How to Compare Oakland Buick Lucerne Insurance

To save the most money, the best way to get the cheapest Buick Lucerne insurance is to regularly compare quotes from different companies in Oakland. Prices can be compared by following these steps.

1. Try to understand how companies set rates and the measures you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that cause high rates such as traffic violations, accidents, and a poor credit rating can be amended by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
2. Quote rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agents can quote rates for many different companies.
3. Compare the new rates to your current policy to determine if you can save on Lucerne insurance. If you find a lower rate quote, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
4. Notify your agent or company of your intent to cancel your current coverage. Submit the required down payment along with the signed application to your new insurance company. Immediately keep your new certificate verifying coverage along with the vehicle’s registration papers.

An important note is to use similar deductibles and liability limits on each price quote and and to analyze as many companies as possible. This provides the most accurate price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.

Shockingly, the vast majority of drivers kept their coverage with the same insurance company for four years or more, and just under half have never quoted rates to find affordable coverage. Consumers in California can cut their rates by nearly 35% a year just by comparing rates, but most undervalue the benefits if they switch to a new company.

Choosing the most cost-effective car insurance policy in Oakland is actually quite easy if you know where to start. In essence, every car owner who shops around for car insurance will more than likely find a lower-cost policy. Although California vehicle owners do need to understand how big insurance companies calculate your car insurance rates because it varies considerably.

Don’t overlook these Buick Lucerne insurance discounts

Companies don’t necessarily list all discounts very well, so here is a list a few of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious savings tricks you should be using when you buy Oakland auto insurance online.

• Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
• Distant Student Discount – Children living away from Oakland attending college and won’t have access to an insured vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for several vehicles on one policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
• Own a Home – Owning a home in Oakland can get you a discount because of the fact that having a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

The example below illustrates the comparison of Buick Lucerne insurance costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The rates are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, multi-policy, marriage, safe-driver, claim-free, and homeowner discounts applied.

A list of auto insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are detailed below.

• Progressive discounts include good student, online quote discount, multi-policy, homeowner, and continuous coverage.
• SAFECO may include discounts for homeowner, drive less, multi-car, safe driver, teen safety rewards, and teen safe driver.
• American Family includes discounts for mySafetyValet, early bird, bundled insurance, defensive driver, good driver, air bags, and TimeAway discount.
• MetLife offers discounts including good driver, accident-free, multi-policy, defensive driver, good student, and claim-free.
• GEICO may offer discounts for good student, seat belt use, military active duty, anti-lock brakes, federal employee, and membership and employees.
• The Hartford may have discounts that include vehicle fuel type, driver training, air bag, anti-theft, and defensive driver.

Before purchasing a policy, check with all the companies which credits you are entitled to. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not apply in Oakland. To view auto insurance companies that offer the discounts shown above in California, click here to view.

When price shopping your coverage, more quotes gives you a better chance of getting more affordable insurance. Not every company allows you to get online rate quotes, so it’s important to compare price quotes from them, too.

The following companies provide comparison quotes in California. If you wish to find cheap car insurance in Oakland, CA, it’s a good idea that you compare several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Buick Lucerne insurance charts and tables

The price information displayed next showcases a range of insurance premium costs for Buick Lucerne models. Having insight into how insurance prices are figured can benefit drivers when making smart choices when selecting a coverage provider.

Prices above based on single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Rate information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can change coverage prices substantially.

Higher deductibles lower rates

One frequently asked question is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The figures shown below may help to conceptualize the price difference of buying low and high coverage deductibles. The first data set uses a $100 deductible for comp and collision and the second price chart uses a $1,000 deductible.

Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Premium amounts do not factor in Oakland location which can impact rates considerably.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $100 deductible costs roughly $53 more each month or $636 a year than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $900 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you average more than 17 months between claims, you would probably save some money by selecting a higher deductible.

The example below highlights how deductible choice and can change Buick Lucerne insurance prices for different ages of insureds. The data assumes a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied.

Accidents and violations increase rates

The chart below demonstrates how citations and at-fault claims influence Buick Lucerne annual premium costs for different age groups. The data is based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.

Insurance Rate Influencing Factors

One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the factors that go into determining the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs. Many different elements are taken into consideration when pricing auto insurance. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, although others are less obvious such as whether you are married and annual miles driven.

Vehicle risk influences premiums – The performance of the car, truck or SUV you need to insure makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. Lower cost passenger models usually are quite affordable to insure, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.

