It takes a few minutes, but the best way to find discount car insurance rates in San Francisco is to compare quotes annually from providers that sell auto insurance in California. You can compare rates by following these guidelines.
- Step 1: Read about car insurance and the measures you can take to keep rates down. Many rating factors that are responsible for high rates like traffic citations, accidents, and an imperfect credit history can be eliminated by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Keep reading for more ideas to get cheaper coverage and earn a bigger discount.
- Step 2: Quote rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes for many different companies. Get quotes now
- Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save some money and make a switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
A key point to remember is to compare identical limits and deductibles on every quote and and to look at as many carriers as you can. Doing this helps ensure the most accurate price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
We don’t have to tell you that auto insurance companies don’t want you shop around. Drivers who get price comparisons are likely to switch to a new company because they stand a good chance of finding coverage at a more affordable price. A study showed that people who compared prices regularly saved on average $865 annually compared to drivers who didn’t regularly shop around.
If finding the cheapest rates on insurance is your objective, then having a grasp of the best way to quote and compare coverage rates can help simplify the task of finding more affordable coverage.
Locating the best rates in San Francisco is actually quite simple. Basically, everyone who is looking for cheaper car insurance should find a lower-cost policy. Nevertheless, California drivers must learn how insurance companies market on the web and apply this information to your search.
Take policy discounts and save on Honda S2000 insurance in San Francisco
Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise their entire list of discounts very clearly, so we break down some of the best known and the harder-to-find insurance savings.
- Save over 55 – Seniors can possibly qualify for a small discount on rates.
- Data Collection Discounts – San Francisco drivers who agree to allow data collection to monitor driving habits by using a telematics device such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive may see discounts if they are good drivers.
- Early Payment Discounts – By making one initial payment rather than paying in monthly installments you could save up to 5%.
- Sign Online – Some of the larger companies provide a small discount for completing your application over the internet.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars and trucks with ABS braking systems or traction control can stop better under adverse conditions and the ABS can save up to 10%.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Have your child enroll and complete driver’s education in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Participating in a course teaching safe driver skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
Policy discounts save money, but most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though you would think having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, that’s just not realistic.
Popular insurance companies and their offered discounts are included below.
- State Farm offers discounts including good student, accident-free, anti-theft, passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, Drive Safe & Save, and defensive driving training.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including mySafetyValet, bundled insurance, accident-free, multi-vehicle, and good driver.
- GEICO includes discounts for seat belt use, daytime running lights, defensive driver, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, and multi-vehicle.
- 21st Century offers discounts for theft prevention, air bags, student driver, 55 and older, teen driver, anti-lock brakes, and driver training.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for continuous coverage, multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, multi-vehicle, good student, and online quote discount.
Double check with all companies you are considering how you can save money. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered on policies in San Francisco. For a list of insurance companies with the best Honda S2000 insurance discounts in California, click this link.
The quickest way to compare insurance rates from multiple companies takes advantage of the fact car insurance companies allow for online access to provide you with a free rate quote. To get started, all you need to do is spend a couple of minutes providing details including which vehicles you own, how your vehicles are used, if the vehicle is leased, and if a SR-22 is required. That information is instantly sent to many of the top insurers and they respond with quotes instantly to find the best rate.
If you wish to get multiple quotes for your car now, click here and enter the information requested.
The companies shown below provide quotes in San Francisco, CA. If several companies are displayed, we suggest you visit several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Lower Insurance Rates with These Tips
Many things are part of the calculation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving record, but some are less obvious such as your credit history or your vehicle rating.
The items below are some of the items used by your company to calculate your premiums.
Cheaper to insure gals? – Statistics demonstrate women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean males are worse at driving than females. Males and females tend to get into fender benders in similar percentages, but the men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Not only that, but men also get higher numbers of serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
Youthful drivers pay more – Inexperience drivers have a tendency to be easily distracted behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher. Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and get fewer tickets.
