Auto Insurance Rate Quotes for a Chevy Equinox in San Francisco

Are you doing reasearch to find the cheapest Chevy Equinox insurance in San Francisco? Pricey insurance in San Francisco can take a big chunk out of your monthly budget and force you to tighten up your finances. Comparing cost estimates can help to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.

A study showed that almost 70% of drivers in California kept their coverage with the same insurance company for at least the last four years, and nearly half have never compared rates with other companies. Most drivers in the U.S. can save as much as 47% each year by just shopping around, but they just don’t understand the rate savings if they swap their current policy for a cheaper one.

Steps to finding more affordable Chevy Equinox insurance in San Francisco

It takes a little time, but the best way to find low-cost prices for Chevy Equinox insurance in San Francisco is to compare prices regularly from companies that sell auto insurance in California. You can shop around by following these steps.

First, gain an understanding of what is in your policy and the things you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that cause high rates such as multiple speeding tickets and a poor credit rating can be controlled by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Read the full article for tips to prevent rate hikes and get bigger discounts that may have been overlooked.

Second, compare price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote rates from many different companies.

Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage to see if cheaper Equinox coverage is available in San Francisco. If you can save some money, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.

A good tip to remember is to compare the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on each quote request and and to get rates from as many companies as possible. Doing this enables a level playing field and the best price selection.

Since you have so many companies and agents to choose from, it is very difficult to find the most cost effective insurance company.

How to Lower Your Insurance Rates

One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. If you have some idea of what determines premiums, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in lower rates.

The following are a few of the things car insurance companies consider when setting your premiums.

Premiums impacted by vehicle usage – The more you drive your Chevy annually the more you will pay for car insurance. Many insurance companies calculate rates based upon how much you drive. Cars and trucks that have low annual miles cost less to insure than cars that get driven a lot. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Equinox may be costing you higher rates. Verify your policy is showing annual mileage, because it can save money.

Vehicle options impact prices – Selecting a car model that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you some money. Theft prevention features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart car theft.

Premiums are affected by your credit rating – Credit history can be a huge factor in determining what you pay. Consumers who have excellent credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with bad credit. Therefore, if your credit history is low, you could save money insuring your Chevrolet Equinox if you improve your credit rating.

Experienced drivers pay less – Teen drivers in California have a tendency to be more careless when at the wheel of a vehicle and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher. More experienced drivers are shown to be more cautious, tend to cause fewer accidents, and are safer drivers.

The data below is based on a single driver, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

Raising deductibles saves money – Deductibles for physical damage define how much you are willing to pay if a claim is determined to be covered. Protection for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of covered claims are a windshield broken by a bird, animal collisions, and having a roll-over accident. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.

Combine policies with the same company – Most car insurance companies apply lower prices to insureds who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to ten or even up to twenty percent in some cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal.There is a good possibility that you can find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.

Rates and occupation – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Jobs such as doctors, air traffic controllers, and dentists generally have higher average rates in part from stressful work requirements and incredibly demanding work hours. Conversely, careers like farmers, historians and retirees have the lowest average rates.

Loss statistics for a Chevy Equinox – Insurers take into consideration insurance loss statistics for every vehicle to help determine rates. Vehicles that the statistics show to have higher claim frequency or loss amount will be charged more to insure.

The next table shows the compiled insurance loss statistics for Chevy Equinox vehicles. For each policy coverage type, the claim probability for all vehicles, regardless of make, model or trim level, is represented as 100. Numbers below 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while values that are above 100 indicate more frequent claims or an increased probability of a larger loss.

Premium rates and analysis

The data table displayed next covers detailed analysis of coverage costs for Chevy Equinox models. Having insight into how insurance quotes are formulated helps drivers make smart policy decisions.

Prices based on married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, safe-driver, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can affect price quotes substantially.

An analysis of deductible level

One common question asked by San Francisco drivers is how high should your deductibles be. The rates below may help to illustrate the cost difference between low and high comp and collision deductibles. The first set of prices uses a $250 deductible and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.

Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in your specific San Francisco location which can influence premium rates noticeably.

