What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Unemployed Drivers in Oakland?

The words “economical” and “insurance” really should not be used together, specifically when searching for the cheapest auto insurance for unemployed drivers. In an attempt to save some money, let’s get started by showing you some things that can significantly affect auto insurance rates, and figure out some ways to take a little off the next policy you buy.

Figuring out which companies offer the cheapest insurance rates for unemployed drivers involves a little more sweat in order to find the best policy. Every auto insurer has a proprietary method to set policy rates, so let’s rank the most budget-friendly insurance companies in Oakland, CA.

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USAA has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Oakland at around $1,155 each year. This is $496 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Nationwide, Century National, and CSAA would also make the list of some of the more affordable Oakland, CA car insurance companies.

In the rate table above, if you buy coverage from Century National and switched to Wawanesa, you could earn an annual savings of in the neighborhood of $22. Policyholders with CSAA could save as much as $30 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might reduce rates by $146 a year.

These policy rates are averaged for all drivers and vehicles and are not factoring in an exact location for unemployed drivers. So the insurer that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.

The car, truck, or SUV to be insured is a significant factor that determines whether or not you can buy low-cost coverage for unemployed drivers. Vehicles with higher performance, a lack of safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost more to insure than more modest models.

The next list outlines insurance premiums for some of the most economical vehicles to insure in California.

Premium data assumes single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Table data does not factor in specific Oakland, CA garaging location which can change insurance rates noticeably.

Based on these rates, you can expect cars like the Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, and Chevrolet Equinox are most likely to be some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure for the unemployed.

For the unemployed, one of the largest components that are looked at to help calculate the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where your car is garaged. Areas with more people or more claims will most likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion profit from lower rates.

The next table lists the most costly cities in California for unemployed drivers to purchase car insurance in. Oakland is listed at #4 with an annual cost of $1,704 on average, which is about $142 per month.

Premium costs are approximated as the specific geographic location can raise or lower auto insurance rates significantly.

The diagram below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can affect insurance premiums when quoting cheap insurance for unemployed drivers. The premium estimates are based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are factored in.

In the chart above, a 30-year-old driver could lower rates by $552 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $830 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the 20-year-old example, have the ability to save as much as $1,640 annually just by choosing larger deductibles. When choosing a higher deductible, it will now be necessary to have additional funds in a savings account to allow you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one shortcoming of high deductibles.

Full coverage versus liability only rates

Finding cheaper insurance should be important to most drivers, and a good way to pay less for insurance for unemployed drivers is to buy liability only. The diagram below shows the difference between insurance rates with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The prices are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied.

As an overall average, full coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,501 per year more than insuring for liability only. Lot’s of drivers question when is it safe to stop buying full coverage. There is no written rule to drop full coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than around 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

Impact of citations and accidents on insurance rates

The best way to receive affordable insurance prices for the unemployed is to be a good driver and not have accidents or get tickets. The example below illustrates how violations and at-fault fender-benders can influence insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The data is based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

The data above shows the average cost of a car insurance policy in California per year with no violations or accidents is $2,633. Get written up for one speeding ticket and the average cost surges to $3,028, an increase of $395 each year. Now add in two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of insurance for unemployed drivers jumps again to an average of $6,453. That’s an increase of $3,821, or $318 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!

How to find low-cost auto insurance for unemployed drivers

The list below summarizes many thrifty ideas that can help California drivers find lower-cost coverage.

• Higher deductibles mean lower rates
• Avoid having at-fault accidents
• Improve your credit score
• Maintain a clean driving record
• Do not pay for full coverage if not needed
• Vehicles with good safety ratings are usually cheaper to insure
• Compare quotes from other companies often

The last tip is extraordinarily necessary, as we noted in the prior information. Auto insurance rates in Oakland vary greatly, so don’t be unwilling to switch to a new company if a cheaper rate is available. Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but it isn’t a good idea if that devotion results in you overpaying hundreds of dollars a year. If you have a few minutes, now is a great time to compare rates and find cheaper car insurance for unemployed drivers.

If you have coverage questions and would like to get help from a professional when shopping for cheaper insurance for the unemployed, the agents below can answer your questions and help you decide which insurance coverage you need.

To locate an Oakland car insurance agency close to you, click the button following the list or click here to compare rates now.

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