Good drivers pay better premiums – Attentive drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Only having one speeding ticket or other violation can increase the cost of insurance by twenty percent. Drivers with severe violations such as DUI or reckless driving may find they need to complete a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to legally drive a vehicle.
A car insurance policy lapse is a bad thing – Having a gap between insurance policy dates is a guaranteed way to pay more for auto insurance. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage could result in a fine, jail time, or a revoked license. You may have to file a SR-22 with the California motor vehicle department.
Liability coverage limits should be high – Your policy’s liability coverage will afford coverage in the event that a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. It provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is relatively inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
Local San Francisco auto insurance agents
Many people just prefer to talk to an insurance agent and that can be a great decision A nice benefit of getting free rate quotes online is you may find better rates but still work with a licensed agent.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is transmitted to companies in San Francisco who will give you bids for your business. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact any agents due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. Get lower rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. In the event you want to quote rates from a specific auto insurance provider, you can always jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Finding a good insurer requires more thought than just the bottom line cost. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in California?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- How are claims handled?
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
- If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
- Are they giving you every discount you deserve?
The difference between San Francisco car insurance agents
When finding a reliable agent, you need to know there are two different types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Agents are categorized either exclusive agents or independent agents.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive agencies are contracted to one company such as Allstate, AAA, Farmers Insurance, and State Farm. These agents are not able to compare rates from other companies so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive insurance agents are very knowledgeable in insurance sales and that enables them to sell even at higher rates. Some people will only use the same exclusive agent mostly because of the prominent brand name rather than having the cheapest rates.
Below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in San Francisco who may provide you with price quote information.
- Angela Ng – State Farm Insurance Agent
377 W Portal Ave – San Francisco, CA 94127 – (415) 731-7400 – View Map - Anita M Merrihew – State Farm Insurance Agent
3801 3rd St #585 – San Francisco, CA 94124 – (415) 285-2021 – View Map - Adrienne Ng – State Farm Insurance Agent
425 Market St #2252 – San Francisco, CA 94105 – (415) 292-8088 – View Map
View more San Francisco agents
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These agents are not restricted to one company and that enables them to quote your coverage with any number of different companies and get you the best rates possible. If they quote lower rates, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to switch agencies. If you are comparing rate quotes, we highly recommend that you get rate quotes from a couple of independent agencies to have the best price comparison. Most independent agents also contract with less well-known companies which may provide better rates.
Listed below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in San Francisco willing to provide price quotes.
- Nationwide Insurance: Anita Daisy Lo Agency
6037 Geary Blvd – San Francisco, CA 94121 – (415) 592-8388 – View Map - Primeras Insurance Agency
3339 23rd St – San Francisco, CA 94108 – (415) 829-7312 – View Map - Barulich Insurance Agency
San Francisco Pier 33 – Alcatraz Island #203 – San Francisco, CA 94111 – (415) 616-5911 – View Map
View more San Francisco agents
Why you need auto insurance
Even though San Francisco S2000 insurance rates can get expensive, insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.
First, most states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require specific limits of liability in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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.
Second, if you have a loan on your car, almost all lenders will make it mandatory that you have insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Honda at an extremely high rate and force you to reimburse them for the much more expensive policy.
Third, insurance safeguards both your Honda S2000 and your personal assets. Insurance will also pay for medical transport and hospital expenses incurred in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance outweigh the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. An average driver in America overpays as much as $865 each year so you should quote your policy with other companies once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are competitive.
Be persistent to save money
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice physical damage coverage and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal should be to find the BEST coverage for the lowest cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Consumers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, being labeled a high risk driver, denial of a claim or extreme rates for teen drivers. No matter why you want to switch, finding a great new company is not as difficult as it may seem.
We covered some good ideas how to save on Honda S2000 insurance in San Francisco. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest prices come from some of the lesser-known companies.
To learn more, feel free to visit the articles below:
- Automakers compete to add autobraking (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Young Drivers in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for High Risk Drivers in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- Event Data Recorders FAQ (iihs.org)
- What is Covered by GAP Insurance? (Allstate)
- Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)