The best way to find affordable auto insurance rates in Oakland is to regularly compare prices from insurers in California. Price quotes can be compared by following these steps.
- Gain an understanding of how companies price auto insurance and the changes you can make to prevent high rates. Many rating criteria that increase rates such as traffic tickets, fender benders, and an imperfect credit history can be improved by being financially responsible and driving safely. Continue reading for more details to help reduce premium rates and find additional discounts.
- Get rate quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give rate quotes from a single company like GEICO and Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes from many different companies. View insurance agents
- Compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a lower rate and make a switch, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Give notification to your current company to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit the required down payment along with the signed application to the newly selected company. When you receive it, place your new certificate of insurance in your vehicle’s glove compartment or console.
One key aspect when comparing rates is to use the same level of coverage on every price quote and and to get quotes from as many companies as possible. This enables a fair rate comparison and a complete selection of prices.
It goes without saying that auto insurance companies want to keep you from comparing prices. People who shop around for the cheapest rate will probably buy a different policy because of the high probability of finding a lower-priced policy. A recent survey revealed that consumers who routinely shopped around saved $865 a year compared to those who never shopped around for cheaper prices.
If finding low prices for Saturn Ion insurance is the reason for your visit, then having some knowledge of how to get free comparison quotes and analyze cheaper coverage can make it easier for you to save money.
Best Saturn Ion insurance price quotes in California
The following companies provide free rate quotes in Oakland, CA. To locate cheap car insurance in CA, we suggest you get price quotes from several of them in order to find the lowest rates.
How Your Ion Insurance Rates are Determined
A large part of saving on insurance is knowing a few of the rating criteria that aid in calculating your insurance rates. If you understand what impacts premium levels, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can earn you cheaper rates.
- Low deductibles can be expensive – Physical damage insurance, also called ‘full coverage’, insures against damage to your Saturn. Some examples of covered claims could be running into the backend of another car, flood damage, and burglary. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay if the claim is covered. The larger the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
- More annual miles equals more premium – Driving a lot of miles in a year the more you’ll pay to insure it. The majority of insurers apply a rate based upon how much you drive. Autos that do not get driven very much get more affordable rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Improper usage on your Ion can result in significantly higher rates. It’s a smart idea to ensure your insurance coverage properly reflects annual mileage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Prevent theft and save money – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your premiums. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping auto theft.
- Limits of liability coverage – Your insurance policy’s liability coverage kicks in in the event that a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. This coverage provides legal defense coverage to defend your case. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
- Males pay higher premiums – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown that women are safer drivers than men. This data doesn’t prove that males are worse at driving than females. Males and females are responsible for fender benders in similar percentages, but guys have accidents that have higher claims. Not only are claims higher, but men have more aggressive citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers tend to get in the most accidents so it costs more to insure them.
Save money on Saturn Ion insurance in Oakland with these discounts
Some insurers don’t necessarily list every discount they offer in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the best known and the harder-to-find credits available to lower your premiums when you buy Oakland auto insurance online.
- Braking Control Discount – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Early Renewal Discounts – A few larger companies allow discounts for buying a new policy early. It can save you around 10%.
- Federal Government Employee – Federal government employees can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Having more than one vehicle with one company qualifies for this discount.
- Distant Student – Children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than less cautious drivers.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you can afford to pay the entire bill as opposed to paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you can combine your auto and homeowners policy with the same company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total Ion insurance premium.
- Anti-theft System – Vehicles that have factory anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, that’s just not realistic.
The best car insurance companies and a selection of discounts are:
- American Family may include discounts for defensive driver, Steer into Savings, good driver, good student, bundled insurance, and air bags.
- State Farm has savings for good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, student away at school, accident-free, defensive driving training, and passive restraint.
- 21st Century may have discounts that include anti-lock brakes, teen driver, theft prevention, 55 and older, early bird, driver training, and good student.
- Travelers includes discounts for save driver, new car, good student, IntelliDrive, driver training, early quote, and multi-policy.
- GEICO offers discounts including driver training, emergency military deployment, good student, anti-theft, defensive driver, and multi-vehicle.
Check with every company which credits you are entitled to. All car insurance discounts may not be offered in Oakland. If you would like to choose from a list of providers who offer cheap Saturn Ion insurance quotes in Oakland, follow this link.
Are auto insurance agents of importance?
Some consumers just want to visit with an insurance agent and doing so can bring peace of mind One of the best bonuses of comparing rate quotes online is you may find the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Buying from and supporting local insurance agencies is still important in Oakland.
Upon completion of this quick form, the quote information is sent to agents in your area who want to provide quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t even need to search for an agent because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. Get lower rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you need to get a comparison quote from one company in particular, you just need to search and find their rate quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
If you want to use a reputable agency, it helps to know the two different types of agents from which to choose. Insurance agencies are considered either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Independent Insurance Agents (or Brokers)
These agents are normally appointed by many insurers so they have the ability to put coverage through many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they quote lower rates, they can switch companies in-house and you don’t have to switch agencies. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to include rate quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Shown below is a small list of independent insurance agents in Oakland who may be able to give you free rate quotes.
Western-Southern Life Insurance Co
80 Swan Way # 102 – Oakland, CA 94621 – (510) 877-4119 – View Map
JCB Insurance Services
6427 Westover Dr – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 336-3490 – View Map
David E. Quan Agency Insurance Brokers, Inc.
523 47th St – Oakland, CA 94609 – (510) 653-8880 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents in the exclusive channel can usually just insure with one company and examples are American Family, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive insurance agents receive a lot of sales training in insurance sales and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
The following is a short list of exclusive agents in Oakland who can help you get rate quotes.
Farmers Insurance – Kim McGuire Reid
4323 Piedmont Ave – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 428-2016 – View Map
Allison, Charlie – State Farm Insurance Agent
7677 Oakport St #530 – Oakland, CA 94621 – (510) 777-0123 – View Map
Judy Chambers – State Farm Insurance Agent
1305 Franklin St #400 – Oakland, CA 94612 – (510) 832-2195 – View Map
Selecting an auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- Are they full-time agents?
- Will they take your side in the event of a claim?
- In the event of vehicle damage, can you pick the collision repair facility?
- What companies can they write with?
- Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
Don’t give up on affordable rates
In this article, we presented a lot of ways to save on Saturn Ion insurance in Oakland. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. They can often provide lower car insurance rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as Progressive or GEICO.
Lower-priced insurance in Oakland can be found from both online companies in addition to many Oakland insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies do not provide rate quotes online and these smaller companies provide coverage only through independent agents.
Other information
- Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for a Dodge Ram in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Which Company has the Cheapest Auto Insurance in Oakland, CA? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for 4×4 Vehicles in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Uninsured Motorist Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)