It’s a fact that auto insurance companies want to keep you from shopping around. People who shop rates annually will presumably buy a new policy because of the good chance of finding lower prices. A study showed that consumers who make a habit of shopping around saved on average $860 a year compared to drivers who never compared prices.
If finding the lowest price for Chevy Bolt insurance is the reason you’re here, then having a grasp of how to get rate quotes and compare cheaper coverage can save time and make the process easier.
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to get cheaper Chevy Bolt insurance is to begin comparing prices regularly from providers who sell insurance in San Francisco. This can be done by following these guidelines.
- Step 1: Get an understanding of policy coverages and the measures you can control to lower rates. Many policy risk factors that result in higher rates such as inattentive driving and your credit history can be remedied by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. This article provides more ideas to help prevent high rates and earn a bigger discount.
- Step 2: Get rate quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can provide rates from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can provide prices from multiple companies. Select a company
- Step 3: Compare the new rates to the price on your current policy and determine if cheaper Bolt coverage is available. If you find a better price and change companies, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Step 4: Notify your agent or company of your intention to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit a down payment along with a signed application to the new company. As soon as coverage is bound, keep your new certificate verifying proof of insurance with the vehicle registration.
The most important part of shopping around is to use identical limits and deductibles on each quote and and to get prices from as many carriers as you can. Doing this ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete selection of prices.
Cheap companies for Chevy Bolt insurance
The companies in the list below are ready to provide free quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, it’s a good idea that you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.
Choices You Make Can Impact Your Insurance Premiums
Lots of factors are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic such as traffic violations, although others are less obvious such as your marital status or how safe your car is. When buying auto insurance it’s important to understand the rating factors that come into play when calculating your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could help you find lower premium levels.
- Rental and towing coverage may not be needed – There are a lot of additional coverages you can purchase if you aren’t diligent. Coverages like personal injury protection, towing, and term life insurance are some examples. They may seem good when deciding what coverages you need, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Multiple policies with one company can save – Lots of insurance companies will give a discount to clients who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. Drivers may still save even more than the discount by buying insurance from more than one company.
- High performance equals high prices – The performance of the vehicle you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a substantial difference in the rate you pay. The cheapest rates are for small economy passenger cars, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
- Gaps in coverage mean higher premiums – Driving without insurance can get your license suspended and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. And not only will your rates increase, being ticketed for driving with no insurance may earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. Then you may be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the California motor vehicle department.
- High physical damage deductibles equal low rates – Deductibles for physical damage state the amount of money you are required to pay in the event of a claim. Physical damage coverage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims would be rear-ending another vehicle, damage from fire, and damage from wind. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
- Your vocation may affect prices – Occupations like doctors, air traffic controllers, and accountants tend to pay higher premiums than the average policyholder in part from stressful work requirements and long work hours. On the other hand, careers such as scientists, engineers and homemakers pay lower than average rates.
- Use credit responsibly and save – Credit history factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. Insureds with very good credit scores tend to be more responsible than those with lower ratings. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could be paying less to insure your Chevrolet Bolt by improving your rating.
Affordable rates by getting discounts
Companies offering auto insurance do not list all discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so below is a list both well-publicized as well as some of the hidden insurance savings. If you are not receiving all the discounts you deserve, you are not getting the best rate possible.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers successfully complete driver’s ed class as it can save substantially.
- Early Signing – Some larger companies provide a discount for switching companies prior to the expiration date on your current Bolt insurance policy. It can save you around 10%.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but some insurance companies will turn a blind eye to one accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you haven’t had any claims for a specific time period.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of more than 20%.
- Government Employee Discount – Having worked for a branch of the government could cut as much as 10% off with a few insurance companies.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky.
The best insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are shown below.
- State Farm offers discounts for good student, passive restraint, student away at school, Drive Safe & Save, and good driver.
- American Family discounts include bundled insurance, good driver, TimeAway discount, multi-vehicle, and accident-free.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including air bags, five-year accident-free, military active duty, seat belt use, and membership and employees.
- 21st Century offers premium reductions for defensive driver, 55 and older, student driver, driver training, theft prevention, and automatic seat belts.
- Progressive may offer discounts for online signing, online quote discount, good student, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
Check with each insurance company what discounts are available to you. A few discounts might not be offered in every state. If you would like to see a list of insurers that offer multiple discounts in San Francisco, click here.
Insurance quotes from local neighborhood San Francisco car insurance agents
A lot of people still like to sit down and talk to an agent and we recommend doing that A nice benefit of comparing insurance online is the fact that you can find the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local insurance agents is especially important in San Francisco.
Upon completion of this quick form, your insurance data is transmitted to insurance agents in San Francisco that provide free San Francisco car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent to your email. You can most likely find cheaper rates AND an agent nearby. In the event you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance provider, you can always go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.
Auto insurance agents in San Francisco come in two varieties
When researching a local San Francisco insurance agency, there are two different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. San Francisco agents can be described as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Independent Insurance Agencies
Agents that elect to be independent often have many company appointments so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies and find you cheaper rates. If they find a lower price, the agent simply finds a different carrier and the insured can keep the same agent. If you are comparing rate quotes, you will definitely want to get insurance quotes from several independent agencies for maximum quote selection.
Featured below are independent agents in San Francisco who can help you get rate quotes.
Wang Insurance
2620 Judah St – San Francisco, CA 94122 – (415) 731-7062 – View Map
Sam and Associates Insurance Agency
2225 Taraval St – San Francisco, CA 94116 – (415) 665-0181 – View Map
Carrie Insurance
2126 Sutter St – San Francisco, CA 94115 – (415) 567-7660 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
These agents can usually just insure with one company and some examples include Allstate and State Farm. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agencies are highly trained on their company’s products and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
Below are San Francisco exclusive insurance agencies that can give you rate quotes.
Joshin Bruguera – State Farm Insurance Agent
399 Cortland Ave – San Francisco, CA 94110 – (415) 821-3600 – View Map
Ron Burks – State Farm Insurance Agent
220 Montgomery St #480 – San Francisco, CA 94104 – (415) 397-2994 – View Map
Linda Williams – State Farm Insurance Agent
1536 20th St – San Francisco, CA 94107 – (415) 648-1155 – View Map
Choosing an insurance agency requires you to look at more than just the premium amount. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
- Will high miles depreciate repair valuations?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
- How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
If you receive good answers to any questions you may have in addition to an acceptable price estimate, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that will properly service your insurance policy.
The lowest rates come from being thorough
We just covered some good ideas how you can shop for Chevy Bolt insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding affordable San Francisco car insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the biggest savings come from a smaller regional carrier. These smaller insurers may often insure only within specific states and give better rates than their larger competitors like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
As you quote San Francisco car insurance, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed full coverage and discovered at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price.
Additional information
- Uninsured Motorists: Threats on the Road (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable San Francisco Auto Insurance Quotes for a Toyota RAV4? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for State Employees in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Uninsured Drivers in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable San Francisco Car Insurance Quotes for Unemployed Drivers? (FAQ)
- Older Drivers FAQ (iihs.org)
- How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Determines the Price of My Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Auto Theft Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)