Truthfully, the best way to find affordable auto insurance rates in Oakland is to start comparing prices regularly from insurance carriers who provide auto insurance in California. Rate comparisons can be done by following these steps.
- It will benefit you to learn about how your policy works and the things you can change to lower rates. Many policy risk factors that result in higher rates like high-risk driving behaviors and poor credit rating can be improved by making minor changes in your lifestyle.
- Compare price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give prices from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can quote rates from many different companies. View rates
- Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy premium to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Provide notification to your current agent or company of your intention to cancel your existing policy and submit a down payment and signed policy application to the newly selected company. Once the paperwork is finalized, store the certificate of insurance with your vehicle’s registration.
An essential thing to point out is to try to use similar limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to get rates from as many companies as possible. Doing this ensures the most accurate price comparison and and a good selection of different prices.
It’s safe to assume that auto insurance companies don’t want their customers to go rate shopping. Consumers who compare rates annually will probably buy a different policy because the odds are good of finding lower rate quotes. A recent study showed that drivers who compared rates once a year saved on average $3,500 over four years compared to drivers who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding the best price on Mercury Sable insurance is the reason for your visit, then having a good understanding the best way to compare insurance premiums can save time and money.
This information will help you learn the best way to buy inexpensive car insurance and also pocket some savings If you have a policy now, you will surely be able to save money using the tips covered below. Nevertheless, California drivers must know the way companies market insurance on the web because it varies considerably.
The method we recommend to compare car insurance company rates for Mercury Sable insurance in Oakland takes advantage of the fact most of the bigger providers allow for online access to compare rate quotes. The one thing you need to do is provide information like types of safety features, the year, make and model of vehicles, deductibles desired, and how many miles driven. That rating information is submitted instantly to many different companies and they provide comparison quotes instantly.
To start a rate quote now, click here and complete the quick form.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide free quotes in California. If you want cheap car insurance in Oakland, CA, it’s a good idea that you compare several of them in order to find the lowest rates.
Get lower-cost Mercury Sable insurance in Oakland with discounts
Some insurance providers don’t always publicize every discount available very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving when you buy Oakland car insurance online.
- Paperwork-free – A few larger companies give back up to $50 get Oakland car insurance on the internet.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you can bundle your homeowners and auto insurance and insure them with the same company you may earn up to 20% and get you affordable Mercury Sable insurance rates in Oakland.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving could cut 10% or more on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Payment Method – By making one initial payment instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
- Safe Drivers – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more than drivers with accident claims.
- Military Deployment Discount – Being deployed with a military unit could trigger a small discount.
- Homeowners Savings – Simply owning a home can help you save on car insurance because it is proof that your finances are in order.
Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Even though the math looks like you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way.
A list of car insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.
- GEICO offers discounts for military active duty, anti-lock brakes, seat belt use, multi-policy, defensive driver, and five-year accident-free.
- Mercury Insurance discounts include accident-free, good student, good driver, annual mileage, and low natural disaster claims.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts including multi-car, youthful driver, mature driver, good student, switch companies, and teen driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance offers premium reductions for company car, mature driver, paperless, good student, teen driver, paid in full, and multiple vehicles.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, multi-car, new vehicle discount, preferred payment discount, exclusive group savings, safety features, and new move discount.
- SAFECO may include discounts for anti-lock brakes, teen safety rewards, multi-car, accident prevention training, and teen safe driver.
- Progressive may have discounts that include multi-policy, online quote discount, online signing, homeowner, continuous coverage, and good student.
- USAA has discounts for family discount, defensive driver, new vehicle, driver training, and annual mileage.
When quoting, ask each company or agent which discounts you may be entitled to. Some credits might not apply in Oakland. To choose companies who offer online Mercury Sable insurance quotes in Oakland, click here to view.
When should I get advice from an insurance agency?
A small number of people would rather talk to a local agent and that is just fine! An additional benefit of price shopping on the web is you can get the best rates and still buy from a local agent. And buying from small agencies is definitely important in Oakland.
After filling out this short form, your insurance data gets sent to insurance agents in Oakland that can provide free Oakland car insurance quotes for your auto insurance coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to contact any agents due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox. You can find the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. In the event you want to quote rates from a specific insurance company, just go to their quote page and complete a quote there.
