Amazingly, a recent NerdWallet.com study showed that a large majority of consumers kept their policy with the same company for four years or more, and nearly the majority have never even compared rates from other companies. With the average insurance premium being $1,390, California drivers could save up to 35% every year by just shopping around, but most just don’t grasp how much they could save if they just switched companies.
The best way we recommend to find low-cost auto insurance rates in San Francisco is to compare prices annually from companies who provide auto insurance in California.
- Step 1: Try to understand how insurance works and the changes you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that cause rate increases like accidents, traffic violations, and an unacceptable credit history can be amended by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. This article provides additional tips to get cheaper rates and find overlooked discounts.
- Step 2: Compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give prices from one company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote rates from multiple companies. View prices
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy premium and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
The key thing to know about shopping around is to try to use similar coverage information on every quote request and and to get price quotes from as many different companies as possible. This provides a level playing field and the best price selection.
The intent of this article is to let you in on the best way to buy inexpensive car insurance and also pocket some savings If you have a current car insurance policy, you will surely be able to buy cheaper car insurance using the following tips. Vehicle owners only need an understanding of the most time-saving way to find the lowest price from multiple carriers.
Finding a lower price on Toyota Venza insurance is actually easier than you may think. Just invest a little time comparing price quotes from online providers.
The companies shown below can provide free rate quotes in California. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you compare several of them in order to find the most competitive rates.
Premium rates and analysis
The premium table displayed next covers estimates of rate quotes for Toyota Venza models. Understanding more about how insurance policy premiums are determined can be of help when making smart choices when purchasing an auto insurance policy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venza 2WD 4-Dr | $374 | $664 | $450 | $26 | $134 | $1,648 | $137 |
| Venza AWD 4-Dr | $374 | $664 | $450 | $26 | $134 | $1,648 | $137 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data based on married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Price estimates do not factor in garaging location in San Francisco which can increase or decrease coverage prices substantially.
Should you buy full coverage?
The diagram below illustrates the difference between Toyota Venza insurance premiums with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The price estimates are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.
Are you wasting money on full coverage?
There is no clear-cut rule of when to stop paying for full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is more than 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Toyota Venza replacement cost is $9,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, you would only receive $8,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are currently paying more than $800 annually for full coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
There are some cases where dropping physical damage coverage is not financially feasible. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not drop full coverage.
Car insurance discounts help lower rates for Toyota Venza insurance in San Francisco
Some providers don’t list all discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so we break down some of the best known and also the more inconspicuous credits that may apply to you.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle up before driving could save 15% off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Renewal Discounts – A few car insurance companies give discounts for switching policies early. This discount can save up to 10%.
- Accident Forgiveness – Not a discount per se, but companies like Allstate and State Farm permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free before the accident.
- ABS Brakes – Cars and trucks with ABS braking systems or traction control can reduce accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Defensive Driver – Taking a class that teaches defensive driving techniques could possibly earn you a 5% discount and make you a better driver.
- Low Miles Discount – Low annual miles could qualify for better car insurance rates on cars that stay parked.
- Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may reduce rates when you quote San Francisco auto insurance with select insurance companies.
- Passive Restraints – Options like air bags may qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
- San Francisco Homeowners Pay Less – Just being a homeowner can get you a discount since home ownership requires a higher level of personal finance.
As a footnote on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Even though the math looks like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.
The example below illustrates the difference between Toyota Venza auto insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the premium. The information is based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, claim-free, multi-car, safe-driver, marriage, and multi-policy discounts applied.
Larger car insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts can be read below.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including anti-theft, federal employee, emergency military deployment, five-year accident-free, membership and employees, and driver training.
- USAA has discounts for new vehicle, vehicle storage, annual mileage, multi-vehicle, safe driver, defensive driver, and military installation.
- Progressive discounts include multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, multi-policy, good student, online signing, and homeowner.
- American Family may include discounts for air bags, mySafetyValet, good driver, bundled insurance, early bird, and Steer into Savings.
- Esurance has savings for Pac-12 alumni, defensive driver, online quote, good driver, multi-policy, homeowner, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for pay in full, distant student, electronic funds transfer, early shopping, switch companies, homeowner, and teen driver.
- State Farm offers discounts including good student, defensive driving training, multiple policy, student away at school, safe vehicle, and driver’s education.
Double check with every insurance company which discounts you qualify for. All car insurance discounts might not be offered in San Francisco. To choose insurers that offer multiple discounts in San Francisco, click this link.
Why auto insurance is not optional
Even though San Francisco Venza insurance rates can get expensive, buying auto insurance serves an important purpose.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means you are required to buy a specific level of liability insurance 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 Toyota Venza, most lenders will stipulate that you have insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you default on your policy, the lender will be forced to insure your Toyota for a lot more money and force you to reimburse them for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance protects not only your Toyota Venza but also your assets. It will also reimburse you for medical bills for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay for a defense attorney if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, collision and comprehensive coverages will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having insurance more than cancel out the cost, especially when you need to use it. The average driver in California is overpaying over $830 a year so it’s recommended you shop around at least once a year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Can’t I get rate quotes from local San Francisco car insurance agents?
A small number of people just prefer to talk to a local agent and often times that is recommended Insurance agents can make sure you are properly covered and give you someone to call. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain cheap insurance quotes but also keep your business local. Buying insurance from local insurance agencies is especially important in San Francisco.
After filling out this quick form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to agents in your area that give free quotes for your coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to search for an agent since rate quotes are delivered immediately to you. In the event you want to compare rates for a specific company, feel free to navigate to their website and submit a quote form there.
If you need to find a good San Francisco insurance agent, there are a couple of different agency structures and how they can service your needs differently. Insurance agencies are either independent agents or exclusive agents. Either one can provide insurance policies, but it’s worth learning the difference in the companies they write for since it could factor into your agent selection.
Independent Insurance Agencies
These type of agents are not employed by any specific company so as a result can place your coverage with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, your agent can just switch to a different company and that require little work on your part.
When comparison shopping, we highly recommend that you get several quotes from a few independent agents so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare. Most can insure with small regional insurance companies which may have better rates.
Below is a partial list of independent agencies in San Francisco who can help you get price quote information.
- Wang Insurance
2620 Judah St – San Francisco, CA 94122 – (415) 731-7062 – View Map - Sam and Associates Insurance Agency
2225 Taraval St – San Francisco, CA 94116 – (415) 665-0181 – View Map - Blum-Blackfield Insurance Agency
2 Twin Peaks Blvd – San Francisco, CA 94114 – (415) 665-1440 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive can only place business with one company and some examples include State Farm, Allstate, and Farm Bureau. They are unable to shop your coverage around so always compare other rates. Exclusive insurance agents are usually well trained in insurance sales and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers sometimes purchase coverage from exclusives mostly because of the prominence of the brand instead of buying on price only.
Shown below are San Francisco exclusive insurance agents who can help you get comparison quotes.
- Adrienne Ng – State Farm Insurance Agent
425 Market St #2252 – San Francisco, CA 94105 – (415) 292-8088 – View Map - Walter Li – State Farm Insurance Agent
1329 Chestnut St – San Francisco, CA 94123 – (415) 346-1000 – View Map - Wilson Chan – State Farm Insurance Agent
25 Division St #200 – San Francisco, CA 94103 – (415) 593-8802 – View Map
Picking the best auto insurance agent requires you to look at more than just the quoted price. Here are some questions you should ask.
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- How long has their agency been open in San Francisco?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- How experienced are they in personal risk management?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
Once you have good answers to any questions you may have as well as low cost Toyota Venza insurance quotes, you may have just found an insurance agent that will properly insure your vehicles.