Want to learn the secrets to finding lower-priced Kia Optima insurance in Portland? Consumers who just recently started buying insurance online may discover purchasing the cheapest Kia Optima insurance in Portland can be quite challenging.
How to find better rates for Kia Optima insurance in Portland
The preferred way to get low-cost Kia Optima insurance is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from providers who provide auto insurance in Portland.
Step 1: Try to understand how companies price auto insurance and the changes you can make to prevent rate increases. Many things that cause high rates like high-risk driving behaviors and poor credit history can be eliminated by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
Step 2: Compare price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agencies can quote rates from multiple companies. View insurance agents
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy and determine if cheaper Optima coverage is available in Portland. If you find a lower rate and buy the policy, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
Step 4: Give proper notification to your current agent or company of your intention to cancel your current policy. Submit a down payment along with a completed application to your new company or agent. Immediately upon receiving it, keep the new proof of insurance certificate with your vehicle’s registration.
One important bit of advice is to try to compare similar deductibles and liability limits on each quote request and and to look at as many different companies as possible. Doing this provides an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough price selection.
It’s safe to assume that auto insurance companies don’t want policyholders to compare prices from other companies. Drivers who shop around for a cheaper policy are likely to switch car insurance companies because there is a great chance of finding more affordable rates. A recent survey revealed that drivers who routinely shopped for cheaper coverage saved $3,450 over four years as compared to drivers who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.
If finding low prices for insurance in Portland is your intention, learning the best way to compare auto insurance can make shopping around easier.
Consumers should take time to compare premium rates before your next renewal because car insurance prices change quite often. Just because you had the best price on Kia Optima insurance in Portland a year ago a different company probably has better rate quotes today. You can find a lot of wrong information about Optima insurance on the web, but you can learn some great ideas on how to lower your car insurance rates in Portland.
If you have car insurance now, you will definitely be able to save money using the concepts covered in this article. Our objective is to introduce you to how to compare rates easily and some tricks to saving. Although Oregon vehicle owners need to learn how insurance companies calculate your policy premium because it can help you find the best coverage.
Kia Optima insurance discounts in Portland
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there could be available discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some discounts apply automatically at the time you complete a quote, but some must be asked for prior to getting the savings.
- Early Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you can avoid the installment charge.
- Driver Training Discounts – Taking time to complete a driver safety course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
- Early Renewal Discounts – A few car insurance companies offer discounts for switching companies before your current coverage expires. Ten percent is about the average savings.
- Bundled Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies and insure them with the same company you could save as much as 10 to 15 percent.
- Military Rewards – Being on active deployment in the military can result in better car insurance rates.
As a sidenote, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think it’s possible to get free car insurance, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
The information below visualizes the comparison of Kia Optima car insurance rates with and without discounts. The premiums are based on a female driver, no claims or violations, Oregon state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, claim-free, marriage, safe-driver, multi-policy, and multi-car discounts applied.
To choose insurers that have a full spectrum of discounts in Portland, click this link.
How to shop Kia Optima insurance online
When shopping for Kia Optima insurance in Portland there are multiple ways of comparing rate quotes from many different Oregon insurance companies. One of the best ways to do a complete rate comparison is to perform an online rate comparison.
Just keep in mind that comparing all the rates in your area provides better odds of finding a lower rate. Not every company does rate quotes online, so you need to compare price estimates from those companies as well.
The car insurance companies shown below have been selected to offer comparison quotes in Portland, OR. To buy cheap car insurance in Portland, we recommend you visit as many as you can in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Kia Optima insurance analysis
The price information displayed below outlines a range of insurance coverage prices for Kia Optima models. Learning as much as possible about how insurance premiums are determined can help guide drivers when making smart choices when buying a car insurance policy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optima LX | $148 | $256 | $368 | $22 | $110 | $904 | $75 |
| Optima EX | $166 | $302 | $368 | $22 | $110 | $968 | $81 |
| Optima SX | $166 | $302 | $368 | $22 | $110 | $968 | $81 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Premium data assumes married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can lower or raise prices considerably.
How high should deductibles be?
