Save Money on Dodge Nitro Insurance in Oakland

Remarkably, a study showed that over 70% of drivers have been with the same company for well over three years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never shopped around. Consumers in Oakland could save an average of as much as 35% each year by just comparing rate quotes, but they just assume it’s a time-consuming process to shop around.

The best way to get discount Dodge Nitro insurance is to start comparing prices regularly from different companies in Oakland. Rates can be compared by completing these steps.

Step 1: Try to understand how insurance works and the factors you can control to prevent rate increases. Many things that increase rates such as at-fault accidents and a substandard credit score can be rectified by paying attention to minor details. This article gives information to get cheaper coverage and earn larger discounts.

Step 2: Request price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can give quotes from a single company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can quote rates from multiple companies. View companies

Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to see if a cheaper price is available. If you can save some money and change companies, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.

Step 4: Provide proper notification to your current company to cancel your current policy and submit the application along with any required down payment to the new company. Once coverage is bound, store the certificate of insurance with the vehicle registration.

One important bit of advice is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same amount of coverage on every price quote and and to get quotes from every insurance company. This guarantees an accurate price comparison and and a good selection of different prices.

Components of Your Dodge Nitro Insurance Premiums

A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing the different types of things that go into determining your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to lower premium levels. Multiple criteria are considered when you get a price on insurance. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are not as apparent such as your credit history or how safe your car is.

More people means more accidents – Having an address in a rural area is a positive aspect when shopping for auto insurance. Drivers who live in large cities have much more traffic and higher rates of accident claims. Fewer drivers on the road corresponds to lower accident rates.

Drivers with high credit save on auto insurance – Your credit score can be an important factor in determining your rates. Consumers who have excellent credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with poor credit scores. Therefore, if your credit is not that good, you could pay less to insure your Dodge Nitro if you improve your credit rating.

Better rates on cars with good safety ratings – Cars with five star safety ratings get lower rates. The safest vehicles reduce occupant injuries and fewer serious injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and cheaper rates on your policy. If your Dodge scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov you may qualify for a discount.

With age comes responsibility – More experienced drivers are more cautious drivers, are lower risk to insure, and get fewer tickets. Teenage drivers are statistically proven to be easily distracted in a vehicle so auto insurance rates are higher.

The following data uses these variables: single driver, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

Car insurance statistics for a Dodge Nitro

The coverage information shown next covers estimates of insurance policy prices for Dodge Nitro models. Being able to understand how insurance policy premiums are established can be of help when making smart choices when buying a policy.

Above prices assume married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Information does not factor in specific zip code location which can influence price quotes substantially.

Higher deductibles lower rates

When comparing car insurance rates, the most common question is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The figures shown below can help you visualize the rate fluctuation when you buy lower versus higher policy deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $250 deductible and the second data table uses a $500 deductible.

Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Table data does not factor in vehicle location which can modify coverage prices greatly.

We can derive from the above data that using a $250 deductible costs about $16 more each month or $192 each year than opting for the higher $500 deductible. Since you would pay $250 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you usually have at a minimum 16 months between claim filings, you would probably be better off if you opt for a higher deductible.

Price comparison of only insuring for liability

The diagram below shows the comparison of Dodge Nitro auto insurance costs with full coverage and liability only. The rate quotes are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no other discounts are factored in.

Should you be buying full coverage?

There is no exact rule to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might consider buying liability only.

For example, let’s say your Dodge Nitro claim settlement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $3,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If premiums are more than $300 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

There are some conditions where removing full coverage is not in your best interest. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.

Cheap Oakland auto insurance quotes with discounts

Car insurance can cost a lot, but you may qualify for discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. A few discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but a few must be asked for before being credited. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you could be getting lower rates.

• Auto/Home Discount – When you combine your auto and homeowners insurance with one insurance company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
• Discount for Home Ownership – Being a homeowner can earn you a little savings because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
• Switch and Save Discount – A few companies allow discounts for switching policies before your current coverage expires. It could save around 10% when you buy Oakland car insurance online.
• Discounts for New Vehicles – Insuring a vehicle that is new may earn a small discount because newer models keep occupants safer.
• Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you are able to get better auto insurance rates.
• Seat Belts Save – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle up could cut 10% or more on medical payment and PIP coverage.
• Telematics Devices – Insureds who allow their insurance company to look at vehicle usage by installing a telematics device like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm could save a few bucks if they are good drivers.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the whole policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

The diagram below compares Dodge Nitro annual premium costs with and without discounts applied. The premiums assume a male driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, claim-free, marriage, multi-car, homeowner, and multi-policy discounts applied.

A list of companies and their possible discounts can be found below.

• Progressive may have discounts that include multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online signing, online quote discount, and multi-policy.
• AAA offers premium reductions for good driver, multi-car, anti-theft, pay-in-full, education and occupation, good student, and multi-policy.
• Farmers Insurance includes discounts for switch companies, alternative fuel, pay in full, bundle discounts, teen driver, and homeowner.
• GEICO offers discounts including multi-policy, five-year accident-free, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, driver training, and good student.
• Esurance may offer discounts for claim free, defensive driver, multi-car, paid-in-full, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, and renters.
• SAFECO may include discounts for accident prevention training, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, teen safe driver, and teen safety rewards.
• State Farm has discounts for multiple policy, driver’s education, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, anti-theft, student away at school, and multiple autos.

If you want affordable Oakland car insurance quotes, ask all the companies how you can save money. Discounts may not apply to policyholders everywhere. If you would like to choose from a list of providers with the best Dodge Nitro insurance discounts in California, follow this link.

You can lower your auto insurance rates

Throughout this article, we presented some good ideas how to get a better price on Dodge Nitro insurance in Oakland. The most important thing to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even be surprised to find that the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company.

When shopping online for auto insurance, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where someone dropped full coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at the lowest possible cost while not skimping on critical coverages.

Drivers switch companies for a variety of reasons including poor customer service, not issuing a premium refund, unfair underwriting practices and denial of a claim. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new auto insurance company can be less work than you think.

Much more information about auto insurance in California is available below:

• Get the Right Protection (InsureUonline.org)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for Active Military in Oakland? (FAQ)
• Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
• Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Uninsured Motorist Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Choosing a Car for Your Teen (State Farm)