Find Affordable Ford Explorer Sport Trac Insurance in Fresno

If you want to save the most money, the best way to find low-cost prices for Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance is to regularly compare quotes from insurance carriers who can sell car insurance in Fresno. Rate comparisons can be done by following these steps.

1. Take a little time to learn about how auto insurance works and the things you can control to lower rates. Many factors that drive up the price such as high-risk driving behaviors and bad credit can be improved by making minor changes to your lifestyle. This article gives the details to prevent high prices and find discounts that you may qualify for.
2. Request price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agencies can provide prices for many different companies.
3. Compare the price quotes to your current policy premium to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save some money, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.
4. Provide proper notification to your current company to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit the signed application along with the required initial payment for the new policy. Immediately safely store the certificate verifying coverage in your glove compartment.

The key aspect of shopping around is to use identical limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to get price estimates from as many car insurance companies as possible. This guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and the best price selection.

A recent study showed that 70% of consumers have stayed with the same insurance company for a minimum of four years, and almost half have never even compared rates from other companies. Many drivers in the U.S. could save nearly $860 each year just by shopping around, but they think it’s difficult to shop around.

If you already have coverage, you will definitely be able to find better prices using the ideas you’re about to read. Finding and buying the lowest-priced car insurance in Fresno is not as confusing as people think. But California vehicle owners benefit from understanding the way insurance companies charge you for coverage because it can help you find the best coverage.

Low Cost companies for Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance

The companies shown below provide comparison quotes in California. If you wish to find cheap car insurance in CA, we recommend you visit several of them in order to find the most competitive rates.

Auto insurance data for a Ford Explorer Sport Trac

The table shown next showcases different insurance costs for Ford Explorer Sport Trac models. Being able to understand how insurance premiums are figured is important for making decisions on which insurance to purchase.

Premium data assumes single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Rate information does not factor in your specific Fresno location which can raise or lower coverage prices greatly.

Deductible analysis

One frequently asked question is which comprehensive and collision deductibles to buy. The following insurance rates may help to illustrate the premium difference when you select higher and lower deductibles. The first rate quote example uses a $250 deductible for physical damage and the second price chart uses a $1,000 deductible.

Cost estimates assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in specific zip code location which can increase or decrease coverage prices greatly.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $250 deductible costs about $29 more each month or $348 for a full year than buying the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would pay $750 more if you file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you average at least 26 months between claims, you would come out ahead by going with a higher deductible.

The illustration below demonstrates how deductibles and can impact Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance rates for different ages of insureds. The data is based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are factored in.

How accidents and violations affect rates

The chart below highlights how traffic violations and accident claims impact Ford Explorer Sport Trac annual premium costs for each different age group. The costs are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.

Should you buy full coverage?

The chart below visualizes the comparison of Ford Explorer Sport Trac car insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The rates are based on no claims or driving citations, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no policy discounts are applied.

When to eliminate full coverage

There is no definitive guideline of when to phase out physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Ford Explorer Sport Trac replacement cost is $3,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $2,000 after paying your policy deductible. If you are paying over $200 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are some conditions where only buying liability is not recommended. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not eliminate full coverage.

Car insurance discounts are available to lower rates

Companies don’t list all discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down both well-publicized and the more hidden credits available to you.

• Early Signing – Select larger companies give a discount for buying a new policy before your current expiration date. It could save around 10% when you buy Fresno auto insurance online.
• New Car Discount – Buying car insurance coverage on a new vehicle may earn a small discount compared to insuring an older model.
• Save over 55 – Seniors may receive a discount up to 10%.
• Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could qualify you for better prices.
• Federal Employees – Federal government employees could cut as much as 10% off with a few car insurance companies.

One thing to note about discounts is that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. If you do the math and it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, that’s just not realistic.

The information below illustrates the comparison of Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance premiums with and without discounts applied. The prices are based on a female driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, multi-car, marriage, multi-policy, safe-driver, and homeowner discounts applied.

To see a list of insurance companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in Fresno, click here.

Smart Buyers Save More

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that help determine the price you pay for insurance. If you understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that may result in cheaper rates.

Pleasure use or commuting – The higher the mileage driven every year the higher the price you pay to insure it. A lot of companies calculate prices partially by how you use the vehicle. Vehicles that are left in the garage receive better premium rates than cars that get driven a lot. It’s always a good idea to double check that your insurance declarations sheet properly reflects annual mileage. Improper usage on your Explorer Sport Trac is just wasting money.

Rural vs Urban Areas – Being located in small towns and rural areas has definite advantages when talking about insurance. People who live in big cities regularly have more road rage incidents and higher rates of accident claims. Less people means reduced accidents in addition to lower liability claims.

Never let your insurance policy expire – Driving with no insurance can get your license suspended and insurance companies will penalize you for letting your coverage cancel without a new policy in place. And not only will your rates increase, not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.

