Affordable Insurance for a Kia Optima in Oakland

Do you want to save money by buying lower-priced auto insurance rates in Oakland, CA? Oakland consumers have many options when looking for low-cost Kia Optima insurance. They can either waste time struggling with agents trying to get quotes or utilize the internet to compare rates.

There is a better way to buy auto insurance so you’re going to learn the best way to compare rates on a Kia and obtain the best price possible from Oakland insurance agents and online providers.

Our objective is to teach you how to compare rates easily and how you can save the most money. If you currently have a car insurance policy, you will most likely be able to get lower rates using the concepts you’re about to learn. You just have to know the most efficient way to compare different rates on the web.

Informed Decisions Result in Lower Insurance Rates

One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of the rating factors that aid in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. If you understand what impacts premium levels, this enables you to make decisions that can help you get lower premium levels.

• Your liability limits – The liability coverage on your policy is the coverage that protects you if ever you are found to be at fault for physical damage or personal injury to other. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is pretty cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
• Vehicles with better crash test results lower prices – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries translates directly to fewer claims and lower rates for you.
• Low mileage costs less – The more you drive your Kia annually the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Autos that do not get driven very much cost less to insure compared to those used for work or business. An incorrectly rated Optima can result in significantly higher rates. Verify your car insurance policy states the correct usage for each vehicle.
• Your credit rating is important – Having a bad credit score is likely to be a major factor in determining premium rates. If your credit history is low, you could pay less to insure your Kia Optima by repairing your credit. People that have good credit tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than those with lower credit ratings.
• Cheaper rates with high comp and collision deductibles – Coverage for physical damage, also called ‘full coverage’, covers damage that occurs to your Kia. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be a dented fender, hail damage, and rolling your vehicle. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to pay in the event of a claim. The more money the insured is willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.

• Females tend to take less risk – Over the last 30 years, statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. The data does not necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Women and men are in accidents in similar percentages, but men have costlier accidents. Men also have more aggressive citations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.

  The diagram below illustrates the difference between Kia Optima car insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premiums are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no other discounts are factored in.

• Discounts for married couples – Having a wife or husband may save some money compared to being single. Having a spouse generally demonstrates drivers are more stable financially it has been statistically shown that married couples file fewer claims.

• Kia Optima insurance loss statistics – Insurance companies analyze the history of losses to help calculate premium costs. Vehicles that statistically have a trend towards higher claims will have increased rates.

  The table shown below demonstrates the actual insurance loss data for Kia Optima vehicles. For each coverage category, the statistical loss for all vehicles combined as an average is a value of 100. Percentage values below 100 suggest losses that are better than average, while numbers above 100 point to more frequent losses or an increased chance of larger losses than average.

  
  

  Insurance Loss Ratings for Kia Optima Vehicles

  Specific Kia Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Kia Optima	115	101	107	133	142	120
  Kia Optima Hybrid	143	115	116	139	158	151

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

Coverage analysis

The data table displayed below highlights detailed analysis of coverage costs for Kia Optima models. Learning as much as possible about how car insurance prices are determined is important for drivers to make decisions on which insurance to purchase.

Above prices assume single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in specific garaging location which can raise or lower insurance rates noticeably.

Policy deductible comparison

One frequently asked question is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The data tables below can help show the rate fluctuation between low and high comp and collision deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second data table uses a $500 deductible.

Prices 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-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Rate quotes do not factor in specific zip code location which can increase or decrease price quotes noticeably.

Based on these figures, using a $100 deductible will cost you about $32 more each month or $384 every year than requesting the higher $500 deductible. Since you would pay $400 more if you turn in a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to have at a minimum 13 months between claims, you would probably be better off if you choose a higher deductible.

Accidents and violations increase rates

The diagram below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault claims can increase Kia Optima insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The data is based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.

Price comparison of only insuring for liability

The diagram below shows the comparison of Kia Optima insurance costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The data is based on no violations or claims, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Are you wasting money paying for full coverage?

