A recent car insurance study discovered that over 70% of drivers have stayed with the same insurance company for at least four years, and nearly the majority have never quoted rates to find cheap coverage. San Jose drivers could cut their rates by roughly $469 a year, but they mistakenly think it’s difficult to find cheap insurance by shopping around.
The most effective way to get more affordable car insurance rates in San Jose is to start comparing prices yearly from companies in California. Rates can be compared by completing these steps.
Step 1: Gain an understanding of policy coverages and the steps you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many factors that cause high rates like inattentive driving and a not-so-good credit score can be eliminated by being financially responsible and driving safely. Continue reading for more information to prevent expensive rate increases and find overlooked discounts.
Step 2: Request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agents can quote rates from multiple companies.
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy and see if you can save money. If you find a better price and make a switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
The critical component of shopping around is that you’ll want to make sure you compare identical coverages on every price quote and and to get quotes from as many companies as you can. Doing this helps ensure a fair rate comparison and the best rate selection.
Just remember that comparing more quotes gives you a better chance of getting more affordable insurance. Not every company provides price estimates online, so it’s necessary to compare prices from those companies as well.
The providers in the list below have been selected to offer free rate quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, we suggest you visit as many as you can in order to find the most competitive rates.
Save a ton by earning discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always advertise every discount they offer very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using when you buy San Jose car insurance online.
- Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less compared to accident prone drivers.
- Driving Data Discount – Insureds who allow their company to track vehicle usage by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot may get a rate reduction as long as the data is positive.
- Distant Student Discount – College-age children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
- Pay Early and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill as opposed to paying monthly you can avoid monthly service charges.
- Theft Prevention System – Cars equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military may lower your rates slightly.
- No Claim Discounts – Good drivers with no accidents have much lower rates in comparison to bad drivers.
- 55 and Retired – Seniors can get lower premium rates.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though you would think adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky.
A partial list of companies that may have these money-saving discounts include:
Before buying, ask each company or agent which discounts they offer. A few discounts might not be offered in San Jose.
Why you need to buy auto insurance
Despite the high cost, insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.
- Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require a specific level of liability insurance 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 your Jaguar F-PACE has a lienholder, almost all lenders will require that you have physical damage coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the lender will be forced to insure your Jaguar at a much higher premium rate and require you to fork over the higher price.
- Auto insurance preserves not only your car but also your assets. It will also reimburse you for medical transport and hospital expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. As part of your policy, liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of your driving. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your auto insurance policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of buying auto insurance are definitely more than the cost, especially for larger claims. On average, a vehicle owner in San Jose overpays more than $810 a year so it’s important to compare rates at every policy renewal to ensure rates are inline.
Situations that may require an agent’s advice
Always remember that when buying adequate coverage, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Your financial needs are unique so your insurance should reflect that
These are some specific questions may help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
- How much coverage applies to personal belongings?
- Am I getting all the discounts available?
- Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
- Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
- Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
- Who does medical payments coverage extend to?
- What does roadside assistance cover?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my Jaguar F-PACE to commute?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in California?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Insurance agent or online?
A small number of people prefer to have an agent’s advice and that is OK! One of the benefits of getting online price quotes is you can get lower rates but also keep your business local.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this short form, your information is immediately sent to insurance agents in San Jose who want to provide quotes to get your business. There is no need to search for an agent as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. It’s the lowest rates without a big time investment. If you have a need to compare rates from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.
Finding a good provider shouldn’t rely on just the quoted price. The following questions are important to ask.
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- How would your car be valued if totaled?
- How many years have they been established?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
When looking for a local agent, it’s important to understand the different types of agencies from which to choose. Car insurance agents in San Jose can be described as either exclusive or independent.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be exclusive can usually just insure with one company and examples are Farmers Insurance, State Farm, Allstate, and AAA. They are unable to provide other company’s prices so they really need to provide good service. They receive a lot of sales training on their company’s products which can be an advantage. Many people use the same agent mostly because of the prominence of the brand and strong financial ratings.
Listed below is a list of exclusive agencies in San Jose who can help you get price quotes.
- Allstate Insurance: Valentine Deleon
1425 Foxworthy Ave b – San Jose, CA 95118 – (408) 266-8500 – View Map - Dennis Stroup – State Farm Insurance Agent
6455 Almaden Expy Ste 103 – San Jose, CA 95120 – (408) 268-7800 – View Map - Lillian Moore – State Farm Insurance Agent
5589 Winfield Blvd #210 – San Jose, CA 95123 – (408) 268-8600 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies are not employed by any specific company and that enables them to quote your coverage through lots of different companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, the agent simply finds a different carrier which is easy for the insured.
When comparing rates, you need to include several independent insurance agents to maximize your price options. Most also have access to different regional companies which can be an advantage.
Listed below is a short list of independent agencies in San Jose willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Filice Insurance Agency
738 N 1st St – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 350-5700 – View Map - Care Insurance Agency Inc
900 N 1st St E – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 292-2925 – View Map - Harrington Insurance Agency
6920 Santa Teresa Blvd #101 – San Jose, CA 95119 – (408) 754-9000 – View Map