Best Insurance for a Ford Expedition in Fresno

It takes a little time, but the best way to find discount auto insurance rates in Fresno is to regularly compare price quotes from insurance carriers in California.

1. Spend some time learning about how car insurance works and the changes you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that result in higher prices such as speeding and a bad credit score can be rectified by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
2. Get rate quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only quote rates from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agencies can quote prices from multiple companies.
3. Compare the price quotes to your existing rates and see if there is a cheaper rate. If you can save money and buy the policy, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.

A valuable tip to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare similar limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to get prices from as many different insurance providers as possible. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison and a better comparison of the market.

It’s an obvious statement that car insurance companies don’t want their policyholders to compare prices. People who perform rate comparisons are highly likely to switch insurance companies because of the high probability of finding a policy with better rates. A recent survey discovered that consumers who did price comparisons regularly saved about $3,500 over four years as compared to drivers who didn’t regularly shop around.

If finding the cheapest rates on Ford Expedition insurance in Fresno is your ultimate target, knowing how to get price quotes and compare auto insurance can make it easier to find better rates.

There are several ways to compare rate quotes from insurance companies in your area. One of the best ways to find affordable insurance rates is simply to get online rate quotes.

Online shopping is fast and free, and it makes it a waste of time to spend time driving to each insurance agency near you. The ability to quote Ford Expedition insurance online eliminates the middleman unless you have a need for the professional guidance that can only be provided by a licensed insurance agent. If you prefer, some companies allow you to compare online quotes but have your policy serviced through an agent.

It’s important to know that comparing more rates from different companies helps you find the best price.

The following companies are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in Fresno, CA. To locate the cheapest car insurance in Fresno, we recommend you get rates from several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Insuring your Expedition just makes sense

Even though Fresno Expedition insurance rates can get expensive, buying car insurance serves several important purposes.

• The majority of states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to buy specific limits of liability coverage in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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 bought your Ford with a loan, almost every bank will make it mandatory that you carry insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the lender will be forced to insure your Ford at an extremely high rate and force you to pay the higher premium.
• Insurance safeguards both your assets and your Ford Expedition. It will also reimburse you for medical transport and hospital expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also covers legal expenses if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to repair the damage.

The benefits of carrying adequate insurance definitely exceed the price paid, particularly when you have a large claim. But the average driver in California is currently overpaying as much as $750 every year so compare rate quotes once a year at a minimum to be sure current rates are still competitive.

Statistics and details

The table below showcases different coverage prices for Ford Expedition models. Understanding more about how prices are determined can assist in making smart policy decisions.

Data based on married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-policy, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can affect coverage prices noticeably.

How high should deductibles be?

One common question asked by Fresno drivers is how high or low should comp and collision deductibles be. The rates shown below lay out the difference in cost between high and low policy deductibles. The first rate quote example uses a $100 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second set of prices uses a $500 deductible.

Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in vehicle location which can revise price quotes substantially.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $100 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $33 more each month or $396 annually than choosing the higher $500 deductible. Since you would have to pay $400 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you have at a minimum 12 months between claims, you would most likely save money by selecting a higher deductible.

One big caveat is that increasing deductibles to lower your rates means you will have to cover more of the damage yourself if you have a claim. You need some extra funds in order to pay the higher deductible.

The information below shows how different deductible levels and can affect Ford Expedition insurance premiums for each age group. The price estimates are based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are applied.

Impact of careless driving on insurance rates

The example below illustrates how traffic citations and accidents drive up Ford Expedition auto insurance rates for different age groups. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

Full coverage rates vs. liability-only

The diagram below shows the difference between Ford Expedition insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in California. The premium estimates are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

When to drop comp and collision

There is no specific rule to eliminate physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Ford Expedition replacement cost is $9,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, you would only receive $8,000 after you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $800 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

There are a few cases where buying only liability insurance is not recommended. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.

These seven discounts can slash Ford Expedition insurance rates

Car insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but there are discounts available that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts will apply when you quote, but some discounts are required to be asked for prior to getting the savings.

• Drivers Ed for Students – Have your child successfully take a driver’s education course in school or through a local driver safety program.
• Theft Deterrent – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices are stolen less frequently and will save you 10% or more on Expedition insurance in Fresno.
• Mature Driver Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you could receive a small decrease in premiums.
• Discounts for New Vehicles – Buying a new car model can cost up to 25% less because new model year vehicles keep occupants safer.
• Government Employees – Federal government employees could qualify for a slight premium decrease but check with your company.
• Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you may have a lower total premium amount.
• ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars with ABS braking systems or traction control can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more on Expedition insurance in Fresno.

Policy discounts save money, but some of the credits will not apply the whole policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So even though you would think all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.

The chart below compares Ford Expedition insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the premium. The rates are based on a female driver, no accidents or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, marriage, multi-car, multi-policy, claim-free, and safe-driver discounts applied.

Large car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be found below.

• Farm Bureau may include discounts for 55 and retired, multi-policy, driver training, good student, multi-vehicle, youthful driver, and renewal discount.
• State Farm offers discounts for good driver, driver’s education, defensive driving training, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and accident-free.
• Progressive discounts include multi-vehicle, homeowner, online quote discount, online signing, continuous coverage, and good student.
• Allstate offers premium reductions for senior citizen, 55 and retired, economy car, teenSMART discount, good payer, and good student.
• Nationwide has savings for Farm Bureau membership, easy pay, accident-free, defensive driving, anti-theft, and family plan.
• MetLife has discounts for good student, accident-free, defensive driver, multi-policy, claim-free, and good driver.

Double check with all the companies which discounts you qualify for. Savings may not apply in every state. If you would like to choose from a list of companies that offer multiple discounts in California, click here to view.

Situations that may require an agent’s advice

Always remember that when buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are unique to you so your insurance needs to address that.
These are some specific questions may help you determine whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

• Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
• Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
• Are rock chip repairs covered?
• How does medical payments coverage work?
• Does rental coverage apply when I am renting a car?
• Are rental cars covered under my policy?
• Should I buy full coverage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier