Save Money on Jeep Compass Insurance in Oakland

Amazingly, nearly 70% of California drivers have bought insurance from the same company for at least four years, and nearly the majority have never quoted insurance rates at all. Many drivers in the United States could save approximately $860 every year just by getting comparison quotes, but they think it’s difficult to go online and compare rates.

Truthfully, the best way to get more affordable Jeep Compass insurance is to regularly compare prices from insurers in Oakland.

1. Spend some time learning about how companies set rates and the measures you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating factors that are responsible for high rates such as inattentive driving and an imperfect credit score can be controlled by being financially responsible and driving safely.
2. Compare price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can give you price quotes for many different companies.
3. Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to see if cheaper Compass coverage is available in Oakland. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.

The key thing to remember is to try to use similar deductibles and liability limits on every quote and and to get quotes from every insurance company. This guarantees an accurate price comparison and a thorough price selection.

If you have car insurance now, you will be able to find better prices using this strategy. Shopping for the lowest cost car insurance in Oakland is not as time-consuming as you think. But California vehicle owners benefit from understanding how companies sell online because rates are impacted by many factors.

Best Jeep Compass insurance price quotes in California

The following companies provide free quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, we recommend you visit two to three different companies in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Jeep Compass insurance analysis

The data table shown next showcases estimates of insurance policy prices for Jeep Compass models. Knowing how prices are calculated can be of help when making decisions when shopping your coverage around.

Table data assumes single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Price estimates do not factor in your specific Oakland location which can raise or lower rates noticeably.

Rate comparison for different deductibles

When shopping for auto insurance, a common question is which deductible level should you buy. The tables below can help illustrate the rate difference of buying low and high coverage deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $100 physical damage deductible and the second rate table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Prices above 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-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in specific location which can change premiums considerably.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $100 deductible would cost the average driver about $42 more each month or $504 a year than buying the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $900 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to go at least 21 months between claims, you would save money if you choose the higher deductible.

Bad driving habits will cost you more

The illustration below demonstrates how traffic citations and accidents can affect Jeep Compass insurance rates for different age groups. The rate quotes are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.

Lower rate quotes by taking advantage of discounts

Some insurance providers don’t always publicize every policy discount very clearly, so we researched some of the more common and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving when you buy Oakland car insurance online.

• Theft Deterrent System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have factory anti-theft systems are less likely to be stolen and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Telematics Discount – Insureds that choose to allow driving data collection to study where and when they drive by using a telematics device such as Progressive’s Snapshot could see a rate decrease if they exhibit good driving behavior.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Teen drivers should complete a driver education course in high school.
• Include Life Insurance and Save – Larger car insurance companies have a break if you buy life insurance from them.
• Payment Method – By making one initial payment instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
• Military Deployment Discount – Being on active deployment in the military may qualify for rate reductions.

Don’t be surprised that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

The chart below shows the difference between Jeep Compass auto insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the premium. The premiums are based on a male driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, marriage, and multi-policy discounts applied.

A few of the larger companies and the discounts they provide are included below.

• GEICO has discounts for driver training, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, seat belt use, and multi-vehicle.
• SAFECO includes discounts for multi-car, safe driver, anti-lock brakes, teen safe driver, bundle discounts, accident prevention training, and homeowner.
• State Farm offers discounts for safe vehicle, anti-theft, defensive driving training, accident-free, and good student.
• MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including good driver, accident-free, defensive driver, multi-policy, claim-free, good student
• 21st Century has savings for automatic seat belts, good student, theft prevention, air bags, student driver, and anti-lock brakes.
• Progressive may offer discounts for multi-policy, homeowner, continuous coverage, online signing, and good student.

Before you buy a policy, ask every prospective company how you can save money. Some discounts might not be available to policyholders in Oakland. If you would like to choose from a list of car insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in California, click this link.

Smart Consumers Save on Insurance

Many different elements are part of the calculation when pricing auto insurance. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving record, although others are more transparent like your continuous coverage or how financially stable you are.

Single drivers may pay more – Having a significant other can actually save you money when shopping for car insurance. Having a significant other translates into being more stable financially and it’s statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.

Higher rates for specific jobs – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Careers such as judges, airline pilots, and stock brokers are shown to have higher premiums than the average policyholder because of stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. Conversely, jobs such as scientists, historians and retirees have the lowest average rates.

Pay less with a high crash test rating – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to be cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and reduced instances of injuries translates into savings for insurance companies passed on to you as lower rates. If your Jeep scored better than an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website you may pay a lower rate.

