Learn How to Pay Less and Get More for Oakland California Car Insurance

Finding affordable Oakland car insurance is difficult for beginners to buying insurance online. Consumers have so many choices that it can turn into a big hassle to compare prices in Oakland.

Consumers should take time to do rate comparisons on a regular basis since insurance rates go up and down regularly. Just because you found the best rates a year ago you can probably find a better price now. There is too much inaccurate information about car insurance online, so with this article, you’re going to get a lot of great tips on how to buy car insurance cheaper.

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. This article will let you in on the best way to quote coverages and some tips to save money. Nevertheless, California vehicle owners need to learn how insurance companies market insurance on the web and use this information to your advantage.

Fast and Easy Oakland Car Insurance Quotes

To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing rate quotes from different in Oaklandinsurance companies. The easiest way to compare insurance prices consists of shopping online. This can be done using a couple different methods.

The recommended way to compare a lot of rates at once is an all-inclusive rate comparison like this one (opens in new window). This easy form eliminates the need for separate forms to each individual car insurance company. In just a few minutes this one form will get you price quotes from car insurance companies with the best prices. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.

A less efficient way to obtain and compare quotes online requires you to visit each individual company website and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, we’ll assume you want comparison quotes from Nationwide, State Farm and Progressive. To find out each rate you need to visit each site to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Oakland, click here.

The least efficient method to get comparison rates is to spend your day driving to and from local Oakland insurance agencies. The internet eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the professional advice of a licensed agent. Drivers can comparison shop your insurance online but buy from a local insurance agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just ensure you’re using identical information for every company. If you are comparing differing limits it’s not possible to make an equal comparison in Oakland. Having just a slight variation in coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that comparing more company’s prices gives you a better chance of getting the best offered rates.

Buyer beware of car insurance advertising tricks

Car insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO continually stream ads in print and on television. They all say the same thing about savings after switching your coverage to them. How do they all claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Consumers who don’t meet these standards will have to pay higher rates and ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That is how companies can advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, it’s extremely important to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Take advantage of discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some trigger automatically at the time you complete a quote, but some must be asked about before being credited.

• Memberships – Affiliation with a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates on car insurance.
• Senior Citizens – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for better car insurance rates.
• Military Rewards – Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.
• One Accident Forgiven – A few companies will forgive one accident without raising rates so long as you haven’t had any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
• Multiple Cars – Having all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
• Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay less when compared with frequent claim filers.

Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will help reduce your overall premium however.

To choose companies who offer car insurance discounts in California, follow this link.

Online quotes with a local Oakland insurance agent

Some people would rather sit down with an agent and that is just fine! One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent. And providing support for local insurance agencies is important especially in Oakland.

Upon completion of this short form, your coverage information is emailed to agents in your area who will compete for your business. There is no reason to leave your computer since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates AND a local agent.

Insurance agents in Oakland come in two varieties

When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents from which to choose. Agencies in Oakland are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Agents

These agents are not employed by any specific company but instead can place your coverage with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, we recommend you get quotes from multiple independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller companies which can save you money.

Listed below are Oakland independent insurance agencies that may be able to provide comparison quotes.

• Thandi Insurance Brokerage – 2859 Mandela Pkwy – Oakland, CA 94608 – (510) 452-1566
• David E Quan Agency – 523 47th St – Oakland, CA 94609 – (510) 653-8880
• Liz Drennan Agency – 4170 Piedmont Ave # C – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 594-2090
• Cheng Insurance – 828 Harrison St # 207 – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 893-3636
• Norm Young Agency – 4335 Piedmont Ave – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 652-2004

Captive Insurance Agents

These agents can only place business with one company and examples are State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are not able to give you multiple price quotes so keep that in mind. These agents are well schooled on their company’s products which can be an advantage. Consumers frequently choose to use a captive agent mainly due to high brand loyalty and solid financial strength.

Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Oakland that can give you rate quotes.

• Allstate Insurance – 5940 College Ave # A – Oakland, CA 94618 – (510) 450-9050
• Farmers Insurance Group – 385 9th St # 200 – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 893-3911
• State Farm Insurance – 4490 Piedmont Ave – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 658-9616

For a full directory of car insurance agents in Oakland, please view this page.

Deciding on an insurance agency needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Agents should be asked these questions:

• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
• Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
• If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
• If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
• Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
• What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?

After receiving reasonable responses to any questions you have in addition to an acceptable price estimate, most likely you have located an insurance agent that meets your needs to insure your vehicles.

Much more information about car insurance in California can be read on the California Department of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, get help finding coverage, discover disciplinary actions, and report car insurance fraud.

More comparisons equals lower rates

We’ve covered many tips how you can lower your car insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from a small mutual company.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where an insured cut full coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

Drivers switch companies for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, extreme rates for teen drivers, delays in responding to claim requests and delays in paying claims. Whatever your reason, finding a great new company is easier than you think.