Unthinkable but true, the vast majority of insurance customers have bought insurance from the same company for four years or more, and just short of a majority have never compared rate quotes at all. With the average premium in California being $1,387, drivers could cut their rates by roughly 35% a year, but they won’t spend time to find affordable rates by getting comparison quotes.
If you want to save the most money, the best way to find affordable quotes for car insurance rates in Oakland is to start comparing prices yearly from companies who provide car insurance in California.
- First, get an understanding of what coverages are included in your policy and the modifications you can make to lower rates. Many risk factors that drive up the price such as accidents, traffic violations, and an imperfect credit rating can be improved by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. Read the full article for additional tips to get low prices and find overlooked discounts.
- Second, compare prices from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from many different companies. Compare rates
- Third, compare the new quotes to your existing coverage and determine if cheaper Veloster coverage is available in Oakland. If you find a lower rate and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Fourth, notify your company or agent of your intent to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit a completed application and payment to the newly selected company. Once coverage is bound, safely store the proof of insurance certificate along with the vehicle’s registration papers.
The most important part of this process is that you’ll want to compare the same liability limits and deductibles on each quote request and and to get rate quotes from as many carriers as you can. Doing this ensures a fair rate comparison and many rates to choose from.
The easiest way to get policy rate comparisons for Hyundai Veloster insurance in Oakland utilizes the fact car insurance companies provide online access to give you rate quotes. The only thing you need to do is provide a little information like deductibles desired, if it has an anti-theft system, if you require a SR-22, and if you are currently licensed. Your details gets transmitted to many different companies and they provide comparison quotes with very little delay.
To check car insurance prices now, click here and complete the quick form.
The companies shown below are ready to provide price quotes in California. To get the best car insurance in CA, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can to find the lowest car insurance rates.
Why you need insurance for your Hyundai Veloster
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Hyundai Veloster in Oakland, insuring your vehicle may be mandatory for several reasons.
- Almost all states have minimum liability requirements which means state laws require a specific level of liability insurance 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.
- If you took out a loan on your Hyundai, almost every bank will have a requirement that you have full coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you default on your policy, the lender may insure your Hyundai at a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them the higher price.
- Insurance safeguards your Hyundai and your assets. It will also cover medical transport and hospital expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability insurance also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit in the event you are sued. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, your insurance policy will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of having insurance greatly outweigh the cost, especially for larger claims. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver overpays more than $825 a year so you should quote your policy with other companies at least once a year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
How to Lower Your Insurance Costs
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine your premiums. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this enables informed choices that could result in better car insurance rates.
The following are a partial list of the pieces that factor into rates.
Big cities have higher rates – Choosing to live in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when it comes to car insurance. Drivers in populated areas tend to have traffic congestion and more severe claims. Fewer drivers on the road means fewer accidents.
Cautious drivers pay lower rates – Even a single speeding ticket can increase the cost of insurance to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers with clean records pay less for auto insurance than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers with careless citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
Liability protection is peace of mind – Your policy’s liability coverage provides coverage if ever you are ruled to be at fault for an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is relatively inexpensive compared to comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
Low mileage costs less – The higher the mileage driven each year the higher your rates will be. A lot of insurance companies rate vehicles partially by how you use the vehicle. Cars that do not get driven very much receive better premium rates than those used for commuting. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Veloster can result in significantly higher rates. It’s a smart idea to ensure your car insurance policy shows the right rating data.
Being married brings a discount – Your spouse may earn you lower rates when shopping for car insurance. Having a spouse may mean you are more responsible and it’s statistically proven that married couples file fewer claims.
Is your car built for speed? – The make and model of the car you own makes a big difference in your premium level. The lowest performance passenger cars normally have pretty low rates, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
Hyundai Veloster claim probability – Insurance companies use past loss statistics for each vehicle in order to profitably underwrite each model. Vehicles that the data determines to have a higher amount or frequency of claims will cost more to insure. The table below shows the loss history for Hyundai Veloster vehicles.