Lower rates by increasing physical damage deductibles – The deductibles you choose are how much you are willing to pay before your insurance pays a claim. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered are rear-ending another vehicle, damage caused by hail, and having a roll-over accident. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the better rate you will receive.

Are you male or female? – Statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that women are BETTER drivers than men. Males and females have accidents in similar numbers, but men get into accidents with more damage. They also have more aggressive citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Male teenagers have the highest risk to insure and are penalized with high insurance rates.

The chart below illustrates the difference between Ford Explorer Sport Trac yearly insurance costs for male and female drivers. Data assumes no accidents, no driving violations, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied.

Certain occupations pay higher prices – Did you know your insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupational choices like real estate brokers, airline pilots, and stock brokers tend to pay higher average rates because of intense work situations and extremely grueling work hours. On the other hand, careers like farmers, athletes and the unemployed pay the least.

Everyone needs different insurance coverages

When buying a policy for your vehicles, there really is not a “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are unique to you.

For instance, these questions can help discover if your situation may require specific advice.

• How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?
• Will filing a claim cost me more?
• Should I rate my Ford Explorer Sport Trac as pleasure use or commute?
• Is my nanny covered when driving my vehicle?
• What if a claim settlement is too low?
• Is my nanny covered when transporting my kids?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form.

Independent and exclusive insurance agencies

Some consumers still prefer to buy from a local agent and doing that can be a smart decision A good thing about comparing rate quotes online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but still work with a licensed agent. Supporting local agencies is important especially in Fresno.

Upon completion of this quick form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to agents in your area that can provide free Fresno auto insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t even need to contact an agency as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. It’s the lowest rates without requiring a lot of work. If you want to get a comparison quote from a particular provider, you would need to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.

Multiple types of car insurance agents in Fresno

When finding a local insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different types of agencies and how they work. Insurance agencies can be classified as either independent agents or exclusive agents.

Independent Agents

Independent agents do not have single company limitations so they can quote policies with many different companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier which is easy for the insured. When comparing rates, you will want to get rate quotes from at least one independent agent to get the best comparison. Most can insure with lesser-known insurance companies that may have much lower rates than larger companies.

Listed below is a short list of independent insurance agents in Fresno who may be able to give you free rate quotes.

• James G. Parker Insurance Associates
  1753 E Fir Ave – Fresno, CA 93720 – (559) 222-7722 – View Map
• Bulldog Insurance Agency
  7975 N Cedar Ave – Fresno, CA 93720 – (559) 447-5000 – View Map
• Covered California Fresno
  4005 N Blackstone Ave #101 – Fresno, CA 93726 – (559) 222-4140 – View Map

More insurance agents

Exclusive Insurance Agents

Exclusive insurance agents can only provide pricing for a single company and examples are State Farm, Allstate, and Farm Bureau. Exclusive agents cannot compare other company’s rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive insurance agents are highly trained on sales techniques and that enables them to sell even at higher rates. A lot of people buy from the same agent for years primarily because of the brand rather than having the cheapest rates.

Listed below are exclusive insurance agents in Fresno willing to provide rate quotes.

• Steph Flores Peters – State Farm Insurance Agent
  371 E Bullard Ave #104 – Fresno, CA 93710 – (559) 274-0600 – View Map
• Lynn Hamilton – State Farm Insurance Agent
  6716 N Cedar Ave #210 – Fresno, CA 93710 – (559) 323-9800 – View Map
• Farmers Insurance: Israel Cortes
  5446 N Palm Ave #105 – Fresno, CA 93704 – (559) 230-1300 – View Map

More insurance agents

Choosing the best auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a low price. Here are some questions you might want to ask.

• Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
• When do they do policy reviews?
• Does the agent help file claims?
• Are they paid to recommend certain coverages?
• Does the quote include credit and driving reports?

Best car insurance company in Fresno

Buying coverage from the top insurer can be a challenge considering how many choices drivers have in California. The ranking data listed below could help you decide which auto insurers to look at when shopping your coverage around.

Top 10 Fresno Car Insurance Companies Overall

1. USAA
2. American Family
3. AAA of Southern California
4. State Farm
5. The Hartford
6. AAA Insurance
7. GEICO
8. The General
9. Titan Insurance
10. Progressive

Don’t give up on affordable rates

The cheapest Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance in Fresno is definitely available both online as well as from independent agents in Fresno, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies may not have price quotes online and most of the time these regional carriers only sell through independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

Drivers leave their current company for many reasons like extreme rates for teen drivers, denial of a claim, high rates after DUI convictions or questionable increases in premium. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right insurance provider is not as difficult as it may seem.

Much more information about insurance in California can be found below:

• Learn About Car Insurance (GEICO)
• How Much are Fresno Auto Insurance Quotes for Welfare Recipients? (FAQ)
• What Insurance is Cheapest for a 20 Year Old Female in Fresno? (FAQ)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Over Age 70 in Fresno? (FAQ)
• How to Avoid Buying a Flooded Car (Insurance Information Institute)
• Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)
• Your Car has been Stolen: Now What? (Allstate)