Based on the data above, we can derive that using a $250 deductible costs approximately $33 more each month or $396 every year than opting for the higher $1,000 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $750 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you tend to go at least 23 months between claims, you would more than likely save some money by going with a higher deductible.

How accidents and tickets impact rates in San Francisco

The diagram below shows how violations and at-fault collisions can raise Chevy Equinox insurance premiums for each age group. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

Full coverage or liability only

The example below compares Chevy Equinox insurance premiums with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The prices are based on no violations or claims, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

When to buy liability coverage only

There is no clear-cut rule to delete comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Chevy Equinox replacement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, you would only receive $8,000 after paying your deductible. If premium cost is more than $800 a year for full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are some cases where eliminating full coverage is not advised. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should keep full coverage in place.

Auto insurance rates and discounts

Car insurance companies don’t always publicize every available discount very well, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find credits that you can use to lower your rates.

• Include Life Insurance and Save – Larger auto insurance companies have better auto insurance rates if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts may be able to save a few bucks on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts may get savings of 20 to 30 percent.
• Organization Discounts – Being in a civic or occupational organization in San Francisco could trigger savings when shopping for auto insurance.
• Multiple Vehicles – Drivers who insure multiple cars or trucks on a single policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
• ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Discounts for Federal Employees – Active or former government employment may qualify for a discount when you quote San Francisco car insurance with some auto insurance companies.
• Paperless Signup – Certain auto insurance companies give back up to $50 shop San Francisco car insurance on your computer.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Despite the appearance that all the discounts add up to a free policy, that’s just not realistic.

The chart below illustrates the difference between Chevy Equinox insurance costs with and without some available policy discounts. The premiums assume a female driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, homeowner, multi-car, claim-free, multi-policy, and marriage discounts applied.

A list of auto insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are outlined below.

• State Farm discounts include multiple policy, defensive driving training, safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, good driver, and multiple autos.
• Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, online quote discount, online signing, continuous coverage, and good student.
• Travelers offers premium reductions for continuous insurance, new car, multi-policy, hybrid/electric vehicle, early quote, and IntelliDrive.
• American Family may include discounts for defensive driver, mySafetyValet, good driver, early bird, TimeAway discount, accident-free, and multi-vehicle.
• Liberty Mutual offers discounts for hybrid vehicle, multi-car, good student, multi-policy, exclusive group savings, safety features, and newly retired.

Before you buy a policy, ask all companies you are considering the best way to save money. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not be offered in your state. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in California, click this link.

Quote more to save more

Low-cost Chevy Equinox insurance in San Francisco can be found on the web and also from your neighborhood San Francisco agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not provide online quoting and usually these small insurance companies only sell coverage through local independent agents.

You just learned a lot of techniques to get a better price on Chevy Equinox insurance in San Francisco. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest rates are with some of the smallest insurance companies. They often have lower car insurance rates on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.

How to find more affordable Chevy Equinox insurance in San Francisco

If you want to save money, the best way to get affordable auto insurance rates in San Francisco is to regularly compare price quotes from providers in California.

First, gain an understanding of the different coverages in a policy and the factors you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that result in higher prices like inattentive driving and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be eliminated by being financially responsible and driving safely.

Second, obtain price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can quote prices from multiple companies.

Third, compare the price quotes to your current policy premium and determine if there is any savings. If you can save some money, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.

Fourth, give notification to your agent or company to cancel your existing policy and submit a down payment along with a completed application to your new company or agent. When you receive it, place your new certificate of insurance in an accessible location in your vehicle.

One important bit of advice is to try to compare similar limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to compare every company you can. This guarantees an accurate price comparison and a thorough selection of prices.

Much more information about auto insurance in California is located on the following sites:

• Learn About Car Insurance (GEICO)
• What Insurance is Cheapest for a Dodge Ram in San Francisco? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap San Francisco Car Insurance Rates for Government Employees? (FAQ)
• How to Avoid Buying a Flooded Car (Insurance Information Institute)
• What Does No-Fault Insurance Cover? (Allstate)