The recommended way to find cheaper quotes for auto insurance rates is to do an annual price comparison from insurance carriers who provide car insurance in Oakland. You can shop around by following these guidelines.
- Try to understand coverages and the steps you can take to keep rates in check. Many risk factors that result in higher prices like tickets, at-fault accidents, and an imperfect credit score can be controlled by paying attention to minor details.
- Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple sources. View rates
- 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 and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
One bit of advice is to make sure you enter the same deductibles and limits on each quote request and and to get rates from as many companies as feasibly possible. Doing this provides an accurate price comparison and the best price selection.
Unfortunately, nearly 70% of California drivers have bought auto insurance from the same company for a minimum of four years, and just under half have never quoted auto insurance rates at all. Many consumers in the United States can save hundreds of dollars each year, but most undervalue the big savings they would realize if they switched to a cheaper policy.
All the larger car insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm allow consumers to get insurance quotes from their websites. Comparing Chrysler Sebring insurance rates online is easy for anyone because it’s just a matter of typing in your coverage preferences into a form. When the form is submitted, the quote system collects your credit score and driving record and returns a price determined by many factors.
Being able to quote online for Chrysler Sebring insurance in Oakland streamlines rate comparisons, and it’s absolutely necessary to have as many quotes as possible if you want to find a better rate.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, check out the car insurance providers below. If you currently have coverage, we recommend that you enter the coverage information identical to your current policy. This ensures you will get rate quotes for the exact same coverage.
The car insurance companies shown below offer price comparisons in California. If you want the cheapest car insurance in Oakland, CA, we suggest you visit two to three different companies to find the most affordable car insurance rates.
Protect more than your Sebring
Despite the potentially high cost of Chrysler Sebring insurance, buying insurance is required by state law in California and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.
First, the majority of states have minimum liability requirements which means you are required to carry specific limits of liability coverage in order to license the vehicle. 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 you bought your Chrysler Sebring with a loan, more than likely the lender will require that you carry insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If the policy lapses, the bank may insure your Chrysler at an extremely high rate and force you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.
Third, insurance safeguards both your Chrysler and your personal assets. It will also pay for hospital and medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability coverage also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are sued as the result of an accident. If you have damage to your Chrysler as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of buying enough insurance outweigh the cost, especially if you ever need it. According to a recent study, the average American driver is wasting up to $820 a year so it’s recommended you shop around once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are competitive.
Coverage analysis
The coverage information shown below highlights estimates of policy rates for Chrysler Sebring models. Being able to understand how insurance prices are determined can be valuable when making informed coverage decisions.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebring Touring 4-Dr Sedan | $328 | $766 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,874 | $156 |
| Sebring Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $328 | $766 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,874 | $156 |
| Sebring LX 2-Dr Convertible | $370 | $766 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,916 | $160 |
| Sebring Touring 2-Dr Convertible | $370 | $766 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $1,916 | $160 |
| Sebring Limited 2-Dr Convertible | $412 | $882 | $574 | $34 | $172 | $2,074 | $173 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Premium data assumes single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Premium costs do not factor in specific location which can lower or raise prices considerably.
Higher deductibles lower rates
When shopping for insurance, a common question is at what level do you set your deductibles. The following tables highlight the premium difference between high and low deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebring Touring 4-Dr Sedan | $380 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,815 | $151 |
| Sebring Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $380 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,815 | $151 |
| Sebring LX 2-Dr Convertible | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
| Sebring Touring 2-Dr Convertible | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
| Sebring Limited 2-Dr Convertible | $478 | $932 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $2,035 | $170 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebring Touring 4-Dr Sedan | $210 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,236 | $103 |
| Sebring Limited 4-Dr Sedan | $210 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,236 | $103 |
| Sebring LX 2-Dr Convertible | $238 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,264 | $105 |
| Sebring Touring 2-Dr Convertible | $238 | $426 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,264 | $105 |
| Sebring Limited 2-Dr Convertible | $266 | $490 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,356 | $113 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data variables include married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, claim-free, and multi-policy. Prices do not factor in garaging location in Oakland which can raise or lower coverage prices considerably.
Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $100 deductible will cost you about $50 more each month or $600 each year across all Chrysler Sebring models than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $900 more out-of-pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you have at least 18 months between claims, you would save money going with the higher deductible.
How to determine when to raise your deductibles
| Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $156 |
| Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $106 |
| Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $50 |
| Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $100): | $900 |
| Divide difference by monthly savings: | $900 / $50 |
| Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 18 months |
One important note is that a higher deductible means you will have to pay more out-of-pocket when you have to file a claim. That will necessitate enough extra savings in order to pay more for the deductible.
Bad driving habits will cost you more
The diagram below demonstrates how traffic citations and fender-benders influence Chrysler Sebring insurance costs for different age groups. The prices are based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Chrysler Sebring insurance costs by gender and age in Oakland
The diagram below illustrates the difference between Chrysler Sebring annual premium costs for male and female drivers. The premiums assume a clean driving record, no claims, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no other discounts are factored in.
Liability only or full coverage
The example below illustrates the comparison of Chrysler Sebring insurance rates with full coverage and liability only. The price estimates are based on no claims or driving citations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no other discounts are factored in.
