It’s a known fact that insurance companies don’t want you to look for cheaper rates. Insureds who shop around for the cheapest price are inclined to switch to a new company because of the good chance of finding lower prices. A recent survey revealed that consumers who regularly compared price quotes saved an average of $850 each year compared to those who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding discount rates on car insurance is why you’re reading this, then having some insight into how to get rate quotes and compare insurance coverage can save time, money, and frustration.
It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get discount Toyota Corolla iM insurance is to annually compare prices from providers who sell insurance in Oakland. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.
First, try to learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the steps you can take to lower rates. Many policy risk factors that cause high rates like accidents, careless driving, and bad credit can be rectified by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
Second, obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can provide rates from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes from multiple insurance companies.
Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing rates to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a better price and decide to switch, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
Fourth, provide proper notification to your current company of your intention to cancel your current coverage. Submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application for your new coverage. As soon as you have the new policy, store the certificate verifying coverage with your vehicle’s registration.
One thing to point out is to try to use the same deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to get prices from every insurance company. This helps ensure a fair rate comparison and a thorough selection of prices.
If you have insurance now, you will most likely be able to get lower rates using the techniques covered below. This article’s goal is to help educate you on how to compare rates easily and how you can save the most money. But California vehicle owners do need to know how big insurance companies compete online.
All the larger car insurance companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive make it easy to get pricing online. The process is quite simple as you simply enter your personal and coverage information as requested by the quote form. After you submit the form the quote system collects reports for credit and driving violations and quotes a price based on many factors.
This simplifies rate comparisons, and it’s very important to compare as many rates as possible if you want to get affordable car insurance pricing.
If you want to find out if lower rates are available, check out the car insurance providers below. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you type in your coverages identical to your current policy. Using the same limits helps guarantee you are getting rate quotes using the exact same coverages.
The companies shown below can provide comparison quotes in Oakland, CA. If you wish to find cheap car insurance in Oakland, we suggest you visit two to three different companies to get the lowest price.
Compare rates but buy from a local neighborhood Oakland car insurance agent
A lot of people would prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent. One of the great benefits of getting online price quotes is the fact that drivers can get cheap rate quotes and still have a local agent. Supporting small agencies is still important in Oakland.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, the coverage information is emailed to participating agents in Oakland that give free quotes for your auto insurance coverage. There is no reason to search for an agent since rate quotes are delivered directly to you. It’s the lowest rates and work with a local agent. If you want to get a rate quote from a specific company, you can always visit that company’s website and give them your coverage information.
If you want to use a reliable agent, it can be helpful to understand the types of insurance agents and how they are slightly different. Insurance agencies in Oakland can be classified as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These type of agents do not sell for just one brand and that is an advantage because they can write policies through many different auto insurance companies and find the cheapest rate. If premiums increase, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency. When shopping rates, you will want to include rate quotes from a couple of independent agencies to have the most options to choose from. Most can insure with smaller companies that many times have cheaper rates.
Shown below are independent agents in Oakland that may be able to give comparison quotes.
- Fred Loya Insurance
1620 High St STE B – Oakland, CA 94601 – (510) 434-1801 – View Map - Cook Disharoon and Greathouse Insurance Brokers
1942 Embarcadero – Oakland, CA 94606 – (510) 437-1900 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: Ruby Joyce Barnett
440 Grand Ave #450 – Oakland, CA 94610 – (510) 251-3800 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents in the exclusive channel generally can only insure with one company and examples are American Family, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agents are unable to shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agents receive extensive training in insurance sales which aids in selling service over price. Drivers often use the same agent partially due to loyalty to the company rather than having low rates.
Below are exclusive insurance agencies in Oakland that can give you rate quotes.
- Farmers Insurance – Kim McGuire Reid
4323 Piedmont Ave – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 428-2016 – View Map - Farmers Insurance: Man Kin Lau
638 Webster St #200a – Oakland, CA 94607 – (510) 282-7996 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: Liz Drennan
4170 Piedmont Ave c – Oakland, CA 94611 – (510) 594-2090 – View Map
Finding a good insurance agent should depend on more than just a cheap price quote. You should also get answers to these questions.
- In the event of vehicle damage, can you pick the collision repair facility?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Is the quote a firm price?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in California?
- Is there a local claims center in Oakland?
If you receive acceptable answers for all questions you ask and an acceptable price quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that is professional and can properly service your auto insurance policy.