We don’t have to point out that fact that car insurance companies don’t want you to look at other companies. People who shop rates annually will, in all likelihood, buy a new policy because there is a great chance of finding a more affordable policy premium. A study showed that drivers who regularly compared price quotes saved about $865 annually compared to people who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.
If finding discount rates on Pontiac G8 insurance is the reason you’re here, then having some insight into the best way to compare insurance premiums can save time and make the process easier.
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to find cheaper prices for Pontiac G8 insurance is to start comparing prices yearly from providers who provide car insurance in Oakland.
- Step 1: Spend some time learning about how companies set rates and the measures you can take to keep rates in check. Many risk factors that result in higher rates such as at-fault accidents and an unacceptable credit history can be controlled by making minor changes to your lifestyle. This article provides more details to help reduce premium rates and find discounts that you may qualify for.
- Step 2: Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can quote prices for many different companies.
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy and determine if cheaper G8 coverage is available in Oakland. If you can save money and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Step 4: Provide notification to your current agent or company of your intention to cancel your current coverage and submit a signed application and payment for the new policy. Immediately upon receiving it, keep your new certificate verifying coverage with your registration paperwork.
The most important part of shopping around is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to get rate quotes from all possible companies. Doing this guarantees an accurate price comparison and a complete rate analysis.
Getting a cheaper price on Pontiac G8 insurance is an easy way to save money. All that’s required is to invest a little time to compare rate quotes provided by online insurance companies.
Doing price comparisons online is so simple that it makes it obsolete to waste gas driving to local Oakland insurance agencies. Comparing Pontiac G8 insurance rates online eliminates the middleman unless you have a complicated situation and need the trained guidance of an agent trained in personal lines coverage. However, consumers can get prices online but have a local agent actually write the policy.
The providers in the list below have been selected to offer comparison quotes in Oakland, CA. If you wish to find the best auto insurance in Oakland, we recommend you click on several of them to get the best price comparison.
Choosing Pontiac G8 insurance is an important decision
Despite the high insurance cost for a Pontiac G8 in Oakland, buying car insurance is required by state law in California and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.
First, just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability protection in order to be legal. 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.
Second, if your vehicle has a lienholder, most banks will force you to have comprehensive coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Pontiac at a much higher rate and force you to pay for the much more expensive policy.
Third, insurance protects both your assets and your vehicle. It will also reimburse you for many types of medical costs incurred in an accident. Liability coverage will also pay for a defense attorney if you cause an accident and are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. Unknowingly, the average driver is wasting up to $855 a year so it’s important to compare rates each time the policy renews to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Save Money with These Tips
Lots of things are considered when you get your auto insurance bill. Some factors are common sense like your driving record, but other factors are less apparent such as your marital status or your commute time.
Shown below are just a few of the factors companies use to determine your premiums.
- High comp and collision deductibles cost less – Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay if the claim is covered. Physical damage insurance, aka comp and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, fire damage, and damage from wind. The more expense you have to pay, the better rate you will receive.
- Prices and your address – Residing in smaller towns and rural areas of the country is a good thing if you are looking for the lowest rates. City drivers regularly have traffic congestion and more severe claims. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
- Bad credit hurts insurance premiums – Your credit score is a large factor in determining your rates. So if your credit can be improved, you could be paying less to insure your Pontiac G8 by improving your credit score. Insureds with high credit scores tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower ratings.
- Accidents can increase rates – Your driving citation history impacts premiums far more than you think. Having just one ticket can bump up the cost forty percent or more. Drivers with clean records pay less for auto insurance compared to bad drivers. Drivers who have received dangerous tickets such as DUI or willful reckless driving may be required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Men drivers tend to cost more – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. The data does not necessarily mean that females are better at driving than males. Women and men cause at-fault accidents at a similar rate, but the men have accidents that have higher claims. Men also tend to get cited for more serious violations like driving under the influence (DUI).
- Better prices on safer vehicles – Cars with five star safety ratings are cheaper to insure. Safer cars reduce the chance of injuries and fewer serious injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and cheaper rates on your policy. If your Pontiac G8 has at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may qualify for a discount.
- Discounts for multiple policies – Some insurance companies apply better rates to people that buy multiple policies, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money. It’s possible to still find lower rates by buying insurance from a different company.
- Older drivers save more – Mature drivers tend to be more responsible, cost insurance companies less in claims, and are safer drivers. Young drivers are statistically shown to be careless and easily distracted with other occupants in the car therefore insurance rates are much higher.
Discounts for affordable auto insurance quotes
Some insurers do not advertise every discount they offer very well, so the following is a list of a few of the more well known as well as some of the hidden credits that may apply to you.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Adding a new car to your policy is cheaper since new vehicles have better safety ratings.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Drivers who insure primary and secondary vehicles with the same company can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
- Theft Deterrent – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems are less likely to be stolen and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Pay Early and Save – By paying your entire bill at once instead of paying each month you can avoid the installment charge.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having an actively deployed family member could mean lower prices.
- Telematics Devices – Drivers who elect to allow their insurance company to spy on when and where they use their vehicle by using a telematics device such as State Farm’s In-Drive could see a rate decrease if they show good driving skills.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your auto and homeowners insurance and insure them with the same company you could save approximately 10% to 15%.
- Driver Education Discount – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them complete a driver education course in high school.
Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, nobody gets a free ride.
To choose providers that provide some of the discounts listed above in California, click this link.
Exclusive versus independent car insurance agents
Certain consumers just want to buy from a local agent and that is a personal choice. Agents can help determine the best coverages and help file insurance claims. An additional benefit of comparing insurance prices online is that you can find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Once you complete this quick form, the coverage information is instantly submitted to participating agents in Oakland who will give competitive quotes to get your business. There is no need to do any legwork because quoted prices will be sent to you. If you wish to get a rate quote from a specific auto insurance provider, you can always visit that company’s website and give them your coverage information.
Picking a company shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. These are valid questions to ask:
- Do they offer claims assistance after hours?
- How much training do they have in personal risk management?
- Is the agency active in community causes in Oakland?
- Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
California car insurance company ratings
Choosing the best auto insurance company can be rather challenging considering how many companies are available to choose from in Oakland. The rank data listed below may help you choose which providers you want to consider shopping your coverage with.
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
Top 10 Oakland Car Insurance Companies Overall
- USAA
- American Family
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- The General
- Titan Insurance
- Progressive
Cheap auto insurance premiums are out there
In this article, we covered many ways to reduce Pontiac G8 insurance premium rates online in Oakland. The key concept to understand is the more you quote Oakland auto insurance, the better your chances of lowering your prices. Drivers may even discover the lowest premium rates come from an unexpected company. Some small companies often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
When shopping online for auto insurance, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped collision coverage only to discover later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
For more information, take a look at the following helpful articles:
- Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Nissan Versa in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Company Car in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for Young Drivers in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Oakland Auto Insurance for a Toyota Highlander? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Requiring a SR22 in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Oakland Auto Insurance for Safe Drivers? (FAQ)
- Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)
- New vehicle ratings focus on headlights (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Young Drivers: The High Risk Years Video (iihs.org)
- Rental Reimbursement Coverage (Allstate)