The preferred way to find the cheapest price for auto insurance rates in Oakland is to start doing a yearly price comparison from companies who provide auto insurance in California.
Step 1: Gain an understanding of the different coverages in a policy and the steps you can take to prevent rate increases. Many rating criteria that increase rates like speeding tickets, careless driving and your credit history can be rectified by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
Step 2: Compare rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can provide price quotes for a wide range of companies.
Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing coverage to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find better rates, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
Step 4: Provide notification to your current company to cancel your current policy. Submit a down payment along with a signed application for your new policy. As soon as you receive it, place your new proof of insurance paperwork with your vehicle’s registration.
A tip to remember is to make sure you enter similar limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to get price estimates from as many carriers as you can. This ensures an accurate price comparison and a complete price analysis.
It’s safe to assume that auto insurance companies don’t want their customers to go rate shopping. People who get comparison quotes at least once a year are highly likely to move their business because there are good odds of finding lower rate quotes. A recent survey discovered that people who make a habit of shopping around saved approximately $865 a year as compared to drivers who don’t regularly compare prices.
If finding the best rates on auto insurance in Oakland is the reason for your visit, learning the best ways to find and compare insurance rates can help you succeed in saving money.
When comparison shopping, comparing a wide range of rates provides better odds of finding more affordable rates. Some companies don’t provide online rate quotes, so it’s necessary to compare price estimates from them, too.
The companies shown below are ready to provide price comparisons in Oakland, CA. To get the best car insurance in CA, we recommend you get rate quotes from several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Do you qualify for these five discounts?
Some providers don’t list every discount very clearly, so the next list breaks down some of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits available to bring down your rates. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you may be paying too high a price.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Active or former government employment could qualify for a slight premium decrease with certain companies.
- Driver Safety – Passing a course that instructs on driving safety could save 5% or more if you qualify.
- Organization Discounts – Being in specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations could earn you a nice discount on car insurance.
- Military Discounts – Having an actively deployed family member can result in better rates.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Simply owning a home can save you money because it is proof that your finances are in order.
As a footnote on discounts, many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it appears you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn’t quite work that way.
The example below visualizes the comparison of Nissan Frontier insurance costs with and without policy discounts. The prices are based on a female driver, no violations or accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-policy, multi-car, homeowner, claim-free, and safe-driver discounts applied.
To choose providers who offer free Nissan Frontier insurance quotes in California, click here.
Analysis of coverages
The coverage information displayed next highlights a range of insurance rates for Nissan Frontier models. Understanding more about how insurance policy rates are figured can help drivers make smart policy decisions.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier XE King Cab 2WD | $156 | $298 | $552 | $32 | $166 | $1,204 | $100 |
| Frontier SE King Cab 2WD | $184 | $298 | $552 | $32 | $166 | $1,232 | $103 |
| Frontier SE Crew Cab 2WD | $184 | $362 | $552 | $32 | $166 | $1,296 | $108 |
| Frontier Pro-4X King Cab 2WD | $210 | $362 | $552 | $32 | $166 | $1,322 | $110 |
| Frontier LE King Cab 2WD | $210 | $362 | $552 | $32 | $166 | $1,322 | $110 |
| Frontier SE King Cab 4WD | $210 | $298 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,108 | $92 |
| Frontier Pro-4X Crew Cab 2WD | $210 | $426 | $552 | $32 | $166 | $1,386 | $116 |
| Frontier LE Crew Cab 2WD | $210 | $426 | $552 | $32 | $166 | $1,386 | $116 |
| Frontier SE Crew Cab 4WD | $210 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,172 | $98 |
| Frontier LE King Cab 4WD | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
| Frontier Pro-4X King Cab 4WD | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
| Frontier Pro-4X Crew Cab 4WD | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
| Frontier LE Crew Cab 4WD | $238 | $362 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,200 | $100 |
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Data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Premium amounts do not factor in zip code location which can raise or lower coverage rates substantially.
Nissan Frontier annual premiums for males versus females
The chart below shows the difference between Nissan Frontier insurance premiums for male and female drivers. The information is based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Does it make sense to buy full coverage?
The information below illustrates the difference between Nissan Frontier auto insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The costs are based on no claims or violations, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are factored in.
Guidelines for dropping full coverage
There is no written rule of when to drop physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than around 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s say your Nissan Frontier replacement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most you would get paid by your company is $7,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If you are paying over $700 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
There are some conditions where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to satisfy the requirements of the loan. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not opt for liability only.
You may want advice from an agent
Some consumers still prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases An additional benefit of comparing rates online is that you can find lower rates and also buy local.
After completing this simple form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area that can give you free Oakland car insurance quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around since rate quotes are delivered to you directly. You can find better rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you wish to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance provider, just find their quoting web page and fill out their quote form.
Selecting an insurer requires you to look at more than just the quoted price. These are some questions you should get answers to.
- Is there a 24/7 contact number?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
- In the event of vehicle damage, can you pick the collision repair facility?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- What company do they have the most business with?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
After getting acceptable answers for all questions you ask and locked in a price quote, it’s possible that you found an insurer that meets the criteria to adequately provide insurance.
Auto insurance coverage information
Knowing the specifics of insurance helps when choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.
Comprehensive auto coverage – Comprehensive insurance pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as hail damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum payout a insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Medical payments and PIP coverage – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for bills like surgery, X-ray expenses, EMT expenses and rehabilitation expenses. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision coverage – Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Frontier resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as colliding with a tree, backing into a parked car and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible on your Frontier to bring the cost down.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many California drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (California limits are 15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family.
Liability car insurance – Liability coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. It protects YOU from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see values of 15/30/5 which stand for a limit of $15,000 per injured person, a total of $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $5,000 for damage to vehicles and property.
Liability can pay for claims like repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical expenses, medical services and pain and suffering. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but consider buying higher limits if possible. California requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should consider buying higher limits.
The illustration below shows why buying the state minimum limits may not be adequate coverage.
One last note
We just presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for Nissan Frontier insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding affordable Nissan Frontier insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the best price on car insurance is with some of the smallest insurance companies.
When getting Oakland car insurance quotes online, don’t be tempted to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, drivers have reduced full coverage and learned later that it was a big error on their part. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
People leave their current company for a variety of reasons including being labeled a high risk driver, unfair underwriting practices, denial of a claim and not issuing a premium refund. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
Much more information about car insurance in California is available below:
- Winter Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for a 20 Year Old Male in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Oakland Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with Good Credit? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for a Dodge Ram in Oakland? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for a Nissan Altima in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Company Car in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Veterans in Oakland? (FAQ)
- Hybrid vehicles cost insurers more (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Drunk Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Learn About Car Insurance (GEICO)