Car Insurance Quotes for a Ford Focus in Fresno

How long has it been since the last time you looked for more affordable Ford Focus insurance in Fresno? Are you tired of sacrificing to pay car insurance each month? You are no different than most other drivers in California.

It’s a fact that insurance companies don’t want you to look for a cheaper policy. People who do rate comparisons will presumably switch companies because there is a great chance of finding a lower-priced company. A recent study showed that consumers who compared rates once a year saved over $70 a month compared to policyholders who never shopped around.

If finding the cheapest price for auto insurance is your goal, learning the best way to compare insurance premiums can help you be more efficient.

Many car insurance companies vie for your business, so it can be very hard to choose a insurer and uncover the absolute best rate on Ford Focus insurance in Fresno.

You should take the time to compare premium rates on a regular basis because car insurance prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal on Ford Focus insurance in Fresno a year ago you may be paying too much now. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate one of the quickest ways to reduce your cost while improving coverage.

Six factors that impact insurance premiums

Smart consumers have a good feel for a few of the rating criteria that help calculate your insurance rates. When you understand what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make good choices that may result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Never go without insurance – Driving without insurance is a big no-no and your next policy will cost more because you let your coverage have a gap. And not only will your rates increase, the inability to provide proof of insurance could earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. You may have to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the California motor vehicle department.

Drive a safer car and pay less – Vehicles that have high safety ratings tend to be cheaper to insure. Highly rated vehicles help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and reduced instances of injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and more competitive rates for policyholders.

Mature drivers pay less – Older drivers have been proven to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and receive fewer citations. Drivers with little experience are statistically shown to get distracted easily when at the wheel of a vehicle therefore insurance rates are much higher.

The following data uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

Liability coverage claims can be big – Liability insurance is the coverage that protects you if ever you are found liable for an accident. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.

Physical damage deductibles – Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your Ford. Examples of some claims that would be covered could be a broken side mirror, damage from fire, and damage caused by flying debris. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The more expense the insured has to pay upfront, the less your company will charge you for insurance.

Insurance claims cost money – Insurance companies in California award discounts to policyholders who do not file claims often. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for larger claims.

Ford Focus claim statistics – Insurers use statistical claims data to calculate a rate that will offset any claims. Models that the data shows to have higher number or severity of losses will have a higher cost to insure. The information below illustrates the insurance loss data for Ford Focus vehicles.

For each policy coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles averaged together equals 100. Numbers that are below 100 imply a favorable loss record, while values that are above 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or an increased probability of a larger loss.

Facts and figures for Ford Focus insurance

The information shown below highlights a range of coverage costs for Ford Focus models. Knowing how insurance policy premiums are formulated is important for making smart choices when purchasing an auto insurance policy.

Prices above based on married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Price estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can increase or decrease premiums noticeably.

Rate comparison for different deductibles

One of the hardest decisions when shopping for car insurance is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The comparisons below illustrate the differences in premium rates between low and high deductibles. The first data table uses a $100 physical damage coverage deductible and the second data table uses a $500 deductible.

Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in garaging location in Fresno which can change price quotes greatly.

Based on the figures above, using a $100 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $30 more each month or $360 a year averaged for all Focus models than buying the higher $500 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $400 more if you turn in a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you go more than 13 months between claim filings, you would more than likely save some money if you opt for a higher deductible.

Car insurance rates are higher with tickets and accidents

The chart below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault accidents drive up Ford Focus car insurance costs for different age groups. The information is based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Annual premiums for males versus females

The information below compares Ford Focus insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premiums are based on a clean driving record, no claims, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Full coverage or liability only

The chart below compares Ford Focus auto insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage. The premiums assume no accidents, no driving violations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no other discounts are factored in.

Are you wasting money on full coverage?

There is no clear-cut rule for phasing out full coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Ford Focus replacement cost is $9,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company will settle for is $8,000 after you pay the deductible. If you are currently paying more than $800 a year for your policy with full coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

There are some circumstances where removing full coverage is not in your best interest. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should keep full coverage on your policy.

Insurance policy discounts you can’t miss

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you can get discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically when you get a quote, but some discounts are required to be specifically requested before you will receive the discount.

• Federal Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government could qualify for a slight premium decrease depending on your company.
• Discount for Multiple Policies – If you have multiple policies with one company they may give you a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
• Driver’s Education for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class in high school.
• Active Military Service – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
• More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring multiple vehicles with the same company can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
• Resident Student – Older children who attend college more than 100 miles from Fresno and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
• Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This one isn’t a discount, but certain companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates so long as you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
• Payment Discounts – If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than paying monthly you can avoid monthly service charges.
• Discount for Passive Restraints – Factory air bags can qualify for discounts of 25 to 30%.
• Save over 55 – If you’re over the age of 55, you may qualify for a discount up to 10%.

Discounts lower rates, but most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like you could get a free insurance policy, that’s just not realistic.

The example below illustrates the difference between Ford Focus insurance costs with and without discounts. The rates are based on a male driver, no accidents or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, homeowner, multi-car, claim-free, safe-driver, and multi-policy discounts applied.

If you would like to choose from a list of providers that have a full spectrum of discounts in California, click here.

Don’t give up on affordable premiums

Budget-friendly car insurance in Fresno can be found both online and also from your neighborhood Fresno agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies may not provide online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

When searching for the cheapest Ford Focus rate quotes, it’s very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.

We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to save on Ford Focus insurance in Fresno. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the better likelihood of getting affordable Ford Focus insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with an unexpected company. Some small companies may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments compared to the large companies like Allstate and Progressive.

How to find affordable Ford Focus insurance in Fresno

The recommended way to save on Ford Focus insurance is to annually compare prices from different companies who provide auto insurance in Fresno.

• First, try to comprehend individual coverages and the things you can change to keep rates down. Many rating factors that result in higher rates such as traffic citations and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be remedied by being financially responsible and driving safely.
• Second, obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agents can provide price quotes from many different companies. View companies
• Third, compare the new quotes to the premium of your current policy to determine if you can save on Focus insurance in Fresno. If you find a better price and switch companies, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
• Fourth, provide adequate notice to your current company of your intention to cancel your current coverage and submit payment and a signed application to your new carrier. Be sure to store the certificate verifying proof of insurance in an easily accessible location.

One important bit of advice is that you use the same amount of coverage on each quote and and to get quotes from all possible companies. This enables a fair rate comparison and plenty of rates choose from.

More detailed car insurance information can be read by following these links:

• Understanding Car Crashes Video (iihs.org)
• How Much are Car Insurance Rates for Infrequent Drivers in Fresno? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for Seniors in Fresno? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance with Multiple Speeding Tickets in Fresno? (FAQ)
• How to shop for a safer car (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Auto Crash Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• What is Covered by GAP Insurance? (Allstate)
• Medical Payments Coverage (Liberty Mutual)