A recent NerdWallet.com study revealed that nearly 70% of California drivers kept their policy with the same company for four years or more, and 38% of customers have never compared quotes from other companies. American drivers can save hundreds of dollars each year by just comparing rate quotes, but most just don’t grasp the large savings they would see if they just switched companies.
It takes a little time, but the best way to get budget Oldsmobile Silhouette insurance in San Francisco is to do a yearly price comparison from different companies in California.
- Step 1: Take a few minutes and learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the changes you can make to drop your rates. Many things that result in higher prices like accidents, traffic tickets, and poor credit history can be rectified by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. This article gives more details to get better rates and find more discounts that you may not know about.
- Step 2: Request price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can provide rates from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes for a wide range of companies.
- Step 3: Compare the price quotes to your existing rates to see if a cheaper price is available in San Francisco. If you find a lower rate quote and buy the policy, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Step 4: Provide written notification to your current company of your intent to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit a down payment along with a completed application for your new coverage. Immediately upon receiving it, put the proof of insurance paperwork in an easily accessible location in your vehicle.
One bit of advice is that you use the same amount of coverage on every quote request and and to look at as many different insurance providers as possible. This ensures a fair rate comparison and a good representation of prices.
Getting quotes for more affordable car insurance policy in San Francisco is not as difficult as people think. In a nutshell, each driver who quotes car insurance should find a better price. But California consumers need to have an understanding of how the larger insurance companies calculate your car insurance rates because it can help you find the best coverage.
How to compare free San Francisco Oldsmobile Silhouette insurance quotes
When quoting auto insurance, remember that comparing all the rates in your area will enable you to find a lower rate.
The companies shown below can provide comparison quotes in San Francisco, CA. If more than one company is shown, it’s highly recommended you get rate quotes from several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Take policy discounts and save on Oldsmobile Silhouette insurance in San Francisco
Some insurance providers don’t necessarily list every discount available very clearly, so we researched some of the more common and also the lesser-known credits that may apply to you. If you do not check that you are getting every discount you qualify for, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may reduce your total bill.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Options like air bags can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Data Collection Discounts – Drivers who elect to allow data collection to analyze driving habits by installing a telematics device like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm might see lower rates as long as the data is positive.
- Good Drivers – Drivers without accidents can save up to 40% or more on their San Francisco auto insurance quote compared to accident prone drivers.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Buying a policy with more than one vehicle on a single policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Student in College – Older children who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
- Driver Safety – Passing a safe driver course could cut 5% off your bill and make you a better driver.
- Active Military Service – Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
- Life Insurance – Larger insurance carriers have a lower price if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
A quick disclaimer, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
A few of the larger companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.
- State Farm may include discounts for safe vehicle, multiple policy, multiple autos, student away at school, and good student.
- American Family includes discounts for early bird, multi-vehicle, defensive driver, bundled insurance, Steer into Savings, and accident-free.
- GEICO may offer discounts for military active duty, five-year accident-free, driver training, defensive driver, and anti-lock brakes.
- 21st Century offers discounts including anti-lock brakes, 55 and older, theft prevention, homeowners, and teen driver.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including online signing, homeowner, continuous coverage, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, and good student.
When getting a coverage quote, ask all the companies which discounts you may be entitled to. All car insurance discounts may not be offered in your state. To see a list of insurance companies that offer some of these discounts in San Francisco, click here to view.
Informed Consumers Know How to Find Insurance at a Discount
Many things are part of the calculation when premium rates are determined. Some are pretty understandable like an MVR report, but others are not as apparent such as your marital status or your financial responsibility.
Drive less and save – The higher the mileage driven each year the more you will pay for insurance. Most companies apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use receive better premium rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Ask your agent if your insurance coverage shows the correct usage, because improper ratings can cost you money. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Silhouette can cost quite a bit.
Performance impacts insurance rates – The type of car you need insurance for makes a significant difference in your premium level. The cheapest rates will generally be found on lower cost passenger vehicles, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
Too many insurance claims will drive insurance rates up – Auto insurance companies in California generally give most affordable rates to policyholders that do not abuse their auto insurance. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
Getting married can save you money – Having a wife or husband actually saves money when shopping for insurance. It translates into being more responsible and insurance companies like that married couples file fewer claims.
Does insurance cost less for women? – The statistics show that females take fewer risks when driving. Now that doesn’t mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Both genders tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to receive more major tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Male teenagers are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high insurance rates.
The higher your credit score the lower your costs – Having a good credit rating can be an important factor in determining what you pay. Therefore, if your credit history is low, you could pay less to insure your Oldsmobile Silhouette by improving your rating. Insureds that have very high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims than drivers who have poor credit.
Extra policy coverages that may not be needed – There are quite a few additional coverages you can purchase on your insurance policy. Coverages for replacement cost coverage, accident forgiveness, and Farm Bureau memberships could be just wasting money. These may sound like a good investment when deciding what coverages you need, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so remove them and pocket the money.
Driving citations inflate premiums – Even a single chargeable violation can increase the cost of insurance twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have serious tickets like reckless driving or DUI may be required to submit a SR-22 form with their state’s licensing department in order to prevent their license from being revoked.