Trying to come up with a payment for overpriced car insurance can draw down your savings account and force you to make tough financial choices.
It’s a known fact that car insurance companies want to keep your business as long as possible. Drivers who rate shop once a year are highly likely to move their business because there is a high probability of finding discount prices. A recent car insurance study discovered that drivers who routinely compared quotes saved about $3,450 over four years as compared to drivers who never compared prices.
If finding the cheapest price on Ford Focus insurance is your ultimate target, then having a grasp of how to shop for insurance premiums can help you succeed in saving money. Since you have so many choices of insurance companies that have cheap insurance for a Ford Focus in Riverside, it’s nearly impossible to locate the lowest price company.
What Impacts Ford Focus Insurance Rates?
Lots of factors are part of the calculation when quoting car insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, but others are not as apparent such as your marital status or your vehicle rating.
Shown below are a partial list of the pieces used by companies to determine prices.
Drivers with good credit save – A driver’s credit rating will be a significant factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better risks to insure as compared to drivers with poor credit scores. So if your credit history is not that good, you may save money insuring your Ford Focus if you clean up your credit.
Costs are impacted by vehicle performance – The make and model of the car, truck or SUV you need to insure makes a big difference in your car insurance bill. The cheapest insurance rates are usually found on economy passenger cars, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
The following data assumes a married female driver age 20, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It compares Ford Focus car insurance rates compared to other models that have different performance risks.
Eliminate extra policy coverages – There are quite a few additional extra coverages that sound like a good idea at the time when buying auto insurance. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage, and Farm Bureau memberships may not be needed and are just wasting money. These coverages may sound good at first, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.
Annual mileage impacts prices – Driving more miles every year the higher your rate. A lot of insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how much you drive. Autos that do not get driven very much qualify for better rates than cars that get driven a lot. Having the wrong rating on your Focus may be costing you higher rates. Verify your auto insurance coverage correctly shows the right rating data.
Insurance loss statistics a Ford Focus – Companies use historical loss data when they calculate premium costs for each model. Models that the data determines to have increased losses will have a higher premium rate.
The table below demonstrates the collected loss data for Ford Focus vehicles. For each insurance policy coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles averaged together is equal to 100. Numbers under 100 imply a favorable loss record, while numbers above 100 point to more losses or statistically larger losses.
| Vehicle Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Focus | 106 | 98 | 90 | 103 | 109 | 111 |
| Ford Focus Electric | 87 | 85 | 66 |
Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Data for Ford Focus insurance
The rate table below outlines detailed analysis of coverage costs for Ford Focus models. Being more informed about how policy premiums are calculated helps drivers make informed decisions when shopping around for a new policy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $208 | $454 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,292 | $108 |
| Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $208 | $454 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,292 | $108 |
| Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $208 | $536 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,374 | $115 |
| Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $208 | $536 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,374 | $115 |
| Focus SE 2-Dr Coupe | $238 | $536 | $524 | $32 | $156 | $1,486 | $124 |
| Focus SES 2-Dr Coupe | $238 | $536 | $524 | $32 | $156 | $1,486 | $124 |
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Cost estimates assume married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy. Rates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can lower or raise auto insurance rates greatly.
Bad driving habits will cost you more
The illustration below shows how traffic citations and accident claims can influence Ford Focus car insurance rates for different age groups. The information is based on a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $250 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
Car insurance cost for men versus women in Riverside
The example below illustrates the comparison of Ford Focus insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premiums are based on no claims, a clean driving record, full coverage, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no policy discounts are applied.
How much more does full coverage cost?
The chart below shows the difference between Ford Focus insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The information is based on no violations or accidents, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
When to eliminate full coverage
There is no definitive guideline to eliminate physical damage coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than around 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
For example, let’s say your Ford Focus replacement cost is $4,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, you would only receive $3,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying in excess of $300 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are some cases where removing full coverage is not financially feasible. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Get cheaper rates by applying discounts
Companies don’t always publicize every discount very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized as well as some of the hidden ways to save on insurance. If you don’t get every credit possible, you are throwing money away.
- Early Switch Discount – A few insurance companies give discounts for buying a new policy before your current coverage expires. This discount can save up to 10%.
- Club Memberships – Participating in a civic or occupational organization in Riverside could earn you a nice discount on your next insurance statement.
- Distant Student Discount – Any of your kids who live away from home at college and do not take a car to college can receive lower rates.
- Passive Restraints – Factory options such as air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles may enable drivers to earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- E-sign Discounts – A few larger companies will provide an incentive simply for signing digitally online.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job could provide a small rate reduction depending on your insurance provider.
- Use Seat Belts – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle up before driving could cut 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
- Bundle and Save – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you may earn over 10 percent off each policy depending on the company.
Don’t be shocked that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
The chart below illustrates the difference between Ford Focus auto insurance costs with and without policy discounts. The premiums are based on a female driver, no violations or accidents, 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 claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, marriage, safe-driver, and multi-car discounts applied.
A few companies that have some of the discounts shown above possibly include:
If you need inexpensive Riverside auto insurance quotes, ask each insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Savings may not apply to policyholders in every state. To view insurance companies who offer discounts in California, click here to view.
One last thing to lower rates
As you prepare to switch companies, you should never buy less coverage just to save a little money. Too many times, an insured dropped liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim they didn’t have enough coverage. Your objective should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate, but do not skimp to save money.
Lower-priced Ford Focus insurance in Riverside can be purchased from both online companies and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not provide price quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agencies.
How to save money on Ford Focus insurance in Riverside
To save the most money, the best way to get more affordable car insurance rates in Riverside is to compare prices annually from insurers who can sell car insurance in California.
- Get a basic knowledge of coverages and the things you can change to keep rates low. Many rating criteria that are responsible for high rates like tickets, at-fault accidents, and an imperfect credit history can be remedied by paying attention to minor details.
- Obtain price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only quote rates from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agencies can give you price quotes from many different companies.
- Compare the quotes to your current policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save some money, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
An important part of this process is to try to use identical coverages on every quote request and and to get quotes from as many companies as you can. Doing this guarantees a fair rate comparison and a complete price analysis.
For more information, feel free to visit these articles:
- Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Real Estate Agents in Riverside? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Riverside Car Insurance Quotes for Teenagers? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Inexperienced Drivers in Riverside? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Ford Edge in Riverside? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Riverside Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 50? (FAQ)
- Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)
- Understanding Your Insurance Deductible (Insurance Information Institute)
- Think You’re a Safe Driver? (State Farm)