If you are searching for a reliable insurance agent, there are a couple of different types of agents from which to choose. Auto insurance agents can be described as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Independent Agents
These agents are not employed by any specific company so they can write business with a variety of different insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If prices rise, your agent can switch companies which makes it simple for you.
When comparing rate quotes, you will want to include price quotes from at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection. Most independent agents also contract with less well-known companies that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
Listed below is a partial list of independent insurance agents in Oakland that can give you free rate quotes.
- Bucheku Insurance Agency
1714 Franklin St Suite 305 – Oakland, CA 94612 – (510) 655-6969 – View Map - On My Way Insurance
320 10th St – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 893-3298 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: Ruby Joyce Barnett
440 Grand Ave #450 – Oakland, CA 94610 – (510) 251-3800 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
Exclusive insurance agents can only place business with one company like Farmers Insurance, State Farm, or Allstate. Exclusive agencies are unable to give you multiple price quotes so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agents are trained well on the products they sell which helps them sell on service rather than price. Some insured continue to use the same agent partially due to the brand and strong financial ratings.
Shown below are Oakland exclusive insurance agents that can give you comparison quotes.
- Farmers Insurance – Mike Clauson
859 Clay St – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 839-3276 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Thy Le
745 E 12th St #101 – Oakland, CA 94606 – (510) 465-2029 – View Map - Frank Sanchez – State Farm Agent
5301 Claremont Ave – Oakland, CA 94618 – (510) 658-2722 – View Map
Picking the best car insurance agent should depend on more than just a cheap price quote. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
- Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Will you work with the agent or an assistant?
- How long have they been in business?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
If you feel you receive reasonable responses as well as inexpensive Mercury Sable insurance in Oakland quotes, you may have just found an insurance agent that meets the criteria to insure your vehicles.
Why car insurance is not optional
Even though Oakland Sable insurance rates can get expensive, insuring your vehicle may be mandatory for several reasons.
- Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require specific minimum amounts of liability protection in order to drive the car. 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 you have a loan on your Mercury, most lenders will have a requirement that you have full coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank may insure your Mercury at an extremely high rate and force you to pay for the expensive policy.
- Car insurance preserves both your assets and your Mercury Sable. It also can pay for all forms of medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you cause an accident and are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of insuring your car definitely exceed the cost, particularly for liability claims. But the average American driver is overpaying more than $825 a year so compare rate quotes each time the policy renews to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Insurance coverage basics
Knowing the specifics of your insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.
Medical expense insurance
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses like dental work, prosthetic devices, hospital visits, ambulance fees and rehabilitation expenses. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants and also covers if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Auto liability insurance
This provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 15/30/5 which stand for a limit of $15,000 per injured person, $30,000 for the entire accident, and $5,000 of coverage for damaged property. Occasionally you may see a combined limit that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage pays for things such as loss of income, emergency aid, medical services, repair costs for stationary objects and attorney fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but buy as large an amount as possible. California state minimum liability requirements are 15/30/5 but you should consider buying more coverage.
The next chart shows why low liability limits may not be high enough to adequately cover claims.
Collision coverage protection
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Sable caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, colliding with a tree, rolling your car and driving through your garage door. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible on your Sable to bring the cost down.
Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers
This provides protection from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (California limits are 15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Most of the time your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Comprehensive (Other than Collision)
This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive insurance covers things like vandalism, damage from getting keyed, damage from a tornado or hurricane and hail damage. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
You can find affordable coverage
Discount Mercury Sable insurance in Oakland is available from both online companies and with local Oakland insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers may not provide price quotes online and these regional carriers sell through independent insurance agencies.
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of ways to find cheap Mercury Sable insurance in Oakland. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from an unexpected company.
Consumers leave their current company for many reasons like denial of a claim, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, unfair underwriting practices or even policy non-renewal. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right car insurance provider can be pretty painless.
Helpful articles
- Dangers of fake or stolen airbags (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for a GMC Sierra in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Oakland Auto Insurance for Drivers with a DUI? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for a Honda CR-V in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for a Toyota 4Runner in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Rollover Crash FAQ (iihs.org)
- Auto Insurance for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- Determining Your Vehicle’s Value and Repair Cost (Insurance Information Institute)