Get Car Insurance Comparison Quotes From San Mateo Insurance Agencies

If you’re looking for an insurance agent in San Mateo, CA, it’s recommended you do an initial search by comparing prices online rather than picking up the phone. Consumers need a professional agent, and also want to find the best price on car insurance.

Numerous car insurance agents battle for your insurance dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every insurance agent to find the lowest rate possible.

Your local neighborhood insurance agent

Educated insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you peace of mind. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the best rates and still choose a local agent.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, the quote information gets sent to companies in San Mateo who will battle for your coverage. You never need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. It doesn’t get any easier!

Choosing an insurance agent should depend on more than just a low price. Here are some questions to ask:

• Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in California?
• Are they full-time agents?
• Is assistance available after office hours?
• Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?

How to choose the best insurance agent in San Mateo

When researching an insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies to choose from. Agents are categorized either independent (non-captive) or captive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s important to know the differences since it may influence the selection process.

Captive Agents

Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with and examples are Allstate, AAA, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so keep that in mind. Captive agents are trained well on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers often choose to use a captive agent partially due to the brand legacy and strong financial ratings.

Shown below is a short list of captive insurance agents in San Mateo who can help you get rate quotes.

• Allstate Insurance – 450 N San Mateo Dr – San Mateo, CA 94401 – (650) 401-2400
• Farmers Insurance Group – 1730 S Amphlett Blvd – San Mateo, CA 94402 – (650) 286-7345
• State Farm Insurance – 4208 Olympic Ave – San Mateo, CA 94403 – (650) 525-3800

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with lots of companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparing rates, we recommend you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices. They also have the ability to place coverage with smaller regional carriers which can be an advantage.

Shown below are San Mateo independent agents willing to provide price quote information.

• Walter Yee Insurance – 744 Polhemus Rd – San Mateo, CA 94402 – (650) 341-1288
• William Smith Agency – 86 17th Ave – San Mateo, CA 94402 – (650) 572-8944
• Kitti Yindiphol Agency – 1650 Borel Pl # 121 – San Mateo, CA 94402 – (650) 571-1171
• Barrett Insurance Svc – 1300 S El Camino Real # 400 – San Mateo, CA 94402 – (650) 513-5690

For a complete listing of insurance agents in San Mateo, visit this link.

Once you have received satisfactory answers and a low price estimate, most likely you have located an insurance agent that is a good match to insure your vehicles.

Also consider buying auto insurance direct

Licensed agents are a valuable resource, but you also have the option of buying direct from companies that only sell online. Some car insurance companies, such as State Farm, Allstate and Farmers, who sell through agents in San Mateo additionally provide the ability to quote and buy online, and that can save time if you’re trying to lower your rates.

If you’re apprehensive about not getting advice from an agent when buying online, that is normal but is not a big issue. All companies that allow you to purchase coverage have customer service departments for getting questions answered.

The only way to know whether prices are lower online or from agents is to get price quotes for both. It’s not unheard of to actually get different prices from the same company depending on where you get the price quote from. But you won’t know if the company’s rates are lower online or from an agent without quoting coverages from both.

Can you save money buying online? Many people swear by it, but it’s difficult to answer since companies use quite a few components that impact your premium. Many people think that a shopper who purchases direct cuts out the agent as a middleman. But the reality is online and traditional media advertising are expensive so there may not be significant savings.

In the end, you save

Insureds switch companies for a number of reasons such as policy cancellation, poor customer service, delays in paying claims and even high rates after DUI convictions. Whatever your reason, switching companies can be less work than you think.

When you buy insurance online, it’s not a good idea to buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many instances, an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

More detailed California car insurance information can be read at the California Department of Insurance website. Consumers can view a list of available companies, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and learn about specific coverages.

Additional helpful sites include this link for California coverage information and this list of insurance agents in San Mateo.