Are you kicking yourself for buying an overpriced auto insurance policy? It’s a common feeling and many Oakland drivers feel the same as you.
It’s astonishing, but a large majority of drivers have purchased from the same company for at least four years, and 38% of customers have never even compared quotes to find cheap rates. California insurance shoppers could cut their rates by up to 35% a year just by getting comparison quotes, but most just don’t grasp the big savings they would realize if they moved their coverage to a different company.
How to find affordable Chevy Spark EV insurance in Oakland
The best way to find low-cost prices for Chevy Spark EV insurance in Oakland is to compare prices annually from different companies who sell auto insurance in California.
- Read and learn about policy coverages and the measures you can take to keep rates in check. Many policy risk factors that cause rate increases like traffic tickets, fender benders, and a lousy credit rating can be rectified by being financially responsible and driving safely. Keep reading for additional tips to find cheap rates and earn a bigger discount.
- Compare price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from many different companies.
- Compare the price quotes to your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate. If you find better rates, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
The key thing to remember is to try to use the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on each quote and and to get rate quotes from all possible companies. Doing this provides an accurate price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
Due to the increasing number of insurance providers from which to choose, it’s nearly impossible to pick a more affordable insurance company.
Consumers need to compare premium rates at least once a year because auto insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Just because you had the best premium rates on Chevy Spark EV insurance in Oakland a few years ago you may be paying too much now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding Spark EV insurance on the internet, but you can learn some solid techniques on how to save money.
Cheapest Chevy insurance rate quotes in Oakland
The companies shown below offer free quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you click on several of them to get the best price comparison.
What Determines Chevy Spark EV Insurance Prices?
The best way to find cheaper car insurance is to take a look at some of the factors that aid in calculating car insurance rates. If you know what impacts premium levels, this enables informed choices that will entitle you to lower rates. Multiple criteria are used in the calculation when pricing auto insurance. Most are fairly basic such as traffic violations, although some other factors are not quite as obvious like where you live and annual miles driven.
- Pay more if you have a long commute – Residing in a small town can save you money when shopping for auto insurance. Lower population translates into fewer accident claims in addition to lower liability claims. Urban drivers have more traffic problems and longer commute times. More time commuting means more chance of being in an accident.
- Lower rates come with age – Beginning drivers in California are statistically shown to be inattentive and easily distracted when driving with friends so they pay higher car insurance rates. If you’ve ever had to add a first-time driver onto your car insurance can be very expensive. Older, more experienced drivers tend to be more responsible, cause fewer claims and accidents, and are generally more financially stable.
- How much liability insurance – The liability section of your policy provides coverage when you are responsible for damages from an accident. Liability provides legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. It is affordable coverage as compared to coverage for physical damage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
- Is your vehicle theft-ready? – Buying a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms help track and prevent auto theft and help lower rates.
- Insurance rates and vehicle performance – The performance of the car you need insurance for makes a big difference in how high your rates are. The best insurance prices tend to be for smaller low performance passenger cars, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- Men tend to take more risk – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. The data does not necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Women and men have auto accidents in similar numbers, but males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to get more serious tickets such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are the most expensive to insure so they pay the highest premiums.
Slash your insurance rates with discounts
Companies don’t always advertise the complete list of policy discounts very clearly, so we break down some of the best known and also the more inconspicuous savings tricks you should be using when you buy Oakland auto insurance online.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Taking time to complete a course in safe driver may get you a small discount if you qualify.
- Data Collection Discounts – Drivers that enable driving data collection to look at driving manner through the use of a telematics system such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive might see lower rates if their driving habits are good.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a discounted premium rate on car insurance if you buy life insurance.
- Payment Method – By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying in monthly installments you could save up to 5%.
- Online Discount – Some of the larger companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy on the internet.
- Theft Deterrent Discount – Vehicles that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and will qualify for a discount on a Oakland auto insurance quote.
- 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you may receive a small discount on rates.
Just know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Despite the appearance that all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Companies that possibly offer some of the above discounts may include but are not limited to:
If you need lower rates, check with every prospective company which discounts they offer. Savings might not apply in your state.
When should I talk to a local insurance agent?
A small number of people still like to buy from a local agent and that is just fine! Licensed agents are trained risk managers and will help you if you have claims. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that drivers can get cheaper prices but also keep your business local.
Once you complete this short form, the quote information is sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to search for any insurance agencies because prices are sent immediately to your email address. If you want to get a price quote for a specific company, you would need to go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.
Finding the right insurance company should include more criteria than just a cheap quote. Here are some questions you should ask.
- Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in Oakland?
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- Are all drivers listed on the coverage quote?
- How often do they review coverages?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
California car insurance company ratings
Finding the best car insurance provider is hard considering how many companies are available to choose from in Oakland. The company information in the lists below could help you select which providers you want to consider comparing rates from.
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Service
- AAA of Southern California
- GEICO
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Mercury Insurance
- The General
- Progressive
- Allstate
- AAA Insurance
- American Family
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies by A.M. Best Rank
- USAA – A++
- Travelers – A++
- State Farm – A++
- GEICO – A++
- Esurance – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- Allstate – A+
- Mercury Insurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- Titan Insurance – A+
Insurance savings summarized
Some insurance companies do not offer online rate quotes and many times these smaller providers provide coverage only through independent agencies. Lower-priced Chevy Spark EV insurance in Oakland is definitely available both online and also from your neighborhood Oakland agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s a bad idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, drivers have reduced collision coverage only to find out they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford, but do not skimp to save money.
We’ve covered a lot of techniques to get a better price on Chevy Spark EV insurance in Oakland. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding low cost Oakland auto insurance quotes. You may even discover the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as GEICO and State Farm.
Steps to finding low-cost Chevy Spark EV insurance in Oakland
If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to get budget Chevy Spark EV insurance is to regularly compare quotes from companies in Oakland.
Step 1: Try to comprehend coverages and the measures you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many policy risk factors that cause high rates such as traffic citations and a low credit rating can be eliminated by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
Step 2: Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from multiple companies.
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find better rates and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
Step 4: Tell your current agent or company of your decision to cancel your current policy. Submit a down payment along with a completed application for your new coverage. As soon as you can, place your new certificate of insurance along with your vehicle registration.
One important bit of advice is that you’ll want to compare similar deductibles and liability limits on each quote and to quote with as many auto insurance providers as possible. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and the best price selection.
Additional detailed information can be found in the articles below:
- Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Inexperienced Drivers in Oakland? (FAQ)
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
- Senior Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)