How to Get Lower Car Insurance Rates in San Francisco

Have you finally had enough of trying to scrape together enough money to pay your insurance bill each month? You’re in the same situation as most other consumers in California.

Unbelievable but true, over 70% of drivers kept their coverage with the same insurance company for at least four years, and roughly 40% of drivers have never compared rate quotes at all. With the average premium in California being $1,390, drivers could save approximately 35% every year by just shopping around, but they don’t understand how simple it is to shop their coverage around.

How to save on car insurance in San Francisco

To save the most money, the best way to get budget car insurance rates is to do a yearly price comparison from providers who can sell car insurance in San Francisco.

1. Take a little time to learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the things you can change to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating factors that are responsible for high rates such as multiple speeding tickets and poor credit history can be amended by making minor changes to your lifestyle. Read the full article for additional tips to prevent high rates and get additional discounts.
2. Request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide prices from multiple companies. Compare rates
3. Compare the quotes to the price on your current policy and determine if cheaper coverage is available. If you can save some money, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.

The critical component of shopping around is to compare identical deductibles and limits on each quote request and and to look at as many different insurance providers as possible. This ensures a fair price comparison and a complete price analysis.

Lots of auto insurance companies contend for your business, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurance companies and get the best coverage at the lowest price on insurance.

Consumers should take time to do rate comparisons periodically because rates change quite often. Just because you found the lowest premium rates on insurance a few years ago you may be paying too much now. You can search a lot of insurance online but we’re going to give you some of the best ways to reduce your insurance bill.

If you have a current car insurance policy, you stand a good chance to be able to buy cheaper car insurance using the following tips. Finding the cheapest coverage in San Francisco is much easier if you have a good place to start. But California drivers can benefit from knowing how the larger insurance companies determine premium rates because rates fluctuate considerably.

When quoting car insurance, remember that comparing a wide range of rates helps improve the odds of finding better pricing.

The providers in the list below have been selected to offer free quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you visit two to three different companies to get the cheapest price.

Data based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in specific zip code location which can raise or lower premiums considerably.

Earn discounts to get lower-cost San Francisco car insurance quotes

Companies offering auto insurance do not list all possible discounts very clearly, so we break down a few of the more common and the harder-to-find credits available to you.

• Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle up may be able to save a few bucks off PIP or medical payments premium.
• Theft Deterrent – Cars and trucks with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Bundle and Save – If you insure your home and vehicles with one company you will save 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Discount for New Cars – Putting car insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% since new vehicles are generally safer.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
• Clubs and Organizations – Being a member of a qualifying organization may earn a discount on your policy.
• Distant Student – Youth drivers who live away from home at college and leave their car at home may be able to be covered for less.
• Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can save as much as half off their rates compared to accident prone drivers.
• Early Switch Discount – Some car insurance companies reward drivers for buying a new policy before your current expiration date. It’s a savings of about 10%.
• Claim Free – Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts in comparison to drivers who are more careless.

While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Despite the appearance that you could get a free car insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. But any discount should definitely cut your overall premium however.

A few popular companies and a partial list of their discounts are included below.

• Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, good student, online signing, homeowner, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.
• MetLife has discounts for good driver, multi-policy, accident-free, good student, defensive driver, claim-free
• Mercury Insurance offers discounts including age of vehicle, professional/association, type of vehicle, anti-theft, multi-policy, and ease of repair.
• Nationwide includes discounts for good student, business or organization, family plan, defensive driving, multi-policy, and accident-free.
• GEICO may offer discounts for driver training, defensive driver, good student, military active duty, federal employee, and multi-vehicle.
• AAA offers discounts for good driver, anti-theft, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, education and occupation, multi-policy, and multi-car.

It’s a good idea to ask every insurance company which discounts you qualify for. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policies in San Francisco.

Lower Your Rates with these tips

Part of the insurance buying process is learning some of the things that are used to determine the price you pay for insurance. When you know what positively or negatively positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables informed choices that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs. Lots of factors are used in the calculation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, but others are less apparent like where you live or your commute time.

The list below includes some of the items that factor into your premiums.

• Bump up deductibles to lower rates – Insurance for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be collision with another vehicle, hail damage, and rolling your vehicle. Deductibles for physical damage state the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if the claim is covered. The larger the amount you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the less your insurance will be.
• See if your company offers a multi-policy discount – Most insurance companies afford discounts to policyholders who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to get quotes from other companies to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.There is a good possibility that you can save even more even if you have your coverage with different companies
• Liability coverage – Your insurance policy’s liability coverage will provide protection in the event that you are determined to be liable for an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can be incredibly expensive. Liability is cheap compared to comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
• Remove unneeded add-on coverages – Policies have extra coverages that can add up on your policy. Coverage for things like roadside assistance, towing, and membership fees may be costing you every month. They may sound like good ideas when buying your policy, but if you have no use for them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
• Insurance rates and your vocation – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupational choices like lawyers, police officers, and accountants usually pay higher premium rates due to job stress and lots of time spent away from family. Other careers like professors, athletes and homemakers generally pay rates lower than average.
• Do you really need to file that claims? – If you are a frequent claim filer, you shouldn’t be surprised to get higher rates. Auto insurance companies in California give discounts to insureds who only file infrequent claims. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for claims that pose a financial burden.
• Marriage is a bonus – Walking down the aisle may save some money when shopping for insurance. Having a significant other usually means you are more financially stable and it’s proven that married couples file fewer claims.