Are you sick and tired of scraping nickels together each month for car insurance? You are in the same boat as many other California drivers.
Unfortunately, almost 70% of drivers renewed their policy with the same company for more than four years, and practically 40% of car insurance customers have never quoted car insurance rates at all. San Francisco insurance shoppers can save hundreds of dollars each year just by comparing rates, but they just don’t want to compare rates and save money. Companies like State Farm, GEICO and Farmers Insurance constantly blast consumers with catchy ads and it can be hard to ignore the flashy ads and find the best price available.
If you are already insured or need new coverage, you can use this information to shop for the lowest rates without sacrificing coverage. Finding the cheapest coverage in San Francisco can be made easier if you know where to look. Comparison shoppers just have to learn the best way to compare company rates online.
Auto insurance providers offering low-cost price quotes in California
The companies shown below offer price quotes in California. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
These discounts can lower your auto insurance rates
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Some of these discounts will be visible at the time of quoting, but a few need to be requested specifically before being credited.
- No Accidents – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially compared to bad drivers.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings as much as 30%.
- Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to enroll in driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
- Senior Discount – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
- Theft Deterrent System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10% off your San Francisco car insurance quote.
- Life Insurance Discount – Larger auto insurance companies have a lower rate if you buy a life policy as well.
A little disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way.
A list of companies and a selection of discounts are included below.
- The Hartford may include discounts for good student, vehicle fuel type, anti-theft, driver training, bundle, defensive driver, and air bag.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, air bags, good student, TimeAway discount, bundled insurance, and accident-free.
- Progressive includes discounts for continuous coverage, online signing, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
- Travelers has discounts for driver training, multi-car, early quote, IntelliDrive, multi-policy, save driver, and payment discounts.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for early shopping, teen driver, good student, bundle discounts, distant student, and mature driver.
- USAA may offer discounts for family discount, defensive driver, driver training, multi-policy, and military installation.
- Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include multi-car, good student, newly retired, teen driver discount, and new vehicle discount.
It’s a good idea to ask each insurance company what discounts are available to you. All car insurance discounts may not be available in your area. To see providers that offer some of these discounts in San Francisco, click this link.
Components of Your Lexus RX 400h Insurance Rates
Multiple criteria are part of the equation when quoting car insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, although others are not as apparent such as your credit history or how financially stable you are. The best way to find cheaper insurance is to take a look at the rating factors that play a part in calculating your premiums. When you understand what influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get lower insurance prices.
- Teenagers are high risk – Inexperience drivers are statistically proven to be careless and easily distracted when at the wheel of a vehicle so insurance rates are higher. Adding a teenage driver onto a policy will cause a huge premium hike. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, file fewer claims, and usually have better credit.
- Your job may affect prices – Occupational choices like lawyers, social workers, and dentists usually pay higher premium rates in part from job stress and incredibly demanding work hours. Other professions such as professors, historians and retirees generally pay rates lower than average.
- Accidents can be expensive – Having just one citation may cause rates to rise to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers with clean records pay lower auto insurance prices than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who have gotten multiple violations like reckless driving or DUI might be required by their state to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
- Responsible credit means lower rates – Having a bad credit score can be a huge factor in determining what you pay for insurance. If your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could pay less to insure your Lexus RX 400h if you clean up your credit. People with high credit ratings tend to be better risks to insure than those with lower ratings.
- More miles equals more premium – The more you drive your Lexus annually the more you’ll pay to insure it. A lot of companies calculate rates based on how the vehicle is used. Cars that are left in the garage get more affordable rates compared to those used for work or business. Verify your insurance declarations sheet is showing the right rating data. Improper usage on your RX 400h may be wasting your money.
- Costs and your address – Residing in a small town has definite advantages when buying insurance. Drivers who live in large cities have to deal with more aggressive driving styles and a longer drive to work. Fewer people means less chance of accidents.