Higher premiums for policy lapses – Driving without insurance coverage in place can get your license suspended and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage lapse. In addition to paying higher rates, failure to provide proof of insurance may result in a steep fine or even jail time.

High physical damage deductibles lower prices – Physical damage protection, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your Jeep. Some examples of covered claims are a dented fender, flood damage, and burglary. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if a covered claim is submitted. The more of the claim you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the better rate you will receive.

Cheaper rates by bundling – Most car insurance companies give discounts to buyers who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s in your best interest to shop around to help ensure you have the lowest rates. Drivers may still save even more than the discount even if you insure with multiple companies

Insurance loss probability for a Jeep Compass – Insurers include the past claim trends for vehicles when determining insurance rates. Vehicles that have higher loss trends will have increased rates.

The table shown below demonstrates the actual insurance loss data for Jeep Compass vehicles. For each coverage category, the loss probability for all vehicles averaged together is represented as 100. Values below 100 mean the vehicle has better than average losses, while numbers above 100 point to more losses or tendency to have larger claims.

Do I need special coverages?

Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing coverage online or from an agent, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Every insured’s situation is different.

For example, these questions might help in determining whether you could use an agent’s help.

• Is my Jeep Compass covered if I use it for business?
• Should I pay a claim out-of-pocket?
• Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
• Why do I have to buy liability insurance?
• Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
• Is coverage enough to protect my assets?

If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form.

Local agents and insurance

A lot of people would rather talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the benefits of comparing rates online is you can get the lowest rates and also buy local.

By using this form (opens in new window), your information is immediately sent to agents in your area who will give competitive quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to find an agent on your own because prices are sent immediately to you. It’s the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you need to compare rates from a specific insurance provider, you just need to search and find their rate quote page and complete a quote there.

Finding the right insurer requires you to look at more than just the price. Here are some questions you might want to ask.

• If they are an independent agency in Oakland, which companies do they recommend?
• Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
• Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
• Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?
• Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
• Can you get a list of referrals?

Multiple types of auto insurance agents in Oakland

If you are wanting to purchase insurance from a reputable insurance agent or broker, you need to know there are two different types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Insurance agencies can be categorized as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.

Exclusive Insurance Agents

These type of agents can only place business with one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. They are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on their products and sales techniques and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Many people use the same agent mainly due to the brand name rather than low rates.

Below is a short list of exclusive agencies in Oakland that are able to give comparison quotes.

• Fernando Valenzuela – State Farm Insurance
  1236 30th Ave – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 533-9712 – View Map
• Farmers Insurance – Anthony Sue
  3333 Grand Ave #203 – Oakland, CA 94610 – (510) 465-1544 – View Map
• Allstate Insurance: Francis H. Lan
  900 Alice St Ste 128 – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 835-8581 – View Map

View more Oakland agents

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Agents that choose to be independent do not have single company limitations and that gives them the ability to insure amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If you want to switch companies, the business is moved internally which makes it simple for you.

When comparing insurance prices, we recommend you get some free quotes from several independent agencies for the best price selection. They also have the ability to place coverage with companies you’ve never heard of that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.

Listed below is a list of independent agencies in Oakland willing to provide price quotes.

• Western-Southern Life Insurance Co
  80 Swan Way # 102 – Oakland, CA 94621 – (510) 877-4119 – View Map
• Fred Loya Insurance
  1620 High St STE B – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 434-1801 – View Map
• Ruth Stroup Insurance Agency
  3560 Grand Ave – Oakland, CA 94610 – (510) 874-5700 – View Map

View more Oakland agents

Auto insurance companies ranked

Finding the top auto insurance company is hard considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Oakland. The information in the next section could help you analyze which providers you want to consider when comparing rate quotes.

Find affordable auto insurance rates by comparing often

Cheaper auto insurance in Oakland can be sourced on the web and with local Oakland insurance agents, so you need to shop Oakland car insurance with both to get a complete price analysis. Some companies do not offer online rate quotes and these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through local independent agencies.

Insureds who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as lack of trust in their agent, high rates after DUI convictions, extreme rates for teen drivers and even policy non-renewal. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching auto insurance companies is actually quite simple.

When searching for low cost Oakland car insurance quotes, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price, but do not skimp to save money.

More learning opportunities

• Event Data Recorders FAQ (iihs.org)
• Who Has the Cheapest Oakland Auto Insurance Quotes for Ride Shares? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Company Car in Oakland? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Oakland Auto Insurance for Safe Drivers? (FAQ)
• Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
• What is Covered by an Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Vehicle Insurance in the U.S. (Wikipedia)