Cheap Insurance for a Dodge Stratus in San Jose

If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get low-cost Dodge Stratus insurance is to regularly compare price quotes from insurers who sell auto insurance in San Jose. You can compare prices by following these steps.

Step 1: Read about car insurance and the things you can change to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that increase rates such as inattentive driving and a less-than-favorable credit score can be eliminated by paying attention to minor details. This article gives more information to help reduce prices and find overlooked discounts.

Step 2: Compare rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple companies.

Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate quote and change companies, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.

Step 4: Tell your current company of your intention to cancel the current policy. Submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application to the new company. Be sure to safely store the proof of insurance certificate in an easily accessible location.

One important bit of advice is to try to compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote and and to get quotes from as many companies as you can. This provides the most accurate price comparison and a complete price analysis.

It’s a fact that auto insurance companies don’t want policyholders to compare prices from other companies. Insureds who shop around for cheaper price quotes will most likely switch companies because the odds are good of finding lower rate quotes. Remarkably, a study showed that drivers who routinely shopped for cheaper coverage saved approximately $865 annually compared to other drivers who don’t regularly compare prices.

If finding the cheapest rates on Dodge Stratus insurance is the reason you’re reading this, then having an understanding of how to get rate quotes and compare auto insurance can make the process less intimidating.

If you have a policy now or just want cheaper rates, follow these tips to save money without sacrificing coverage. Locating the best rates in San Jose is quite easy if you know the best way to do it. Shoppers only have to learn how to buy insurance online from multiple companies.

Compare free San Jose Dodge Stratus insurance quotes

Most companies give coverage price quotes from their websites. This process is very simple as you just type in your coverage information into the form. Upon sending the form, the company’s rating system requests your driving record and credit report and gives you a price quote based on the information you submitted. The ability to get online quotes for Dodge Stratus insurance in San Jose makes it easy to compare insurance prices and it’s very important to get many rate quotes in order to get the cheapest price.

To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, compare rate quotes from the providers shown below. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended that you enter your coverages as shown on your current policy. This ensures you’re receiving an apples-to-apples comparison using the same coverage and limits.

The companies in the list below are our best choices to provide free quotes in San Jose, CA. If several companies are displayed, it’s highly recommended you get prices from several of them to get the most affordable price.

Why you need quality insurance for your Dodge vehicle

Even though San Jose Stratus insurance rates can get expensive, buying car insurance is a good idea for several reasons.

• The majority of states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability protection 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 have a loan on your Dodge, more than likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you have comprehensive coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Dodge at a significantly higher premium and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
• Car insurance preserves both your Dodge Stratus and your personal assets. Insurance will also pay for all forms of medical expenses incurred in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are sued as the result of your driving. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your car insurance policy will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.

The benefits of buying enough insurance more than offset the price you pay, particularly for liability claims. As of last year, the average driver in California is overpaying over $855 a year so you should quote and compare rates at every policy renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.

Learn How to Lower Your Insurance Prices

Multiple criteria are used when premium rates are determined. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, but others are more obscure such as your marital status or your vehicle rating.

Vehicles with better crash test results save money – Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and better occupant protection translates directly to fewer claims and thus lower rates. If your Dodge scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it may cost less to insure.

Vocation stress can affect prices – Careers such as real estate brokers, social workers, and emergency personnel are shown to have the highest rates in part from high stress and lots of time spent at work. On the flip side, careers like professors, students and performers receive lower rates.

Women tend to cost less – Statistics demonstrate that females tend to be a little less risky than males. Now that doesn’t mean women are BETTER drivers than men. They both are in auto accidents at a similar rate, but the males tend to have higher claims. In addition to higher claims, males also get higher numbers of serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving.

Additional coverages that may be costing you – Policies have additional coverages that sound like a good idea at the time on your Stratus policy. Insurance for things like coverage for rental cars, towing, and membership fees may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so remove them and pocket the money.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you might already qualify for some discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Certain reductions will be credited at the time of quoting, but some may not be applied and must be manually applied before they will apply.

• Paper-free Discount – A few larger online companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy online.
• Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off with select insurance companies.
• Student in College – Older children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not take a car to college may be insured at a cheaper rate.
• Accident Waiver – Not a discount per se, but certain companies will turn a blind eye to one accident without the usual rate increase if you have no claims before the accident.
• Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower prices.

Remember that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like you could get a free insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

If you would like to choose from a list of companies with discount rates in San Jose, click here.

Insurance can get complicated

When buying insurance from an agent or online for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Every situation is different.

These are some specific questions can help discover whether or not you may require specific advice.

• If my car is totaled with they pay enough to replace it?
• Can I rent a car in Mexico?
• Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
• Does coverage extend to Mexico or Canada?
• How much will a speeding ticket raise my rates?
• Why am I required to buy liability insurance?
• Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in San Jose?
• What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
• What is the rate difference between pleasure use and commuting?
• Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Buying car insurance from San Jose insurance agencies

Many people just want to sit down and talk to an agent. Professional agents can help determine the best coverages and give you someone to call. A nice benefit of comparing rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get cheap car insurance quotes and still have an agent to talk to.

After filling out this quick form, the coverage information is submitted to participating agents in San Jose who will gladly provide quotes for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to find an agent since rate quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. In the event you want to get a comparison quote from a specific insurance company, don’t hesitate to visit that company’s website and complete a quote there.

Picking the best insurer requires you to look at more than just a cheap quote. You should also get answers to these questions.

• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
• Is insurance their full-time profession?
• Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
• Where are claims handled?
• What company holds the largest book of business for them?
• Does their agency support local causes in San Jose?
• Do you qualify for any additional discounts?
• Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?

Compare rates from both independent and exclusive car insurance agents

If you would like to find a reliable insurance agent, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agencies and how they work. Car insurance policy providers can be described as either exclusive or independent. Either one can sell car insurance policies, but it is a good idea to know the difference between them since it may influence which type of agent you select.

Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies

Exclusive agents write business for a single company such as State Farm or Allstate. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so they really need to provide good service. These agents are well trained on their products and sales techniques and that enables them to sell even at higher rates.

Listed below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in San Jose that can give you price quotes.

More San Jose agents

Independent Agents

Agents in the independent channel are not restricted to one company and that gives them the ability to insure with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. If they find a lower price, they can switch companies in-house and you stay with the same agent.

When comparison shopping, we recommend you get insurance quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from.

The following is a short list of independent insurance agencies in San Jose that are able to give comparison quotes.

More San Jose agents

Upon getting good answers to any questions you may have and a low price estimate, chances are good that you have found an insurance agency that meets your needs to properly service your car insurance policy. Just understand that it’s your coverage and you can terminate coverage whenever you wish so never feel that you are obligated to the car insurance policy for a certain time period.

Quote more to save more

You just read many ways to save on Dodge Stratus insurance in San Jose. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may even discover the best auto insurance rates are with the least-expected company.

Budget-friendly car insurance in San Jose can be found both online in addition to many San Jose insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some car insurance companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these small insurance companies only sell coverage through local independent agencies.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s very important that you do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits and found out when filing a claim that they should have had better coverage. Your goal is to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

For more information, link through to the articles below:

• Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)
• Keeping Children Safe in Crashes Video (iihs.org)
• Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
• Honda warning system reduces insurance claims (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)