One of the most common car insurance questions is at what level do you set your deductibles. The figures shown below may help to conceptualize the costs and benefits of buying low and high physical damage coverage deductibles. The first rate table uses a $100 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second set of rates uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optima LX | $274 | $496 | $362 | $22 | $108 | $1,287 | $107 |
| Optima EX | $310 | $586 | $362 | $22 | $108 | $1,413 | $118 |
| Optima SX | $310 | $586 | $362 | $22 | $108 | $1,413 | $118 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optima LX | $152 | $262 | $362 | $22 | $108 | $906 | $76 |
| Optima EX | $172 | $308 | $362 | $22 | $108 | $972 | $81 |
| Optima SX | $172 | $308 | $362 | $22 | $108 | $972 | $81 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Prices do not factor in Portland location which can lower or raise price quotes noticeably.
We can estimate from the data above that using a $100 deductible costs approximately $35 more each month or $420 annually than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $900 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you usually have at a minimum 26 months between claims, you would save money if you elect the higher deductible.
Rate comparison of males versus females in Portland
The information below visualizes the comparison of Kia Optima annual premium costs for male and female drivers. The rates are based on no claims or violations, full coverage, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Difference between full coverage and liability only rates
The example below compares Kia Optima auto insurance costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The rate quotes are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are factored in.
Should you buy full coverage or liability only?
There is no set guideline for phasing out physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s say your Kia Optima claim settlement value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company would pay you is $6,000 after the deductible is paid. If premium cost is more than $600 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some circumstances where only buying liability is not advised. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.
Informed Drivers Can Cut Insurance Costs
Many factors are used when pricing auto insurance. Some factors are common sense like an MVR report, but other factors are less apparent such as your marital status or your vehicle rating. The best way to find cheaper car insurance is to take a look at some of the elements that help calculate your premiums. If you know what determines base rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get big savings.
- Location can influence price – Having an address in a small town may provide you with better prices when buying car insurance. Fewer drivers and short commutes translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. People who live in big cities have to deal with traffic congestion and longer commutes to work. Higher commute times means higher likelihood of an accident.
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Teenage vs. experienced drivers – Young drivers in Oregon tend to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle so they pay higher car insurance rates. Older, more experienced drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, tend to file fewer claims, and get fewer tickets.
The following data uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
- The more you drive the more you pay – Driving more miles annually the more you’ll pay to insure it. A lot of insurance companies rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars that are left in the garage can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Having the wrong rating on your Optima is just wasting money. It’s always a good idea to double check that your car insurance policy properly reflects annual mileage.
- Small coverages can add up – Policies have extra add-on coverages that sound like a good idea at the time when buying car insurance. Insurance for rental car coverage, high-cost glass coverage, and Farm Bureau memberships may be costing you every month. They may sound like good ideas when deciding what coverages you need, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
- Stress out and pay more – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Careers like judges, architects, and medical professionals usually pay higher rates than average attributed to intense work-related stress and lots of time spent away from family. On the other hand, careers like farmers, engineers and performers generally pay rates lower than average.
- Multiple policies with one company can save – Lots of insurance companies will give better rates to policyholders that buy multiple policies. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount applied, you still need to check prices from other companies to make sure you are getting the best deal.
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Insurance loss data for Kia Optima vehicles – Auto insurance companies analyze past claim statistics when they calculate premium rates for each model. Vehicles that have higher claim frequency or loss amount will cost more for coverage. The table shown below demonstrates the insurance loss data used by companies for Kia Optima vehicles.
For each policy coverage, the claim amount for all vehicles combined as an average is considered to be 100. Percentage numbers below 100 are indicative of better than average losses, while numbers shown that are more than 100 indicate a higher chance of having a claim or tendency to have higher losses.
Kia Optima Insurance Loss Statistics Vehicle Make and Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Kia Optima 115 101 107 133 142 120 Kia Optima Hybrid 143 115 116 139 158 151 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEStatistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Local agents and insurance
Many drivers just want to have an agent’s advice and that is just fine! One of the benefits of getting free rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. Putting coverage with local agencies is definitely important in Portland.
