Everyone knows that car insurance companies don’t want you to compare rates. People who get comparison quotes once a year will most likely buy a new policy because they have good chances of finding lower prices. A study showed that people who made a habit of comparing rate quotes saved $3,500 over four years compared to those who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding the lowest price on Kia Forte insurance in Oakland is your ultimate target, then having a grasp of how to quote and compare cheaper coverage can save money and time.
The easiest way to find low-cost Kia Forte insurance is to start doing a yearly price comparison from insurance carriers who provide auto insurance in Oakland.
- Step 1: Gain an understanding of the coverage provided by your policy and the changes you can make to keep rates in check. Many things that cause rate increases such as distracted driving and a not-so-good credit history can be rectified by making minor changes in your lifestyle. Keep reading for more details to help reduce premium rates and get bigger discounts.
- Step 2: Compare price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can give you price quotes from multiple companies. Start a quote
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a lower rate, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
An important note is to use the same level of coverage on each quote request and and to get quotes from as many companies as you can. Doing this enables an accurate price comparison and maximum price selection.
Coverage analysis
The information displayed below showcases different coverage costs for Kia Forte models. Knowing how insurance premiums are determined helps drivers make smart choices when selecting a coverage provider.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forte LX 4-Dr Sedan | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
| Forte EX 4-Dr Sedan | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
| Forte SX 4-Dr Sedan | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
| Forte EX 2-Dr Coupe | $238 | $426 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,344 | $112 |
| Forte SX 2-Dr Coupe | $238 | $426 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,344 | $112 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data variables include married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in zip code location which can influence insurance rates significantly.
Should you raise deductibles?
When shopping for car insurance, a common question is how low should you set your deductibles. The rates shown below may help to illustrate the rate fluctuation between high and low physical damage deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $100 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second price chart uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forte LX 4-Dr Sedan | $380 | $564 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,569 | $131 |
| Forte EX 4-Dr Sedan | $380 | $564 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,569 | $131 |
| Forte SX 4-Dr Sedan | $430 | $686 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,741 | $145 |
| Forte EX 2-Dr Coupe | $430 | $810 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,945 | $162 |
| Forte SX 2-Dr Coupe | $430 | $810 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,945 | $162 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forte LX 4-Dr Sedan | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
| Forte EX 4-Dr Sedan | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
| Forte SX 4-Dr Sedan | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
| Forte EX 2-Dr Coupe | $238 | $426 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,344 | $112 |
| Forte SX 2-Dr Coupe | $238 | $426 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,344 | $112 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, and homeowner. Price information does not factor in your specific Oakland location which can revise prices significantly.
Based on the above data, using a $100 deductible would cost the average driver about $44 more each month or $528 every year than buying the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $900 more to settle a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to have more than 20 months between claims, you would come out ahead by going with a higher deductible.
How to calculate deductible break even period
| Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $146 |
| Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $102 |
| Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $44 |
| Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $100): | $900 |
| Divide difference by monthly savings: | $900 / $44 |
| Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 20 months |
The chart below shows how choosing a deductible and can influence Kia Forte premium costs for different age groups of insureds. The data is based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
Car insurance rates by age and gender
The illustration below shows the comparison of Kia Forte insurance premiums for male and female drivers. The information is based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
How much more does full coverage cost in Oakland?
The chart below compares Kia Forte yearly insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The rates are based on no claims or driving violations, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no policy discounts are applied.
Should you buy full coverage or liability only?
There is no definitive guideline for phasing out physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s pretend your Kia Forte settlement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most you would receive is $3,000 after you pay the deductible. If it’s costing you more than $300 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
There are some situations where eliminating full coverage is not a good plan. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should maintain full coverage.
Slash rates with these six discounts on Kia Forte insurance in Oakland
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may qualify for discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but some discounts are required to be manually applied before you will receive the discount.
- Paper-free Discount – Certain larger companies provide a small discount just for signing your application digitally online.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
- Drive Safe and Save – Accident-free drivers may save up to 50% more compared to accident prone drivers.
- Bundle and Save – If you can combine your home and auto policy with the same company you could earn a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low annual miles could be rewarded with better auto insurance rates on cars that stay parked.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some auto insurance companies provide a discount for buying a policy prior to your current Forte insurance policy expiration. You may see this discount when you get Oakland auto insurance quotes online.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
The example below illustrates the difference between Kia Forte car insurance rates with and without discounts applied. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, multi-car, claim-free, homeowner, marriage, and multi-policy discounts applied.
A list of auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be found below.
- State Farm may offer discounts for driver’s education, good driver, defensive driving training, good student, student away at school, safe vehicle, and accident-free.
- American Family discounts include defensive driver, mySafetyValet, early bird, Steer into Savings, good student, TimeAway discount, and accident-free.
- GEICO offers discounts including federal employee, anti-lock brakes, air bags, defensive driver, driver training, five-year accident-free, and daytime running lights.
- 21st Century may include discounts for defensive driver, early bird, 55 and older, theft prevention, air bags, student driver, and good student.
- Progressive has discounts for multi-policy, online quote discount, online signing, good student, and continuous coverage.
It’s a good idea to ask every insurance company to give you their best rates. A few discounts might not be offered in Oakland. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers who offer online Kia Forte insurance quotes in Oakland, click here to view.
Learn about insurance coverages for a Kia Forte
Having a good grasp of your policy can help you determine which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.
Comprehensive protection – This covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as a broken windshield, hitting a deer, damage from flooding and damage from getting keyed. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Collision – This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Forte caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision can pay for things like damaging your car on a curb, colliding with a tree and scraping a guard rail. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible on your Forte to bring the cost down.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Kia Forte.
Due to the fact that many California drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (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.
Medical expense coverage – Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for bills like chiropractic care, pain medications, funeral costs and ambulance fees. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Coverage for liability – This can cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 15/30/5 which stand for $15,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $30,000, and property damage coverage for $5,000.
Liability coverage pays for claims such as repair costs for stationary objects, structural damage, legal defense fees and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as much as you can afford. California state law requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.
The illustration below shows why buying low liability limits may not provide adequate coverage.
Find affordable car insurance rates by comparing often
Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including being labeled a high risk driver, delays in responding to claim requests, extreme rates for teen drivers or denial of a claim. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company is actually quite simple.
Cost effective Kia Forte insurance is available both online and from local insurance agents, so get free Oakland auto insurance quotes from both of them so you have a total pricing picture. A few companies do not offer online quoting and many times these regional carriers prefer to sell through independent insurance agencies.
You just read quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on Kia Forte insurance in Oakland. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of getting affordable Kia Forte insurance quotes. You may even discover the lowest prices are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
Additional detailed information is located at these sites:
- Front crash protection reduces rear-end crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for a 20 Year Old Male in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Oakland Auto Insurance for a Honda Accord? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for a Ford Escape in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Oakland Auto Insurance for Drivers Over Age 60? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Oakland Car Insurance for Single Moms? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for Seniors in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)
- Reducing Your Risks in a Car Crash Video (iihs.org)