When to switch to liability coverage only
There is no set rule to eliminate comp and collision coverage, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your Chrysler Sebring book value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company would pay you is $4,000 after paying your deductible. If you are currently paying more than $400 a year for full coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some cases where buying only liability insurance is not a good plan. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should keep full coverage.
Get cheaper Chrysler Sebring insurance rates in Oakland
Some companies do not list all their discounts very well, so the below list has a few of the more common and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using when you buy Oakland car insurance online. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you are just wasting money.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Maintaining low annual mileage could qualify for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Driving Data Discount – Insureds who allow data collection to analyze where and when they drive by using a telematics device like Allstate’s Drivewise could see a rate decrease if they have good driving habits.
- College Student – Kids who attend college more than 100 miles from Oakland and leave their car at home may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Senior Citizens – Seniors could receive a small discount on rates.
- Paperwork-free – A handful of companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up on the web.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of 25 to 30%.
- Auto/Life Discount – Not all insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a lower rate if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Government Employee Discount – Federal government employees could qualify for a slight premium decrease depending on your insurance provider.
As a footnote on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, that’s just not realistic. Any qualifying discounts will definitely reduce the amount you have to pay.
The example below compares Chrysler Sebring auto insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the rates. The premiums assume a male driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-car discounts applied.
A few of the larger companies and their offered discounts include:
- State Farm may have discounts that include student away at school, safe vehicle, multiple autos, Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, Drive Safe & Save, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual has discounts for teen driver discount, newly married, safety features, new vehicle discount, and new graduate.
- American Family may include discounts for accident-free, mySafetyValet, air bags, defensive driver, and bundled insurance.
- Progressive offers discounts for continuous coverage, online signing, online quote discount, good student, and homeowner.
- Farmers Insurance discounts include business and professional, multi-car, switch companies, pay in full, mature driver, teen driver, and bundle discounts.
- Auto-Owners Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including group or association, teen driver, company car, mature driver, paid in full, and anti-theft.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for bundle discounts, anti-theft, multi-car, homeowner, and teen safe driver.
When getting free Oakland car insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to all companies you are considering which discounts they offer. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policyholders in every state. To see insurance companies that offer some of these discounts in California, click this link.
When to talk to an insurance agent
A lot of people prefer to talk to an insurance agent and that can be a great decision An additional benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find cheaper rates but also keep your business local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your coverage information gets sent to participating agents in Oakland that give free quotes to get your business. You won’t even need to do any legwork due to the fact that quote results will go to you instantly. You can find the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with. If you need to compare rates for a specific company, you just need to go to their quote page and complete a quote there.
Finding the right provider should depend on more than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:
- How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?
- Will you work with the agent or an assistant?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
When researching an insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agents and how they operate. Insurance agencies in Oakland can be described as either exclusive agents or independent agents.
Exclusive Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive can only quote rates from one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so keep that in mind. Exclusive agencies are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. A lot of people buy from exclusive agents primarily because of loyalty to the company rather than low rates.
The following is a list of exclusive agencies in Oakland that can give you comparison quotes.
- Maria Wong – State Farm Insurance Agent
1000 Broadway #270 – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 834-3634 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Jimmie Oliver
1800 55th Ave – Oakland, CA 94621 – (510) 517-7663 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Yonas Hagos
220 4th St Suite 200 – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 763-1030 – View Map
Independent Agents
Independent agents often have affiliation with several companies so as a result can place your coverage with multiple insurance companies depending on which coverage is best. If premiums increase, the business is moved internally and you can keep the same agent.
When comparison shopping, you will want to get several quotes from at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection. Many write coverage with lesser-known insurance companies which may have better rates.
Below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Oakland willing to provide rate quotes.
- Nationwide Insurance: Ruby Joyce Barnett
440 Grand Ave #450 – Oakland, CA 94610 – (510) 251-3800 – View Map - Thandi Insurance Brokerage
2859 Mandela Pkwy – Oakland, CA 94608 – (510) 452-1566 – View Map - Susan Bernosky – Strahan Ins Services Inc
5940 College Ave a – Oakland, CA 94618 – (510) 450-9051 – View Map
After getting satisfactory answers to your questions as well as offering an affordable quote, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to adequately provide car insurance. Just remember you are entitled to cancel your policy whenever you want so don’t feel that you are permanently stuck with the car insurance policy for the full term.
Affordable auto insurance rates are possible
When buying insurance coverage, it’s not a good idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford and still be able to protect your assets.
Insureds switch companies for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, delays in paying claims, high rates after DUI convictions and even poor customer service. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new company can be pretty painless.
Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how you can save on Chrysler Sebring insurance in Oakland. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. You may even find the most savings is with a smaller regional carrier.
Even more information can be read at these sites:
- Think You’re a Safe Driver? (State Farm)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Felons in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Teenage Males in Oakland? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Low Mileage Drivers in Oakland? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes After a Speeding Ticket in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)
- Prepare your Teens for Safe Driving (InsureUonline.org)
- Understanding Car Crashes Video (iihs.org)
- What is a Telematics Device? (Allstate)