The recommended way to get discount auto insurance rates in San Francisco is to annually compare prices from providers in California.
- First, try to learn a little about policy coverages and the measures you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that result in higher rates like accidents, traffic tickets, and an imperfect credit history can be rectified by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. Later in this article we will cover more details to get lower rates and get additional discounts that may be available.
- Second, compare rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from multiple sources.
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to your current policy premium and determine if cheaper Milan coverage is available in San Francisco. If you can save some money and make a switch, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Fourth, provide written notification to your current company to cancel the current policy. Submit the signed application along with the required initial payment for your new coverage. Make sure you place the new proof of insurance paperwork above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.
A good tip to remember is to use identical coverage information on each quote request and and to get quotes from as many different companies as possible. Doing this guarantees a fair rate comparison and a complete price analysis.
It’s hard to fathom, but the majority of drivers have stayed with the same insurance company for more than four years, and virtually 40% of consumers have never compared rates from other carriers. Drivers in America could save roughly 46.5% every year, but they just don’t understand the amount of savings they would get if they swap their current policy for a cheaper one.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide comparison quotes in California. If several companies are displayed, it’s highly recommended you visit several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Auto insurance statistics for a Mercury Milan
The coverage information shown next highlights detailed analysis of insurance coverage prices for Mercury Milan models. Being able to understand how policy rates are established can help customers make decisions when choosing a new policy provider.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milan | $204 | $354 | $384 | $22 | $114 | $1,078 | $90 |
Milan Premier | $204 | $418 | $384 | $22 | $114 | $1,142 | $95 |
Milan Premier AWD | $230 | $418 | $384 | $22 | $114 | $1,168 | $97 |
Milan Hybrid | $230 | $418 | $450 | $26 | $134 | $1,258 | $105 |
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Data based on married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Price estimates do not factor in specific location information which can increase or decrease price quotes greatly.
Physical damage deductible comparison
The hardest decision when buying coverage is how high should the physical damage deductibles be. The premium rates below summarize the differences in premium rates between high and low physical damage coverage deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second price table uses a $500 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milan | $380 | $686 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,601 | $133 |
Milan Premier | $380 | $810 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,725 | $144 |
Milan Premier AWD | $430 | $810 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,775 | $148 |
Milan Hybrid | $430 | $810 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,865 | $155 |
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Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Milan | $278 | $464 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,252 | $104 |
Milan Premier | $278 | $546 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,334 | $111 |
Milan Premier AWD | $314 | $546 | $376 | $22 | $112 | $1,370 | $114 |
Milan Hybrid | $314 | $546 | $442 | $26 | $132 | $1,460 | $122 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Premium costs do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can influence coverage prices considerably.
Based on these figures, using a $100 deductible costs roughly $32 more each month or $384 each year than requesting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $400 more out of your own pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go at a minimum 13 months between claim filings, you would come out ahead going with the higher deductible.
How to determine if a higher deductible is a good idea
Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $145 |
Average monthly premium for $500 deductibles (subtract): | – $113 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $32 |
Difference between deductibles ($500 – $100): | $400 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $400 / $32 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 13 months |
One important issue to know is that a higher deductible means you will have to pay more of your own money when you file a claim. You need to have some extra savings in the event you need to pay more for the deductible.
Difference between liability only and full coverage rates
The illustration below illustrates the comparison of Mercury Milan insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The rates are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
When to switch to liability coverage only
There isn’t a steadfast formula of when to drop full coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than about 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your Mercury Milan claim settlement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would receive is $4,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $400 a year to have full coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some conditions where dropping physical damage coverage is not advised. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Lower your auto insurance rates with discounts
Not too many consumers would say auto insurance is affordable, but you may be missing some discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some of these discounts will be visible at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be inquired about before being credited.
- No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts in comparison to drivers who are more careless.
- Clubs and Organizations – Belonging to certain professional organizations may earn a discount when getting a San Francisco auto insurance quote.
- Homeowners Savings – Simply owning a home can save a few bucks since home ownership requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Seat Belt Usage – Forcing all vehicle occupants to buckle their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Resident Student – Children who live away from home at college and do not take a car to college can receive lower rates.
- Theft Deterrent Discount – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save up to 40% or more on their San Francisco auto insurance quote compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
As is typical with insurance, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.
The illustration below shows the difference between Mercury Milan yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied. The data assumes a female driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, marriage, safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-policy discounts applied.
To see a list of providers who offer online Mercury Milan insurance quotes in California, click here to view.
Insurance is not optional but you don’t have to overpay
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Mercury Milan in San Francisco, insurance serves several important purposes.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability coverage if you drive a 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 you bought your Mercury Milan with a loan, most banks will make it mandatory that you buy full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Mercury at an extremely high rate and require you to pay the higher price.
- Insurance safeguards your Mercury and your assets. It will also pay for most medical and hospital costs that are the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, your policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of having insurance greatly outweigh the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. But the average driver in California overpays more than $850 per year so you should quote your policy with other companies at least once a year to ensure rates are inline.
Comparing prices from local San Francisco auto insurance agents
Some people just want to visit with an insurance agent and often times that is recommended Agents will help you protect your assets and help submit paperwork. A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is you may find cheap insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To find an agent, once you fill out this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is sent to insurance agents in San Francisco who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to your email. If you need to get a rate quote for a specific company, you just need to go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.
Deciding on a insurance company shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- If they are an independent agency in San Francisco, which companies do they recommend?
- How long has the business existed?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Will the agent help in case of a claim?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Can glass claims be handled at your home?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
Pick the best car insurance agent in San Francisco for you
If you want to use a good San Francisco insurance agent, there are two different types of agencies from which to choose. Insurance agents in San Francisco are classified as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Both do a good job, but it’s important to point out how they are different because it can influence which type of agent you select.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive agents can only provide one company’s prices like Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide other company’s prices so keep that in mind. These agents are well schooled on their company’s products which can be an advantage.
The following are exclusive agencies in San Francisco willing to provide price quote information.
Kiet Nguyen – State Farm Insurance Agent
4198 Mission St – San Francisco, CA 94112 – (415) 587-1880 – View Map
Cliff Young – State Farm Insurance Agent
1636 Irving St a – San Francisco, CA 94122 – (415) 665-5118 – View Map
Traci Hollander – State Farm Insurance Agent
1501 Church St – San Francisco, CA 94131 – (415) 647-3007 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent agencies are appointed with more than one company and that gives them the ability to insure with lots of companies and find you the best rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, your policy is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.
When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you get some free quotes from multiple independent agents so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
Below are San Francisco independent insurance agents that are able to give price quote information.
Carrie Insurance
2126 Sutter St – San Francisco, CA 94115 – (415) 567-7660 – View Map
United General Insurance Agency
3150 California St Ste 4A – San Francisco, CA 94115 – (415) 922-7283 – View Map
Steven Cresci Insurance Agency
544 Golden Gate Ave – San Francisco, CA 94102 – (415) 212-8190 – View Map