After filling out this quick form, the coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents in Portland who can give free rate quotes to get your business. You won’t need to contact any agents because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. You can find lower rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you need to compare rates from a particular provider, feel free to visit that company’s website and submit a quote form there.
The type of auto insurance agent you choose is important
If you prefer to buy insurance from a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agencies in Portland are either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Independent Insurance Agents (or Brokers)
Agents that choose to be independent are not locked into one company so they can write business through many different insurance companies and get you the best rates possible. If premiums increase, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to switch agencies.
When comparing insurance rates, you absolutely need to check rates from independent agents for maximum quote selection. Many can place coverage with mutual insurance companies that many times have cheaper rates.
Shown below is a small list of independent agencies in Portland that may be able to give you comparison quotes.
- Focus 1 Insurance
1500 NW 18th Ave #107 – Portland, OR 97209 – (503) 206-6588 – View Map - Matthew K Barnett Agency
3332 N Lombard St – Portland, OR 97217 – (503) 285-2546 – View Map - Fox Insurance Agency
1819 SW 5th Ave – Portland, OR 97201 – (503) 277-2300 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive can only provide pricing for a single company and some examples include American Family, State Farm, and AAA. They generally cannot shop your coverage around so keep that in mind. Exclusive insurance agents are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps them sell on service rather than price. Consumers often buy from exclusive agents partially due to the prominent brand name and strong financial ratings.
Below are Portland exclusive insurance agents who can help you get rate quotes.
- Lidia Mazun – State Farm Insurance Agent
11916 SE Division St – Portland, OR 97266 – (503) 761-1444 – View Map - H.Q. La – State Farm Insurance Agent
1827 NE 44th Ave #110 – Portland, OR 97213 – (503) 236-3776 – View Map - Reggie Guyton – State Farm Insurance Agent
8180 N Lombard St – Portland, OR 97203 – (503) 289-3601 – View Map
Picking an car insurance agent should include more criteria than just the price. Any agent in Portland should be willing to answer these questions.
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- Is the agency active in community causes in Portland?
- Can you contact them at any time?
- Are they involved in claim handling?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
Auto insurance is an important decision
Despite the high cost, buying auto insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.
- Almost all states have minimum liability requirements which means state laws require specific minimum amounts of liability if you don’t want to risk a ticket. In Oregon these limits are 25/50/20 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $20,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you have a lien on your Optima, most banks will make it mandatory that you have insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender may insure your Kia at a significantly higher premium and force you to reimburse them for it.
- Insurance safeguards both your assets and your vehicle. Insurance will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay to defend you if you are sued as the result of an accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of insuring your car definitely exceed the cost, especially for larger claims. Today the average American driver overpays more than $750 every year so compare quotes from several companies each time the policy renews to be sure current rates are still competitive.
One last thing to lower rates
Budget-conscious Kia Optima insurance can be purchased from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Portland, so you need to quote Portland auto insurance with both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies may not have online rate quotes and many times these small insurance companies provide coverage only through independent agents.
As you restructure your insurance plan, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many cases where an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price and still be able to protect your assets.
People leave their current company for any number of reasons including high prices, being labeled a high risk driver, denial of a claim and an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, switching car insurance companies is less work than it seems.
How to save on Kia Optima insurance in Portland
If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get affordable auto insurance rates is to regularly compare prices from different companies who sell insurance in Portland.
- First, try to understand how companies price auto insurance and the steps you can take to prevent rate increases. Many rating criteria that result in higher rates such as accidents, careless driving, and an unacceptable credit rating can be controlled by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
- Second, obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can provide prices from multiple insurance companies. Start a quote
- Third, compare the quotes to your existing coverage and determine if cheaper Optima coverage is available in Portland. If you can save money, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
The key thing to know about shopping around is to try to compare identical coverages on each price quote and and to get rate quotes from as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this provides an apples-to-apples comparison and the best price selection.
More detailed car insurance information is located at these sites:
- Property Damage Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Single Moms in Portland? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a 20 Year Old Male in Portland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for a Company Car in Portland? (FAQ)
- Your Car has been Stolen: Now What? (Allstate)
- Reducing Your Risks in a Car Crash Video (iihs.org)