Amazingly, a large majority of car insurance policyholders in California have purchased from the same company for over three years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never quoted car insurance rates at all. American insurance shoppers could cut their rates by approximately $860 a year just by shopping around, but they just assume it takes a lot of time to compare rates and save money.
The preferred way to get the cheapest Mitsubishi Raider insurance is to compare quotes once a year from companies in Oakland. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.
- Read and learn about what is in your policy and the things you can change to keep rates low. Many risk factors that cause high rates such as high-risk driving behaviors and an unacceptable credit history can be improved by paying attention to minor details. This article provides ideas to get better rates and get additional discounts that may be available.
- Compare price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can quote prices for a wide range of companies.
- Compare the new quotes to your current policy premium to see if cheaper Raider coverage is available. If you find a better price and change companies, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Notify your current company of your intent to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit the application along with any required down payment to your new insurance company. As soon as you receive it, store the certificate verifying proof of insurance in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
An important note is that you’ll want to compare the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote and to quote with as many auto insurance providers as possible. This ensures a level playing field and plenty of rates choose from.
If you are insured now, you will surely be able to shop for the lowest rates using the ideas covered in this article. Finding the cheapest car insurance coverage in Oakland is not that difficult. But California vehicle owners must understand the way insurance companies compete online because rates are impacted by many factors.
To find more affordable quotes, there are a couple of ways of comparing rates from many different California insurance companies. One of the best ways to lower the rate you pay for Mitsubishi Raider insurance is simply to get online rate quotes.
Getting rate quotes online is very simple and it makes it obsolete to drive to all the different Oakland insurance agencies. Comparing Mitsubishi Raider insurance rates online has reduced the need for local agents unless your situation requires the guidance of a licensed agent. Drivers can get prices online and have a local agent actually service the policy. Just keep in mind that quoting more increases the chance that you will find more affordable insurance. Some smaller insurers do not give rate quotes online, so you also need to get rates from them as well.
The auto insurance companies shown below are ready to provide free rate quotes in Oakland, CA. In order to find cheap auto insurance in California, it’s highly recommended you get rate quotes from several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Choosing the best Raider insurance in California is an important decision
Despite the fact that auto insurance is not cheap in Oakland, auto insurance serves several important purposes.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means the state requires specific minimum amounts of liability insurance 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 lien on your Raider, most banks will require you to buy insurance to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you default on your policy, the lender will be forced to insure your Mitsubishi at a much higher premium rate and require you to reimburse them the higher premium.
- Insurance protects not only your car but also your financial assets. It also can pay for medical expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay to defend you if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, your auto insurance policy will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of insuring your car more than offset the price you pay, particularly for liability claims. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is overpaying over $869 every year so compare rates every year to ensure rates are competitive.
Insurance discounts help lower rates for Mitsubishi Raider insurance in Oakland
Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list every discount available in a way that’s easy to find, so below is a list both the well known as well as some of the hidden discounts that may be available. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you may be paying too high a price.
- Resident Student – Children who live away from home at college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.
- New Car Discount – Buying a new car model can get you a discount due to better safety requirements for new vehicles.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Select companies reward you with a small discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Paperwork-free – A few insurance companies will give a small break get Oakland car insurance on the internet.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems could see savings of 20 to 30 percent.
- Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll in driver’s education in school.
- Claim Free – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims pay much less compared to drivers with a long claim history.
Don’t be shocked that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Despite the appearance that you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.
Popular insurance companies and a selection of discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including Drive Safe & Save, good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, good student, multiple autos, and student away at school.
- Liberty Mutual may include discounts for teen driver discount, new graduate, new move discount, new vehicle discount, and multi-policy.
- American Family discounts include good student, multi-vehicle, Steer into Savings, air bags, good driver, and early bird.
- Progressive offers discounts for good student, multi-vehicle, online signing, continuous coverage, and homeowner.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for youthful driver, good student, pay in full, teen driver, electronic funds transfer, business and professional, and early shopping.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may have discounts that include anti-theft, mature driver, teen driver, group or association, safe driver, and paperless.
- SAFECO has savings for homeowner, multi-car, bundle discounts, anti-lock brakes, safe driver, and teen safety rewards.
If you need affordable Mitsubishi Raider insurance quotes, ask all the companies which discounts they offer. Some credits may not apply to policies in your state. To find insurers that offer some of these discounts in Oakland, follow this link.
Buying auto insurance from Oakland auto insurance agents
Some people still like to buy from a licensed agent and doing so can bring peace of mind One of the great benefits of comparing auto insurance online is that drivers can save money and get cheap auto insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent.
Once you complete this short form, your insurance data gets sent to participating agents in Oakland that provide free Oakland car insurance quotes to get your business. You never need to contact an agency as quotes are delivered to you. You’ll get the best rates AND an agent nearby. If you wish to compare rates for a specific company, you would need to visit that company’s website and give them your coverage information.
Selecting an insurance company requires you to look at more than just the bottom line cost. These are some questions you should get answers to.
- Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
- Is the agent properly licensed in California?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
When looking for local Oakland agents, you need to know there are two different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. Agencies in Oakland are categorized either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive agencies can only quote rates from one company and some examples include American Family, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agents cannot compare other company’s rates so always compare other rates. Exclusive insurance agents receive extensive training on their products and sales techniques and that enables them to sell even at higher rates.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Oakland who can help you get price quote information.
Farmers Insurance – Sam Cheng
388 9th St #259 – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 893-3978 – View Map
Larry Sneed – State Farm Insurance Agent
11881 Skyline Blvd c – Oakland, CA 94619 – (510) 336-9909 – View Map
Farmers Insurance: Patrick Siu
993 Jackson St – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 350-7829 – View Map
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they can write business with many different companies and get you the best rates possible. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and the insured can keep the same agent.
When comparing auto insurance rates, it’s a good idea to get quotes from independent agents in order to compare the most rates.
The following is a short list of independent agencies in Oakland willing to provide price quote information.
Fiesta Auto Insurance Center
4102 International Blvd – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 261-1300 – View Map
Greater Metrowest Insurance Agency
Oakland, CA 94612 – Oakland, CA 94612 – (510) 444-1404 – View Map
Film Casualty Insurance Agency
3246 Ettie St #23 – Oakland, CA 94608 – (619) 578-3048 – View Map
The coverage is in the details
Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are the normal coverages available from car insurance companies.
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – This coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as a broken windshield, fire damage and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Insurance for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills for pain medications, doctor visits and hospital visits. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Collision – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for things such as colliding with a tree, crashing into a ditch and sideswiping another vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible on your Raider in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Liability – Liability coverage can cover damage that occurs to people or other property. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 15/30/5 which means $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 insurance covers claims like court costs, attorney fees and emergency aid. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. California state minimum liability requirements are 15/30/5 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.
The chart below demonstrates why minimum state limits may not provide adequate coverage.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many California drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Cheap coverage is out there
There are still a few companies who don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through independent agents. Lower-priced insurance in Oakland can be bought both online and from local insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many situations where an insured dropped liability coverage limits and learned later that they should have had better coverage. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best cost, but do not skimp to save money.
We just presented some good ideas how to lower your Mitsubishi Raider insurance car insurance rates in Oakland. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best car insurance rates are with the least-expected company. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.
Even more information is available in the articles below:
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Over Age 70 in Oakland? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Low Credit Scores in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for a Hyundai Elantra in Oakland? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Teenagers in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Oakland Auto Insurance Quotes for Homeowners? (FAQ)
- Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Rental Reimbursement Coverage (Allstate)
- What Determines the Price of My Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)