Saving money on Mercury Mountaineer insurance in San Francisco can seem to be very difficult for drivers who are beginners to shopping for insurance online. With such a large number of companies in the marketplace, it can quickly become a difficult mission to find the best price in California on Mercury Mountaineer insurance.
It’s an obvious conclusion that auto insurance companies don’t want you to compare rates. Drivers who get comparison quotes once a year will probably buy a new policy because they have good chances of finding a more affordable policy. A recent auto insurance study discovered that drivers who did price comparisons regularly saved approximately $850 each year compared to people who never compared prices.
If finding the cheapest price on Mercury Mountaineer insurance is why you’re here, knowing how to quote prices and compare auto insurance can make it easier for you to save money.
It’s a great practice to price shop coverage once or twice a year because insurance prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Even if you got the best deal on Mercury Mountaineer insurance in San Francisco six months ago the chances are good that you can find a lower premium rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because I’m going to teach you how to quote online to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
The goal of this article is to teach you the best ways to compare prices and also save some money in the process If you have a current insurance policy, you should be able to reduce premiums using this information. Although California vehicle owners can benefit by having an understanding of how insurance companies calculate your policy premium because it can help you find the best coverage.
When comparing insurance rates, know that comparing a wide range of rates will improve the odds of getting better pricing. Some regional insurers cannot provide online price quotes, so it’s necessary to compare rates from the smaller companies as well.
The companies shown below provide price comparisons in California. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you get rates from several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Do you qualify for discounts on Mercury Mountaineer insurance in San Francisco?
Some providers don’t always publicize all possible discounts very well, so the list below details some of the best known and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Putting car insurance coverage on a new Mountaineer can save up to 30% since newer vehicles are generally safer.
- Student in College – Children who attend college more than 100 miles from San Francisco and do not take a car to college could get you a discount.
- Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
- E-sign Discounts – A handful of larger companies provide a small discount just for signing your application digitally online.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having an actively deployed family member could be rewarded with lower prices.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more on Mountaineer insurance in San Francisco.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with ABS and/or traction control can avoid accidents and the ABS can save up to 10%.
A little disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
The example below compares Mercury Mountaineer annual premium costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The information is based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, multi-car, safe-driver, multi-policy, marriage, and claim-free discounts applied.
A list of companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are included below.
- American Family offers discounts for early bird, Steer into Savings, air bags, good driver, defensive driver, and TimeAway discount.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for accident-free, safe vehicle, student away at school, good driver, good student, and multiple autos.
- 21st Century includes discounts for teen driver, 55 and older, theft prevention, defensive driver, student driver, and homeowners.
- Travelers offers discounts including payment discounts, student away at school, multi-policy, home ownership, continuous insurance, and save driver.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including emergency military deployment, driver training, anti-theft, multi-vehicle, and military active duty.
Check with every prospective company which discounts can lower your rates. Discounts may not be offered everywhere. If you would like to view insurers who offer free Mercury Mountaineer insurance quotes in San Francisco, click this link.
Analysis of coverages
The rate information below showcases estimates of coverage costs for Mercury Mountaineer models. Learning how rates are calculated can assist in making informed coverage decisions.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountaineer 2WD | $216 | $394 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,186 | $99 |
| Mountaineer AWD | $244 | $394 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,214 | $101 |
| Mountaineer Premier 2WD | $244 | $464 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,284 | $107 |
| Mountaineer Premier AWD | $244 | $464 | $424 | $26 | $126 | $1,284 | $107 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data assumes married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in specific San Francisco garaging location which can change premium rates noticeably.
The illustration below highlights how deductible choice and can increase or decrease Mercury Mountaineer insurance costs for each different age group. The data assumes a single male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Local insurance agents
A small number of people just want to have an agent’s advice and that is recommended in a lot of cases An additional benefit of comparing rates online is you can get better rates and still choose a local agent. And supporting neighborhood agents is important particularly in San Francisco.
After filling out this simple form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents in San Francisco who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no need to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to your email address. You can find the lowest rates without requiring a lot of work. If for some reason you want to compare prices from a specific insurance company, feel free to jump over to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Types of auto insurance agents
If you want a local agent, it’s important to understand the types of agencies that you can select. Insurance policy providers can be classified as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents that elect to be independent are appointed with more than one company and that enables them to quote your coverage with a variety of different insurance companies and get the cheapest rates. If they find a lower price, your policy is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When comparing rates, we highly recommend that you get quotes from a few independent agents for the best price selection. Most also write with different regional companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Featured below are San Francisco independent agencies that may be able to give free insurance quotes.