There is no exact rule for phasing out physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Kia Optima replacement cost is $7,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, you would only receive $6,000 after the deductible is paid. If premium cost is more than $600 annually for full coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.

There are some cases where removing full coverage is not recommended. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should not buy liability only.

Get cheaper rates with discounts

Some providers don’t list every policy discount very well, so the list below contains some of the more common and also the more inconspicuous discounts you could be receiving when you buy Oakland car insurance online.

• Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to buckle up can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Distant College Student Discount – Any of your kids living away from Oakland attending college and do not take a car to college can receive lower rates.
• Accident Free – Oakland drivers who stay claim-free are rewarded with significantly better rates on Oakland car insurance quote in comparison with bad drivers.
• One Accident Forgiven – This one isn’t a discount, but companies like Allstate and State Farm allow you one accident without the usual rate increase if your claims history is clear before the accident.
• Driver Safety – Completing a class that teaches driver safety techniques could earn you a small percentage discount depending on where you live.
• Online Discount – A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up digitally online.
• Drive Less and Save – Driving fewer miles could earn slightly better rates than normal.
• Policy Bundle Discount – If you can combine your auto and homeowners policy with one company you could save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.

Don’t be shocked that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, you’re out of luck.

The information below compares Kia Optima car insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The rates are based on a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, multi-car, marriage, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-policy discounts applied.

A list of insurance companies and their offered discounts are included below.

• Travelers includes discounts for good student, IntelliDrive, hybrid/electric vehicle, multi-policy, early quote, and continuous insurance.
• 21st Century may offer discounts for automatic seat belts, 55 and older, teen driver, student driver, anti-lock brakes, defensive driver, and homeowners.
• State Farm has savings for defensive driving training, safe vehicle, good driver, multiple policy, and multiple autos.
• GEICO has discounts for defensive driver, anti-lock brakes, membership and employees, driver training, and multi-vehicle.
• SAFECO may include discounts for homeowner, drive less, safe driver, anti-lock brakes, and bundle discounts.
• AAA may have discounts that include good driver, education and occupation, good student, AAA membership discount, multi-policy, and anti-theft.

Before purchasing a policy, check with each company what discounts are available to you. All car insurance discounts may not be offered everywhere. If you would like to see a list of insurance companies with the best discounts in Oakland, click this link.

Cheaper coverage is out there

Some insurance companies may not offer online quoting and most of the time these smaller providers prefer to sell through independent agents. Cheaper auto insurance in Oakland is definitely available from both online companies and with local Oakland insurance agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture.

As you quote Oakland car insurance, it’s not a good idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped full coverage and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate.

People switch companies for any number of reasons including denial of a claim, being labeled a high risk driver, extreme rates for teen drivers or even high prices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right auto insurance provider is not as difficult as it may seem.

Steps to finding discount Kia Optima insurance in Oakland

If you want to save the most money, the best way to find affordable auto insurance rates in Oakland is to compare prices regularly from insurers that sell auto insurance in California.

1. Take a few minutes and learn about coverages and the things you can change to prevent high rates. Many policy risk factors that result in higher rates like traffic citations and a poor credit rating can be improved by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
2. Get rate quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO or Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes for a wide range of insurance providers.
3. Compare the new quotes to your existing rates to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find better rates and change companies, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
4. Provide notification to your current company of your intention to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application to the new company. As soon as you can, put the proof of insurance paperwork in an easily accessible location in your vehicle.

A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to compare similar deductibles and liability limits on every quote and and to compare as many companies as feasibly possible. Doing this ensures an accurate price comparison and the most accurate and complete price analysis.

Other information

• Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Cheap Oakland Auto Insurance for Drivers Under 21? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Oakland Auto Insurance for Welfare Recipients? (FAQ)
• How Much are Oakland Car Insurance Rates for a Jeep Grand Cherokee? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Company Car in Oakland? (FAQ)
• Smart Auto Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
• Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
• Warning systems don’t curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)