- Insure your auto and home with one company – Many insurers allow a discount to policyholders that have more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. The amount of the discounts can be ten percent or more. Even if you already get this discount, you may still want to compare other San Francisco RX 400h insurance rates to ensure the best deal. Drivers may still save money by buying from different companies
- What’s your car’s IIHS safety rating? – Safe vehicles tend to be cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Lexus is rated at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it is probably cheaper to insure.
How to know if you need help
When quoting and comparing coverage, there is no one-size-fits-all type of policy. Everyone’s needs are different and your auto insurance should unique, too.
For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you may require specific advice.
- Why am I required to buy liability insurance?
- How can I force my company to pay a claim?
- What are the financial responsibility laws in my state?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
- Are my friends covered when driving my Lexus RX 400h?
- Can I get by with minimal medical coverage if I have good health insurance?
- Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
- Is a driver training discount available?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.
Do I need an insurance agency?
Some people just prefer to go talk to an agent and that can be a smart move Insurance agents are highly skilled in risk management and help file insurance claims. An additional benefit of comparing rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get lower rates but still work with a licensed agent.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), your information is submitted to local insurance agents who will give competitive quotes for your business. You never need to even leave your home due to the fact that quote results will go to you directly. In the event you want to get a price quote from one company in particular, just jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Choosing an insurance company shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. A good agent in San Francisco will have answers to these questions.
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- If your car is totaled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
- Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
If you want to use a reputable insurance agent or broker, you should know the types of insurance agents and how they can write your policy. San Francisco agents can be categorized as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Both types can insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know the difference between them because it can impact the selection process.
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents
Exclusive insurance agents can only provide one company’s prices like Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive insurance agents are trained well on their company’s products which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in San Francisco that are able to give rate quotes.
State Farm: Michael Woo
2166 Market St – San Francisco, CA 94114 – (415) 565-6777 – View Map
Farmers Insurance – Elbert Taylor
386 29th St – San Francisco, CA 94131 – (415) 285-4800 – View Map
Angela Chan – State Farm Insurance Agent
756 Sacramento St – San Francisco, CA 94108 – (415) 956-4888 – View Map
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
Agents that elect to be independent often have many company appointments and that is an advantage because they can write policies with multiple insurance companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.
If you are comparing rate quotes, we recommend you compare quotes from several independent agencies so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare.
Below is a short list of independent agencies in San Francisco that can give you comparison quotes.
Riskguard Insurance Solutions
422 Presidio Ave – San Francisco, CA 94115 – (415) 447-4212 – View Map
Sam and Associates Insurance Agency
2225 Taraval St – San Francisco, CA 94116 – (415) 665-0181 – View Map
Al Zeidler Insurance Agency
1714 Stockton St #417 – San Francisco, CA 94133 – (415) 753-1936 – View Map
In the end, you can save money
Cheaper car insurance in San Francisco can be bought online in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers may not offer rate quotes online and many times these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agencies.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. The goal is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Steps to buying affordable Lexus RX 400h insurance in San Francisco
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to find lower priced car insurance rates in San Francisco is to do an annual price comparison from companies who provide car insurance in California.
First, try to learn a little about auto insurance and the steps you can take to keep rates in check. Many factors that result in higher prices such as at-fault accidents and poor credit rating can be improved by being financially responsible and driving safely.
Second, compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can quote rates from many different companies.
Third, compare the price quotes to the premium of your current policy and determine if there is any savings. If you find better rates and change companies, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Fourth, notify your company or agent of your intent to cancel the current policy. Submit the required down payment along with the signed application to the new insurer. Once the paperwork is finalized, put the proof of insurance certificate in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same deductibles and limits on every price quote and and to look at as many different insurance providers as possible. This ensures a fair price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
For more information, link through to the following helpful articles:
- Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Business Use in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable San Francisco Auto Insurance for Real Estate Agents? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Francisco Car Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Camry? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for State Employees in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Uninsured Drivers in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- How Does Hitting a Deer Impact Insurance Rates? (Allstate)
- Rearview cameras reduce backing crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Understanding your Policy (NAIC.org)
- Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)