Best Car Insurance Exclusively for San Francisco, CA Residents

Are you a victim of an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Believe me when I say you’re not the only one.

Many insurers vie to insure your vehicles, and because of this it can be hard to compare insurers to find the absolute lowest cost out there.

Consumers should take time to compare rates before your policy renews due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best rates a couple years back other companies may now be cheaper. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to learn one of the quickest ways to find better coverage at a better price.

Components of your insurance rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that go into determining car insurance rates. Knowing what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

• You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you frequently file small claims, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Car insurance companies in California award lower rates to policyholders who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of larger claims.
• The type of vehicle makes a difference – The performance of the vehicle you own makes a big difference in your rates. Small economy passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
• Discounts for married couples – Being married can actually save you money on your car insurance policy. Having a significant other means you’re more mature and responsible and it’s proven that being married results in fewer claims.
• Do you have a high stress job? – Did you know your job can affect your rates? Jobs such as real estate brokers, architects and dentists tend to have the highest average rates attributed to high stress levels and long work hours. Other occupations like pilots, historians and performers receive lower rates.
• Do you need those extra coverages? – There are quite a few additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren’t careful. Coverages for roadside assistance, accidental death and motor club memberships are some examples. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but if you don’t need them eliminate them to save money.
• Lower deductibles cost more – Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.

Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in San Francisco, CA

The are a couple different ways of comparing rates and find the best price. The simplest method to find the lowest rates is to use the internet to compare rates. This can be done using a couple different methods.

1. The recommended way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This form prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms for each company. Completing one form gets rate comparisons from several companies.
2. A more time consuming way to get comparison quotes consists of going to each company’s website to complete their respective quote request forms. For instance, we’ll assume you want comparison quotes from Auto-Owners, Progressive and Farmers. You would have to go to every website and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in San Francisco, click here.
3. The hardest way of getting rate comparisons is to spend time driving to local San Francisco insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online can eliminate the need for a local agent unless you prefer the trained guidance of a licensed agent. Drivers can find lower rates online and get advice from an agent in your area. We’ll cover that shortly.

Whichever method you choose, ensure you are comparing identical coverage limits and deductibles for every company. If your comparisons have mixed coverages you will not be able to determine the best car insurance price in San Francisco. Slightly different insurance coverages may result in large price differences. And when comparison shopping, comparing more company’s prices provides better odds of finding the best offered rates.

Verify you’re getting all your discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of purchase, but some must be asked about in order for you to get them.

• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
• Safety Course Discount – Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some companies give discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. The savings is around 10%.
• Safe Driver Discount – Drivers who don’t get into accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than drivers with accident claims.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring multiple cars or trucks on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
• Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
• Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.

It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down the amount you have to pay.

Are insurance agents a thing of the past?

Some consumers prefer to sit down with an agent and that is OK! The best thing about price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the lowest rates but also keep your business local. Supporting small agencies is important particularly in San Francisco.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your house as quotes are delivered directly to your email. How’s that for easy! You can find the lowest rates AND a local agent.

Types of insurance agents in San Francisco

When looking for an insurance agent, there are two types of agencies that you can select. San Francisco agents can either be independent (non-captive) or captive.

Independent Agents

Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If your agent finds better pricing, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rates, you should always get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency for the best price selection.

The following are independent agents in San Francisco that can give you competitive price quotes.

Leisure Werden and Terry Agency – 120 Montgomery St # 950 – San Francisco, CA 94104 – (415) 788-5858
Employers Reinsurance Corp – 111 Sutter St # 400 – San Francisco, CA 94104 – (415) 834-2200
Jeffrey Lee Agency – 436 Clement St – San Francisco, CA 94118 – (415) 752-1121
Majestic Insurance – 600 Harrison St – San Francisco, CA 94107 – (415) 247-7283
Sam Levin Agency – 3216 Geary Blvd # B – San Francisco, CA 94118 – (415) 387-7727

Captive Insurance Agents

This type of agents can only place business with one company and examples are State Farm or Allstate. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agencies are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them compete with independent agents.

Below are captive agents in San Francisco who can help you get comparison quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 220 Montgomery St # 480 – San Francisco, CA 94104 – (415) 397-2994
Allstate Insurance – 100 Bush St # 220 – San Francisco, CA 94104 – (415) 391-9988
Farmers Insurance Group – 1200 Vicente St – San Francisco, CA 94116 – (415) 681-3830

For a complete listing of captive insurance agencies in San Francisco, please view this page.

Deciding on an insurance agent should depend on more than just the premium amount. These are valid questions to ask:

• Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
• What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
• How long has their agency been open in San Francisco?
• Do they have any clout with companies to ensure a fair claim settlement?
• What insurance companies do they work with?

Once you have satisfactory answers to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located a car insurance agent that can adequately provide car insurance.

Your personal situation dictates your coverage

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions may help highlight if you will benefit from professional help.

• Should I buy only the required California minimum liability coverage?
• Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
• Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
• Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in San Francisco?
• Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
• Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
• Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Additional car insurance information can be found on the website for the California Department of Insurance found here. Consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find a variety of consumer forms, get help finding coverage, and learn about specific coverages.

Better coverage you can count on

We covered many tips how you can lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the best prices are with some of the lesser-known companies. These smaller insurers can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.

While you’re price shopping online, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.