- Milber Health Insurance Agent
1492 11th Ave – San Francisco, CA 94122 – (415) 564-8829 – View Map - Steven Cresci Insurance Agency
544 Golden Gate Ave – San Francisco, CA 94102 – (415) 212-8190 – View Map - Carrie Insurance
2126 Sutter St – San Francisco, CA 94115 – (415) 567-7660 – View Map
View more San Francisco agents
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
These type of agents have only one company to place business with and examples are Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They generally cannot shop your coverage around so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive insurance agents receive extensive training on their products and sales techniques which aids in selling service over price. Many people buy from the same agent for years primarily because of the prominent brand name and solid financial strength.
Shown below are exclusive agencies in San Francisco that can give you rate quotes.
- Walter Li – State Farm Insurance Agent
1329 Chestnut St – San Francisco, CA 94123 – (415) 346-1000 – View Map - Tiffany Won – State Farm Insurance Agent
1250 Missouri St Unit 305 – San Francisco, CA 94107 – (415) 872-5734 – View Map - Wilson Chan – State Farm Insurance Agent
25 Division St #200 – San Francisco, CA 94103 – (415) 593-8802 – View Map
View more San Francisco agents
Choosing the best auto insurance agent should include more criteria than just the quoted price. The following questions are important to ask.
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- Can you use your own choice of collision repair facility?
- Do they reduce claim amounts on high mileage vehicles?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Has the agent ever had any license suspensions?
- When do they do policy reviews?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
When do I need an agent’s advice?
When it comes to adequate coverage for your vehicles, there is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply.
These are some specific questions could help you determine if your insurance needs might need professional guidance.
- Can I use my car for my catering business?
- Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
- What if a claim settlement is too low?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in California?
- What does roadside assistance cover?
- What is the minimum liability in California?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in San Francisco?
- Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Four factors that influence insurance premiums
When buying insurance it’s important to understand the different types of things that aid in calculating your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that may result in lower premium levels.
The itemized list below are just a few of the factors used by companies to determine your rate level.
- Bundle policies with the same company – Most larger companies afford better rates to customers who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you qualify for this discount already, you still need to get quotes from other companies to help ensure you have the lowest rates.
- Bad credit hurts insurance prices – Your credit history can be a huge factor in calculating your premium rate. So if your credit leaves room for improvement, you could be paying less to insure your Mercury Mountaineer if you improve your credit rating. Consumers who have high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims than drivers who have lower ratings.
- Long commutes cost more – The more you drive annually the higher your rates will be. Most companies charge rates partially by how you use the vehicle. Cars used primarily for pleasure use cost less to insure as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Ask your agent if your insurance declarations sheet is rated on annual mileage, because it can save money. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Mountaineer is just wasting money.
- Do you have a stressful employer? – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Jobs like judges, social workers, and miners are shown to have higher premium rates attributed to high stress levels and long work hours. On the flip side, occupations such as actors, historians and the unemployed receive lower rates.
Choosing vehicle insurance is an important decision
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Mercury Mountaineer in San Francisco, buying insurance is required by state law in California and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.
- Almost all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to buy a minimum amount of liability insurance in order to be legal. 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 Mercury has a loan, it’s guaranteed your bank will make it a condition of the loan that you have physical damage coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the lender will be forced to insure your Mercury for a much higher rate and force you to pay for it.
- Insurance protects not only your Mercury but also your financial assets. It also can pay for medical expenses for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability coverage also covers legal expenses if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you have damage to your Mercury as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of buying enough insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. The average driver in America overpays more than $820 a year so it’s important to compare rates at every renewal to save money.
Final considerations
Budget-conscious Mercury Mountaineer insurance is available both online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies may not have rate quotes online and these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.
When you buy San Francisco car insurance online, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, someone dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.
How to find discount Mercury Mountaineer insurance in San Francisco
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get the cheapest auto insurance rates is to start comparing prices regularly from insurance carriers that sell auto insurance in San Francisco. Price quotes can be compared by completing these steps.
- Spend a few minutes and learn about how your policy works and the factors you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that result in higher rates like traffic violations, accidents, and poor credit rating can be amended by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
- Request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only quote rates from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agencies can quote prices for many different companies.
- Compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate in San Francisco. If you find better rates, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
- Tell your current agent or company of your intention to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit a signed application and payment to your new carrier. Once received, place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance with your vehicle’s registration.
The most important part of shopping around is that you’ll want to compare the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on every quote request and and to get price estimates from as many companies as feasibly possible. This enables a fair rate comparison and a complete price analysis.
For more information, take a look at the following helpful articles:
- Choosing a Car for Your Teen (State Farm)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest in San Francisco, California? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Teachers in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Francisco Auto Insurance Quotes for a School Permit? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Francisco Car Insurance Rates for a Nissan Sentra? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Francisco Auto Insurance Rates for Teenage Females? (FAQ)
- How Much is San Francisco Car Insurance for Drivers Under 21? (FAQ)
- Should I Buy a New or Used Car? (Allstate)
- Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)