It’s hard to believe, but nearly 70% of consumers kept buying from the same company for at least four years, and approximately 40% of consumers have never even compared rates from other companies. Many consumers in California could save themselves up to 35% a year by just shopping around, but they don’t know the big savings they would realize if they changed companies.
The easiest way to find lower priced car insurance rates in San Francisco is to start comparing prices yearly from insurers who sell insurance in California.
First, spend a few minutes and learn about auto insurance and the changes you can make to prevent rate increases. Many things that cause high rates such as at-fault accidents and a low credit rating can be improved by paying attention to minor details.
Second, quote rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can give you price quotes from multiple companies.
Third, compare the price quotes to your existing policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find a lower rate and change companies, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
Fourth, tell your current company of your intent to cancel the current policy and submit the application along with any required down payment to your new carrier. As soon as you can, keep the new proof of insurance certificate with the vehicle registration.
One piece of advice is to try to compare the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to get price quotes from as many companies as feasibly possible. This guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and a better comparison of the market.
Lowering your Hyundai Equus auto insurance rates is an easy way to save money. Consumers just need to take the time getting comparison quotes to see which company has affordable San Francisco car insurance quotes.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide free quotes in California. If more than one company is shown, we suggest you get price quotes from several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Cheaper rates by taking advantage of discounts
Companies don’t always publicize all their discounts very well, so the next list breaks down some of the more common and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving when you buy San Francisco car insurance online. If you do not check that you are getting every discount you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This one is not really a discount per se, but companies like GEICO, Progressive, and Allstate will turn a blind eye to one accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
- No Claims – Claim-free drivers get the best insurance rates as compared to drivers with a long claim history.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory options such as air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of more than 20%.
- Safe Driver Discounts – Accident-free drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
- Student Discounts – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Teen drivers should participate in a local driver’s education class in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Life Insurance – Larger companies have a small discount if you purchase some life insurance too.
- 55 and Retired – Seniors are able to get a discount up to 10%.
- Early Renewal Discounts – Some insurance companies provide a discount for signing up prior to your current Equus insurance policy expiration. You may see this discount when you get San Francisco car insurance quotes online.
- Professional Memberships – Being a member of a qualifying organization can get you a small discount on insurance.
We need to note that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though the math looks like you can get free auto insurance, insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Companies that possibly offer some of the discounts shown above possibly include:
If you want cheaper San Francisco car insurance quotes, ask every prospective company to give you their best rates. A few discounts may not apply in your area. To choose insurance companies who offer online Hyundai Equus insurance quotes in California, click this link.
Auto insurance just makes sense
Despite the potentially high cost of Hyundai Equus insurance, buying auto insurance serves a purpose in several ways.
- The majority of states have mandatory insurance requirements which means state laws require specific limits of liability if you want to drive legally. 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 have a loan on your Hyundai Equus, most lenders will have a requirement that you have insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Hyundai at a much higher premium rate and require you to fork over much more than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects not only your Hyundai but also your financial assets. Insurance will pay for many types of medical costs for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, your auto insurance policy will pay to repair the damage.
The benefits of having insurance more than cancel out the cost, particularly for liability claims. The average driver in America is wasting up to $810 a year so you should quote your policy with other companies at least once a year to save money.
Compare prices but still have a local San Francisco insurance agent
A lot of people prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent and that is a smart decision Good agents can make sure you are properly covered and help in the event of a claim. A nice benefit of getting online price quotes is that you can find better rates but also keep your business local.
By using this simple form, the coverage information is transmitted to local insurance agents in San Francisco who will give competitive quotes to get your business. You don’t have to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go to you. If you need to get a price quote for a specific company, just navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Finding a good insurance company should include more criteria than just the premium amount. Below are some questions you should ask.
- Do they reduce claim amounts on high mileage vehicles?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- How many companies do they write for?
- Is insurance their full-time profession?
- Do you need full coverage on every vehicle?
- Will the agent help in case of a claim?
- How does the company pay claims for a total loss?
Do you need an independent or exclusive auto insurance agent?
If you need to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of types of insurance agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Auto insurance agents in San Francisco are either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive). Both types can insure your vehicles properly, but it is important to understand the differences since it may influence which type of agent you select.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive agents generally can only insure with one company like State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents cannot shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Consumers sometimes purchase coverage from exclusives partially due to the brand legacy rather than having the cheapest rates.
Below are exclusive agencies in San Francisco who may provide you with price quotes.
- Adrienne Ng – State Farm Insurance Agent
425 Market St #2252 – San Francisco, CA 94105 – (415) 292-8088 – View Map - Sandy Lee – State Farm Insurance Agent
188 S Park St #4 – San Francisco, CA 94107 – (415) 227-9833 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Elbert Taylor
386 29th St – San Francisco, CA 94131 – (415) 285-4800 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents of this type are normally appointed by many insurers so as a result can place your coverage with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house which requires no work on your part.
When shopping rates, it’s recommended you get insurance quotes from a couple of independent agencies in order to have the best price comparison. Most also have access to additional companies that you may not be familiar with which may provide better rates.
Shown below is a list of independent agencies in San Francisco that are able to give comparison quotes.
- Steven Cresci Insurance Agency
544 Golden Gate Ave – San Francisco, CA 94102 – (415) 212-8190 – View Map - Wang Insurance
2620 Judah St – San Francisco, CA 94122 – (415) 731-7062 – View Map - April Insurance Agency
1788 19th Ave – San Francisco, CA 94122 – (415) 242-8100 – View Map
After getting good responses to any questions you may have and a good coverage price, you’ve probably found an auto insurance agent that is reputable and can service your policy. But remember, you can always terminate your policy whenever you want so don’t think you’re contractually obligated to any specific company with no way out.