We don’t have to point out that fact that auto insurance companies don’t want customers comparing rates. People who compare rates at least once a year will probably switch auto insurance companies because they have good chances of finding a more affordable policy premium. A study showed that consumers who did price comparisons regularly saved an average of $860 a year as compared to drivers who never shopped around for cheaper prices.
If finding budget-friendly rates on Chevy Volt insurance is your objective, understanding how to shop for auto insurance can help simplify the process.
The most effective way to save on Chevy Volt insurance in Oakland is to start comparing prices yearly from insurance carriers that insure vehicles in California. You can compare prices by following these steps.
- Try to understand individual coverages and the modifications you can make to keep rates in check. Many policy risk factors that result in higher rates such as tickets, at-fault accidents, and a not-so-good credit rating can be controlled by making minor changes to your lifestyle. This article gives more details to get lower rates and find additional discounts.
- Request price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while agents who are independent can quote prices from multiple insurance companies. Find an Oakland insurance agent
- Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save money and switch companies, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Tell your current agent or company of your decision to cancel your current policy and submit payment and a completed application for your new coverage. Once received, safely store the proof of insurance paperwork along with your vehicle registration.
The key aspect of shopping around is to try to compare similar deductibles and liability limits on each price quote and and to get quotes from all possible companies. Doing this enables an apples-to-apples comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
Companies offer many discounts on Chevy Volt insurance in Oakland
Car insurance can cost a lot, but you may find discounts that can help lower your rates. Most are applied at the time of purchase, but some need to be requested specifically before being credited.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers without accidents can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
- New Car Discount – Putting coverage on a new Volt can get you a discount because new vehicles keep occupants safer.
- Employee of Federal Government – Federal government employees could provide a small rate reduction depending on your insurance provider.
- Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to participate in a local driver’s education class in school.
- Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with lower prices if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
We need to note that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free insurance policy, it’s just not the way it works.
If you would like to choose from a list of insurers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Oakland, click here to view.
When comparison shopping, making a lot of price comparisons helps improve the odds of finding more affordable rates.
The auto insurance companies shown below are ready to provide price comparisons in Oakland, CA. If your goal is to find cheap car insurance in CA, we recommend you visit several of them in order to find the cheapest rates.
Smart Consumers Save Every Year
When buying car insurance it’s important to understand some of the elements that are used to determine your policy premiums. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make educated decisions that can earn you cheaper rates.
The itemized list below are some of the most rate-impacting factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rate level.
Insurance rates for married couples – Having a spouse may cut your premiums on your car insurance policy. It may mean you are more mature it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Battle of the sexes – The statistics show that females tend to be a little less risky than males. Now that doesn’t mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Males and females have accidents at a similar rate, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Not only that, but men also get higher numbers of serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
Car features impact prices – Selecting a car model with a theft deterrent system can earn a premium discount. Systems that thwart thieves such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack help track and prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
What are your physical damage deductibles? – Coverage for physical damage, aka comp and collision, is used to repair damage to your Chevy. Examples of some claims that would be covered would be a broken windshield, damage from fire, or theft. Comp and collision deductibles are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket if a covered claim is submitted. The more expense you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
Your address can influence rates – Having an address in a rural area can be a good thing when buying car insurance. People who live in big cities have to deal with more road rage incidents and much longer commute distances. Fewer drivers translates into fewer accident claims and a lower car theft rate.
Chevy Volt insurance claim data – Car insurance companies take into consideration historical loss data for every vehicle when determining insurance rates. Models that tend to have higher claim amounts or frequency will have higher premium rates. The information below illustrates the historical insurance loss data for Chevy Volt vehicles.
For each coverage category, the statistical loss for all vehicles averaged together is represented as 100. Numbers below 100 imply a favorable loss record, while numbers above 100 point to more frequent losses or tendency to have larger claims.
Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Volt Electric | 89 | 83 | 81 | 71 | 73 | 90 |
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
When to get professional advice
Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s needs are different.
Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
- Is pet coverage available?
- What does UM/UIM cover?
- Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
- If my car is totaled with they pay enough to replace it?
- What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
- Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
- Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
- Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form.
Car insurance agents near you
A lot of people still prefer to go talk to an agent and that can be a smart move An additional benefit of getting online price quotes is you may find cheap insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent. Putting coverage with local agents is especially important in Oakland.
Upon completion of this quick form, your insurance coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents in Oakland who want to provide quotes to get your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to find an agent because quoted prices will be sent to you. It’s the lowest rates and a licensed agent to work with. If you need to compare prices from a particular provider, just go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.
Listed below is a list of auto insurance companies in Oakland that may be willing to give price quotes for Chevy Volt insurance in Oakland.
- Jose Cano – State Farm Insurance Agent
3301 E 12th St Suite 113 – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 533-8107 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Margarita Rodriguez
3028 International Blvd – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 532-8426 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: Amy Cheok
180 2nd St #1 – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 338-3570 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Scott Halbrook
1433 Leimert Blvd – Oakland, CA 94602 – (510) 531-1432 – View Map
Finding a good provider shouldn’t rely on just the price. These questions are important to ask:
- Are they in the agency full-time?
- Is there a local claims center in Oakland?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- How long have they been in business?
- How would your car be valued if totaled?
- Will they make sure you get an adequate claim settlement?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
Why you need insurance
Despite the high insurance cost for a Chevy Volt in Oakland, insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- Almost all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific level of liability protection in order to drive the car legally. 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 lien on your Volt, it’s most likely the lender will stipulate that you have physical damage coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may insure your Chevy at a much higher premium rate and require you to reimburse them for it.
- Insurance preserves both your Chevy and your assets. It will also provide coverage for medical transport and hospital expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay to defend you if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive coverages will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of insuring your Volt are definitely more than the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. On average, a vehicle owner in Oakland overpays as much as $700 annually so you should quote and compare rates at least once a year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Which auto insurance company is best in California?
Insuring your vehicle with the right auto insurance company can be challenging considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Oakland. The company rank data listed below could help you decide which auto insurance companies you want to consider comparing rates from.
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies Overall
- USAA
- American Family
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- The General
- Titan Insurance
- Progressive
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- Titan Insurance – 95%
- USAA – 94%
- AAA of Southern California – 92%
- AAA Insurance – 91%
- Nationwide – 90%
- State Farm – 90%
- The Hartford – 89%
- GEICO – 89%
- The General – 88%
- 21st Century – 88%
Cheaper car insurance premiums are out there
People leave their current company for a number of reasons such as denial of a claim, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high prices and not issuing a premium refund. Whatever your reason, finding the right car insurance provider is actually quite simple.
When searching for inexpensive Oakland auto insurance quotes, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best cost while still protecting your assets.
More affordable car insurance in Oakland is available on the web in addition to many Oakland insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance providers don’t offer online quoting and usually these smaller companies work with independent insurance agencies.
Helpful information
- Uninsured Motorists: Threats on the Road (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 70 in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Immigrants in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Oakland Auto Insurance for Drivers Under 21? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Honda Civic in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Red Light Cameras (State Farm)
- Uninsured Motorist Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)