Compare Hummer H3 Insurance Rates in San Francisco

Really, the only way to get cheaper Hummer H3 insurance in San Francisco is to start doing a yearly price comparison from companies who sell insurance in California. Rate comparisons can be done by following these guidelines.

1. Try to understand how car insurance works and the things you can control to keep rates low. Many risk factors that cause rate increases like traffic violations, accidents, and a not-so-good credit history can be remedied by being financially responsible and driving safely. This article provides more information to help prevent expensive coverage and get discounts that may be available to you.
2. Quote rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes from many different companies.
3. Compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you can save some money, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.

The critical component of shopping around is that you’ll want to make sure you compare similar coverage information on every price quote and and to get prices from every insurance company. Doing this provides a fair price comparison and a better comparison of the market.

Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that over 70% of consumers have been with the same company for at least the last four years, and just short of a majority have never compared quotes from other companies. California insurance shoppers could save as much as 35% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they underestimate the big savings they would realize if they just switched companies.

When looking for inexpensive San Francisco auto insurance quotes, there are a couple ways to compare rate quotes from local San Francisco insurance companies. The fastest way to find the lowest Hummer H3 rates is to jump online and get quotes.

When comparing insurance rates, know that comparing more prices increases your odds of finding a better price. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide online San Francisco H3 insurance quotes, so you need to compare price estimates from them, too.

The auto insurance companies shown below are ready to provide quotes in California. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you visit two to three different companies to find the most competitive auto insurance rates.

Discounts mean cheaper rates for Hummer H3 insurance in San Francisco

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don’t even know exist. Certain reductions will be credited at the time of purchase, but a few must be inquired about in order for you to get them. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you could be saving more on your insurance.

• Student Discounts – Performing well in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Many companies even apply the discount to college students up to age 25.
• E-sign Discounts – Some insurance companies provide a small discount for buying your policy on their website.
• Discount for Multiple Policies – If you can combine your homeowners and auto policy and place coverage with the same company you could earn a discount of at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
• Anti-lock Brakes – Cars and trucks with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• College Student Discount – Youth drivers who live away from home at college and do not take a car to college could qualify for this discount.
• Accident Forgiveness – This isn’t a discount exactly, but companies like State Farm, Progressive and GEICO will let one accident slide without getting socked with a rate hike with the catch being you have to be claim-free before the accident.
• Active Service Discounts – Being on active duty in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts may be able to save a few bucks on medical payment and PIP coverage.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Teen drivers should enroll and complete driver’s education if it’s offered in school.

We need to note that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. Any qualifying discounts will help lower your policy cost.

The chart below shows the difference between Hummer H3 insurance costs with and without some available policy discounts. The rate quotes are based on a male driver, no claims, a clean driving record, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-policy, homeowner, claim-free, multi-car, and safe-driver discounts applied.

Car insurance companies that may offer quotes with these benefits include:

• GEICO
• Mercury Insurance
• Farmers Insurance
• Auto-Owners Insurance
• Liberty Mutual
• SAFECO
• Progressive
• USAA

If you need lower rates, check with every insurance company to give you their best rates. Some credits may not apply to policyholders in every state.

Car insurance data for a Hummer H3

The rate table displayed below highlights estimates of rate quotes for Hummer H3 models. Being able to understand how rates are established can be of help when making informed decisions when comparing rates.

Data based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in specific location which can affect premiums greatly.

Can higher deductibles save money?

When comparing car insurance rates, the most common question is how high should the physical damage coverage deductibles be. The tables below may help you to understand the rate difference when you choose different physical damage coverage deductibles. The first data set uses a $100 physical damage deductible and the second price table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium costs do not factor in specific San Francisco garaging location which can revise coverage rates greatly.

Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $100 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $50 more each month or $600 each year than requesting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $900 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you average at a minimum 18 months between claim filings, you would probably save some money by selecting a higher deductible.

The illustration below illustrates how your deductible choice and can change Hummer H3 premium costs for different categories of driver ages. The price estimates are based on a single male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are factored in.

Full coverage rates compared to liability-only

The example below compares Hummer H3 yearly insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The premiums assume no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied.

Are you wasting money on full coverage?

There is no definitive guideline that works best for making the decision to drop comp and collision coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than about 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Hummer H3 replacement cost is $6,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most your company would pay you is $5,000 after paying your policy deductible. If you are paying in excess of $500 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

There are a few situations where dropping physical damage coverage is not advised. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you must maintain physical damage coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should not consider dropping full coverage.

Compare rate quotes but buy from a local neighborhood San Francisco car insurance agent

Many people just want to talk to an insurance agent and that can be a smart move An additional benefit of comparing auto insurance online is you may find cheap rate quotes but still work with a licensed agent.

To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), the quote information is transmitted to participating agents in San Francisco who can give free rate quotes for your auto insurance coverage. You won’t need to find an agent since rate quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. It’s the lowest rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If you want to get a rate quote from one company in particular, you can always visit that company’s website and fill out their quote form.

Choosing the best company requires more thought than just the price. Any agent in San Francisco should have no problem answering these questions:

• Can they give you a list of client referrals?
• How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
• Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
• Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
• How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?

If you want to buy auto insurance from a reputable agency, there are a couple of types of agencies and how they operate. San Francisco agents may be either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).

Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents

These type of agents generally can only insure with one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. These agents are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques and that enables them to sell even at higher rates. A lot of people buy from the same agent for years mainly due to the brand rather than having the cheapest rates.

The following are San Francisco exclusive agents who can help you get price quote information.

• Jing Lee – State Farm Insurance Agent
  4444 Geary Blvd #300 – San Francisco, CA 94118 – (415) 752-8888 – View Map
• Toan Tieu – State Farm Insurance Agent
  690 Monterey Blvd – San Francisco, CA 94127 – (415) 610-8000 – View Map
• Kajal Pashmi – State Farm Insurance Agent
  3138 Geary Blvd – San Francisco, CA 94118 – (415) 742-4459 – View Map

View more San Francisco agents

Independent Agents

Agents in the independent channel do not sell for just one brand so they have the ability to put coverage with many different companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If your premiums go up, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency. If you are trying to find cheaper rates, it’s a good idea to check rates from a couple of independent agencies so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare. Most have the option of insuring with smaller mutual companies that may have much lower rates than larger companies.

The following are independent agents in San Francisco who can help you get comparison quotes.

• Express Service Insurance
  2085 Van Ness Ave – San Francisco, CA 94109 – (415) 440-5136 – View Map
• Al Zeidler Insurance Agency
  1714 Stockton St #417 – San Francisco, CA 94133 – (415) 753-1936 – View Map
• Primeras Insurance Agency
  3339 23rd St – San Francisco, CA 94108 – (415) 829-7312 – View Map

View more San Francisco agents

Tailor your car insurance coverage to you

When buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are unique to you.

For instance, these questions might point out whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.

• Do I need replacement cost coverage on my Hummer H3?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in California?
• Which companies will insure me after a DUI?
• Should I buy only the required California minimum liability coverage?
• Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
• What can I do if my company denied a claim?
• Who is covered when they drive my Hummer H3?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form.

Why You Might Pay Lower Rates in San Francisco

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that come into play when calculating your premiums. If you understand what influences your rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could help you find much lower annual insurance costs. Many things are used when premium rates are determined. Some factors are common sense such as your driving history, although some other factors are less obvious such as your marital status or how safe your car is.

The items below are some of the items companies use to determine your rate level.

Where you reside plays a part – Living in smaller towns and rural areas of the country is a good thing when it comes to auto insurance. Urban drivers have congested traffic and longer commutes to work. Fewer drivers on the road means fewer accidents.

Low credit rating equals high costs – Having a good credit rating can be an important factor in determining what you pay. If your credit score leaves room for improvement, you may save money insuring your Hummer H3 by improving your credit score. People that have very high credit ratings tend to be better risks to insure as compared to drivers with bad credit.

Pay less if you’re married – Having a wife or husband actually saves money when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse is viewed as being more mature and insurance companies like that married drivers get in fewer accidents.

How much liability coverage – Your auto insurance policy’s liability coverage kicks in when a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to other policy coverages, so buy as much as you can afford.

Teenagers vs. older drivers – Teenage drivers in California have a tendency to be inattentive and easily distracted when driving so auto insurance rates are higher. Parents adding a young driver to your policy can cause a big jump in price. More mature drivers have been proven to be more responsible, cost insurance companies less in claims, and receive fewer citations.

The following chart uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

Extra coverages that may not be needed – There are a lot of add-on coverages that you can buy on your H3 policy. Insurance for rental car coverage, better glass coverage, and additional equipment coverage are some examples. These may sound like a good investment initially, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.

What are your deductibles? – Physical damage protection, aka comp and collision, protects your Hummer from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply could be a broken side mirror, damage from fire, and damage caused by flying debris. Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if the claim is covered. The higher the amount you have to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.

Tickets mean higher costs – Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single driving citation may cause rates to rise forty percent or more. People who have careless tickets such as reckless driving or DUI are required to prove financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to legally drive.

The diagram below demonstrates how traffic citations and at-fault fender-benders can increase Hummer H3 auto insurance rates for each different age group. The data is based on a married male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

Why you need Hummer H3 insurance in California

Despite the fact that car insurance is not cheap in San Francisco, insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.

• Most states have minimum liability requirements which means the state requires specific limits of liability protection in order to license the vehicle. 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 your vehicle has a lienholder, most lenders will have a requirement that you buy full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Hummer at a significantly higher premium and require you to fork over for the much more expensive policy.
• Car insurance protects not only your car but also your assets. It also can pay for many types of medical costs for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability coverage also covers legal expenses if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.

The benefits of buying car insurance more than cancel out the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. On average, a vehicle owner in San Francisco is currently overpaying as much as $700 annually so we recommend shopping around at every policy renewal to make sure the price is not too high.

One last thing about your coverage

We’ve covered a lot of tips how to shop for Hummer H3 insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the best rates are with a small local company.

When buying insurance coverage, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

Lower-priced insurance in San Francisco can be found from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, so get free San Francisco auto insurance quotes from both of them so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and these smaller companies prefer to sell through independent insurance agencies.

To learn more, feel free to visit these articles:

• What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with Bad Credit in San Francisco? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest in San Francisco, California? (FAQ)
• New Honda safety features benefit drivers of all ages (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Protecting Teens from Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
• Safety Belts FAQ (iihs.org)
• Avoiding Deer Collisions (Insurance Information Institute)