The next chart uses these variables: married female driver age 20, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The chart compares Buick Lucerne rates compared to other makes and models that have different performances.

Save money by raising comp and collision deductibles – Physical damage coverage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, insures against damage to your Buick. Some coverage claims could be collision with another vehicle, hail damage, or theft. The deductibles you choose state the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The more of the claim you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the better rate you will receive.

Choose high crash test ratings and save – Vehicles that have high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates. If the Buick Lucerne earned at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may be receiving a better rate.

Your credit rating is important – A driver’s credit rating will be a significant factor in calculating your premium rate. People that have good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than drivers who have poor credit. If your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could be paying less to insure your Buick Lucerne by improving your credit score.

Shop online but buy locally

A small number of people would rather go talk to an agent. The best thing about comparing rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get cheap insurance quotes and still have an agent to talk to.

By using this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is sent to agents in your area who will return price quotes for your coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to drive around because prices are sent instantly to you. You can find better rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you want to compare rates from one company in particular, feel free to jump over to their website and complete a quote there.

Deciding on a company shouldn’t rely on just the price. Some important questions to ask are:

• Will they make sure you get an adequate claim settlement?
• Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
• What company holds the largest book of business for them?
• Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
• Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?

Oakland car insurance agents are either independent or exclusive

If you’re trying to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, you should know the different types of agents that you can select. Agents are either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.

Exclusive Agencies

Exclusive agents have only one company to place business with and some examples include Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. They are trained well on their company’s products and that enables them to sell even at higher rates. Consumers frequently buy from the same agent for years primarily because of loyalty to the company and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.

The following are exclusive insurance agencies in Oakland that are able to give price quotes.

• Fernando Valenzuela – State Farm Insurance
  1236 30th Ave – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 533-9712 – View Map
• Joe Trapasso – State Farm Insurance Agent
  1901 Harrison St Ste 100 – Oakland, CA 94612 – (510) 808-7120 – View Map
• Farmers Insurance: Patrick Siu
  993 Jackson St – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 350-7829 – View Map

View more Oakland agents

Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents are not employed by any specific company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies and get you the best rates possible. If your premiums go up, they can switch companies in-house and you don’t have to do anything.

When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to get quotes from multiple independent agents to maximize your price options. Most can insure with small regional insurance companies which can save you money.

Shown below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Oakland willing to provide rate quotes.

• Cook Disharoon and Greathouse Insurance Brokers
  1942 Embarcadero – Oakland, CA 94606 – (510) 437-1900 – View Map
• Travel Insurance Agency
  610 16th St #508 – Oakland, CA 94612 – (510) 452-3366 – View Map
• Thandi Insurance Brokerage
  2859 Mandela Pkwy – Oakland, CA 94608 – (510) 452-1566 – View Map

View more Oakland agents

If you get good answers for all questions you ask and an affordable coverage quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that can be relied on to provide insurance coverage. It’s important to know that it’s your coverage and you can cancel a policy at any point so don’t think that you are permanently stuck with any specific agency indefinitely.

Auto insurance in California serves several purposes

Even though Oakland Lucerne insurance rates can get expensive, insurance is mandatory in California but it also protects more than you think.

• Almost all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means state laws require specific minimum amounts of liability in order to license the vehicle. 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 your Buick has a loan, most lenders will force you to have full coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Buick for a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them for the much more expensive policy.
• Auto insurance preserves not only your vehicle but also your assets. It will also reimburse you for many types of medical costs for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your Buick gets damaged, your policy will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.

The benefits of carrying enough insurance greatly outweigh the cost, especially if you ever need it. But the average American driver is overpaying more than $810 a year so smart consumers compare quotes at every renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.

Quote more and you will save more

Lower-priced insurance in Oakland is definitely available from both online companies in addition to many Oakland insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies may not offer rates over the internet and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through local independent agents.

Drivers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including denial of a claim, policy cancellation, questionable increases in premium and high rates after DUI convictions. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding the right insurance provider can be easy and end up saving you some money.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed collision coverage to discover at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price.

To learn more, take a look at the resources below:

• Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Electric Cars in Oakland? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Oakland Car Insurance Rates for a Ford Fusion? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Low Mileage Drivers in Oakland? (FAQ)
• How Much is Auto Insurance for a Toyota Tacoma in Oakland? (FAQ)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for Good Students in Oakland? (FAQ)
• Choosing a Car for Your Teen (State Farm)
• Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Uninsured Motorists: Threats on the Road (Insurance Information Institute)