coverage can make it easier to find better rates.
Truthfully, the best way to get the cheapest car insurance rates in Oakland is to regularly compare prices from different companies in California.
- First, it will benefit you to learn about what is in your policy and the measures you can control to drop your rates. Many risk factors that increase rates such as traffic violations and a low credit rating can be controlled by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. This article gives additional ideas to help keep rates affordable and find missing discounts.
- Second, quote rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can give you price quotes from many different companies. Get quotes now
- Third, compare the quotes to your current policy premium to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a lower rate quote and buy the policy, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Fourth, provide written notification to your current company to cancel your current policy. Submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to your new agent or company. As soon as you can, store the proof of insurance paperwork with your vehicle’s registration.
One key aspect when comparing rates is that you’ll want to make sure you compare identical deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to get rate quotes from as many car insurance companies as possible. This guarantees a level playing field and a complete price analysis.
These discounts can slash Honda HR-V insurance rates
Car insurance companies do not list all possible discounts very clearly, so the following list contains a few of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious savings tricks you should be using when you buy Oakland auto insurance online.
- Home Ownership Discount – Just owning your own home can help you save on car insurance since owning and maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
- Good Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Active Military Service – Being on active duty in the military can result in better premium rates.
- No Claims – Claim-free drivers get the best car insurance rates in comparison with insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
Discounts save money, but please remember that most discounts do not apply to the whole policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. If you do the math and it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.
Popular car insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts include:
- GEICO has discounts for driver training, seat belt use, military active duty, federal employee, and defensive driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has savings for teen driver, good student, group or association, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, company car, and anti-theft.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including early bird, good student, Steer into Savings, good driver, and accident-free.
- Esurance may include discounts for multi-policy, homeowner, multi-car, Pac-12 alumni, DriveSense, and paid-in-full.
- Progressive discounts include homeowner, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, good student, online signing, and multi-policy.
- State Farm may have discounts that include Steer Clear safe driver discount, good driver, multiple policy, accident-free, and Drive Safe & Save.
- AAA may offer discounts for good student, good driver, multi-car, pay-in-full, and AAA membership discount.
Before you buy a policy, ask every prospective company which discounts you may be entitled to. A few discounts might not apply in every state. If you would like to see a list of car insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in California, click this link.
Compare Oakland Honda HR-V insurance quotes
Finding a lower price on Honda HR-V insurance is a fairly straight forward process. You just have to take the time comparing rate quotes provided by online insurance companies.
The following companies offer free rate quotes in California. To locate the best auto insurance in Oakland, it’s highly recommended you visit several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Insurance Rate Influencing Factors
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. If you have some idea of what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with cheaper rates.
The items below are some of the things car insurance companies consider when setting prices.
Premiums go up with performance – The performance of the car you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a big difference in your premium level. The best insurance prices will normally be found when insuring lower performance four cylinder passenger models, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
Safety ratings are a factor – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to be cheaper to insure. These vehicles reduce the chance of injuries and better occupant protection translates directly to fewer claims which can result in lower premiums. If your Honda HR-V is rated at a minimum four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may pay a lower rate.
Car insurance rates and age – Drivers with little experience have been known to be inattentive and easily distracted in a vehicle and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher. Older people tend to be more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents, and are safer drivers.
Stressful vocation may mean higher premiums – Occupational choices like lawyers, executives, and medical professionals generally have the highest average rates because of intense work-related stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, jobs like actors, historians and retirees receive lower rates.
Small coverages can add up – There are many add-on coverages that can add up but may not be useful. Insurance for personal injury protection, accident forgiveness, and additional equipment coverage could be just wasting money. They may sound like good ideas initially, but if you don’t need them remove them and pocket the money.
Commute or pleasure use – The more miles you rack up on your Honda in a year the higher the price you pay to insure it. The majority of insurers apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use cost less to insure than those that get driven frequently. Verify your car insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven. Improper usage on your HR-V is throwing money out the window.
Insurance agencies near you
Some consumers just want to sit down with an agent and that can be a great decision Good insurance agents can help you choose the best coverages and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get better rates but also keep your business local.
To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, the quote information is immediately sent to participating agents in Oakland who will gladly provide quotes for your auto insurance coverage. There is no need to contact any agents as quotes are delivered to you instantly. If you want to compare prices for a specific company, just go to their quote page and submit a quote form there.
Picking a company is decision based upon more than just a cheap quote. The following questions are important to ask.
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
- Do they offer accident forgiveness?
- Is the agency active in community causes in Oakland?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
The following are agents in Oakland that are able to give comparison quotes for Honda HR-V insurance in Oakland.
- Joe Trapasso – State Farm Insurance Agent
1901 Harrison St Ste 100 – Oakland, CA 94612 – (510) 808-7120 – View Map - Fred Loya Insurance
1620 High St STE B – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 434-1801 – View Map - State Farm: Julie La
3800 Park Blvd #200 – Oakland, CA 94602 – (510) 550-9775 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Thy Le
745 E 12th St #101 – Oakland, CA 94606 – (510) 465-2029 – View Map
Protect more than your Honda HR-V
Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in Oakland, insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.
- Just about all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a minimum amount 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.
- If your HR-V has a loan, almost every bank will make it mandatory that you carry insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may insure your Honda at a much higher premium rate and force you to pay for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance preserves not only your Honda HR-V but also your assets. It also can pay for hospital and medical expenses incurred in an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you have damage to your Honda as the result of the weather or an accident, your policy will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of having insurance outweigh the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. Today the average American driver overpays as much as $869 every year so it’s important to compare rates each time the policy renews to make sure the price is not too high.
Compare. Compare. Compare.
When buying insurance coverage, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to regret that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.
You just read a lot of techniques to save on Honda HR-V insurance in Oakland. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may even discover the best prices are with a small local company.
People change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, poor customer service, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or even denial of a claim. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new insurance company is less work than it seems.
Much more information about auto insurance in California is located on the following sites:
- Keeping Children Safe in Crashes Video (iihs.org)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for a 20 Year Old Male in Oakland? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Electric Cars in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 50 in Oakland? (FAQ)
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
- Electronic Stability Control FAQ (iihs.org)
- Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- Honda warning system reduces insurance claims (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)