The words “bargain” and “auto insurance” really shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, in particular when searching for the lowest insurance rates for teachers. Because of the high cost, let’s familiarize you with some things that have an effect on car insurance rates, and find out if you can take the sting out of your next policy.
For teachers and educators, one of the big things that are looked at to help calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you normally keep your vehicle in San Francisco. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas with less congestion have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.
The table below ranks the priciest cities in California for teachers to buy auto insurance in. San Francisco is listed at #3 with an annual rate of $1,745 for the average insured, which is about $145 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,704 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 8 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 10 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 11 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 12 | Riverside | $1,527 |
| 13 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 14 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 15 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 17 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,395 |
| 19 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 20 | San Diego | $1,381 |
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Information shown are approximated as vehicle location can revise coverage rates substantially.
Locating cost effective insurance is confusing at best, and deciding which insurers offer the cheapest auto insurance rates for teachers involves a little more work. Each auto insurance company has a proprietary formula to establish rates, so we need to take a look at the most budget-friendly auto insurance companies in San Francisco.
It’s important to understand that California auto insurance rates are based on many factors that control the price of coverage. Things like having a birthday, moving across town, or getting a couple of tickets can cause premium changes resulting in some rates now being higher-priced than the competition.
Best Insurance Companies for Educators
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,214 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,603 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,638 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
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USAA may offer some of the lowest car insurance rates in San Francisco at around $1,121 a year. This is $530 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the lowest-priced San Francisco, CA insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you have coverage with CSAA and switched to USAA, you could see yearly savings of roughly $113. Customers with Nationwide may save as much as $129 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might lower prices by up to $258 a year.
Be aware that those rates are averaged for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not figured with a vehicle location for teachers. So the company that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to get quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
The example below shows how choosing a deductible can increase or decrease insurance costs when searching for cheap insurance for teachers. The premiums are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
In the chart above, a 50-year-old driver could reduce rates by $350 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $530 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, like the 20-year-old example, can cut up to $888 annually just by choosing larger deductibles. If you do make the decision to raise your deductibles, it is important to have enough spare savings to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. This is the primary disadvantage of choosing high deductibles.
Comparison of full coverage and liability-only policies
Buying cheaper auto insurance is the goal of the majority of drivers, and one great way to reduce the cost of insurance for teachers is to not buy full coverage. The information below shows the difference between premium costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. Data assumes no tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If we average all the age groups together, physical damage insurance costs an additional $3,147 per year more than insuring for liability only. Many drivers will wonder if it’s worth it to buy full coverage. There is no clear-cut rule of when to phase out comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of full coverage is 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s replacement cost is $10,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would receive is $9,000 after you pay the deductible. If you are paying over $900 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
There are a few situations where buying only liability insurance is not a good plan. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not remove full coverage.
Finding the top company is hard considering how many companies there are in San Francisco. The ranking data below could help you analyze which coverage providers to look at when trying find the best insurance for teachers.
These rankings only include companies that insure vehicles across America, so companies that only write business in California or surrounding areas are not included in this list. To get price quotes and find the cheapest rates for teachers, follow this link.
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers in San Francisco Ranked by A.M. Best Rating
- USAA – A++
- Travelers – A++
- State Farm – A++
- GEICO – A++
- Esurance – A+
- Nationwide – A+
- Allstate – A+
- Mercury Insurance – A+
- Progressive – A+
- Titan Insurance – A+
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers in San Francisco Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
Ideas for finding budget-friendly car insurance for teachers
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are many money-saving suggestions that can help California drivers find cheaper coverage.
- If possible, pay for small claims out-of-pocket
- Multi-policy discounts save money
- Prevent rate increases by staying accident-free
- On older vehicles, drop full coverage
- Do not get traffic violations
- Buy safe vehicles
- Compare prices frequently to find the best deal
That final tip is highly necessary, as was pointed out in the article above. Car insurance rates can be modified anytime, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to change insurance companies if you find a better deal. Sticking with a specific company is fine, but it’s not a great idea if that stubbornness costs you a considerable chunk of change every month. It only take a few minutes to compare rates to find cheaper insurance for teachers in San Francisco.