For each policy coverage, the loss probability for all vehicles compiled together is set at 100. Numbers below 100 mean the vehicle has better than average losses, while percentage values above 100 point to more losses or a tendency for losses to be larger than average.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Veloster | 109 | 112 | 88 | 112 | 129 | 116 |
| Hyundai Veloster Turbo | 116 | 87 | 104 | 98 | 89 | 101 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Cut your insurance rates with discounts
Car insurance companies don’t list every discount available in an easy-to-find place, so the following list contains a few of the more well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts that you can inquire about if you buy Oakland auto insurance online.
- Senior Citizen Rates – Older drivers could receive a small discount on rates.
- Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up until you turn 25.
- Driver Education Discount – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course as it can save substantially.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your auto and homeowners insurance with one company you may earn up to 20% and get you inexpensive Hyundai Veloster insurance in Oakland.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts may qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
- One Accident Forgiven – This one is not really a discount per se, but some companies like Allstate, Progressive, and GEICO permit an accident without getting socked with a rate hike if your claims history is clear prior to the accident.
- Homeowners Savings – Just owning your own home may trigger a policy discount on insurance because it demonstrates responsibility.
A quick disclaimer, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. But all discounts will cut your policy premium.
The best insurance companies and their offered discounts are detailed below.
- State Farm may include discounts for good driver, Drive Safe & Save, driver’s education, good student, anti-theft, and student away at school.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for good student, switch companies, homeowner, alternative fuel, multi-car, early shopping, and youthful driver.
- Progressive offers discounts including multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online signing, online quote discount, good student, and multi-policy.
- GEICO includes discounts for air bags, driver training, five-year accident-free, daytime running lights, and emergency military deployment.
- Auto-Owners Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including teen driver, group or association, mature driver, company car, paperless, and good student.
- The Hartford has discounts for bundle, good student, air bag, anti-theft, and driver training.
- Farm Bureau may offer discounts for safe driver, driver training, multi-vehicle, good student, and renewal discount.
- USAA has savings for good student, new vehicle, vehicle storage, loyalty savings, multi-policy, and annual mileage.
If you need lower rates, check with all the companies the best way to save money. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be available to policyholders in your state. To find insurance companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in California, follow this link.
You are unique and your auto insurance should be too
When quoting and comparing the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. You are unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply.
For example, these questions can help discover if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- What is an SR-22 filing?
- Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
- I have health insurance so do I need medical payments coverage?
- Do I need special coverage while pulling a rented trailer?
- Am I covered if I have no license?
- Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
- At what point should I drop full coverage?
- If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?
- When can my company non-renew my policy?
- What if an uninsured driver hits me?
If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Exclusive or independent insurance agents
Certain consumers just want to sit down with an agent and doing that can be a smart decision Professional agents can help determine the best coverages and help submit paperwork. An additional benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you may find cheap auto insurance rates and still have a local agent. Buying insurance from small agencies is still important in Oakland.
After filling out this short form, the quote information is sent to local insurance agents that can provide free Oakland auto insurance quotes for your coverage. You never need to search for any insurance agencies because prices are sent immediately to your email address. If for some reason you want to compare prices from one company in particular, you just need to find their quoting web page to submit a rate quote request.
Finding the right insurance company requires more thought than just the premium amount. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- Is there a local claims center in Oakland?
- How are they compensated?
- When do they do a full risk review?
- Are there any extra charges for paying monthly?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
Ratings for Oakland car insurance companies
Finding a highly-rated insurer is difficult considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in California. The company information shown next could help you choose which companies you want to consider purchasing coverage 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 Overall
- USAA
- American Family
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- The General
- Titan Insurance
- Progressive
Lower rates by being persistent
When shopping online for insurance, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed liability coverage limits only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your objective should be to buy enough coverage at the best price, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
We just covered many tips how you can compare Hyundai Veloster insurance car insurance rates in Oakland. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better chance you’ll have of finding low cost Oakland auto insurance quotes. You may even be surprised to find that the most savings is with some of the lesser-known companies. These companies may have significantly lower premium rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
Cheaper insurance in Oakland can be bought on the web and also from your neighborhood Oakland agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers don’t offer the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.
Even more information is available at these sites:
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Nissan Versa in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Subaru Outback in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
- Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)