A recent survey discovered that 70% of consumers kept their policy with the same company for at least four years, and 38% of customers have never shopped around. San Jose insurance shoppers could save up to 35% a year by just shopping around, but they don’t want to spend time to find affordable insurance by shopping around.
The recommended way to get budget auto insurance rates is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from insurance carriers who can sell car insurance in San Jose. Rates can be compared by following these steps.
- Get an understanding of what is in your policy and the steps you can take to keep rates low. Many rating factors that cause rate increases such as distracted driving and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be controlled by being financially responsible and driving safely.
- Request rate estimates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage and see if you can save money. If you find better rates, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Provide written notification to your current company to cancel your current policy. Submit payment and a completed application to the new company. As soon as you have the new policy, keep the new certificate verifying proof of insurance with the vehicle registration.
One key aspect when comparing rates is that you use identical deductibles and limits on each quote request and and to get price estimates from every company you can. Doing this ensures an accurate price comparison and the best price selection.
Discounts for cheap auto insurance rates
Auto insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but you may qualify for discounts that may help make it more affordable. Some discounts apply automatically when you complete an application, but lesser-known reductions have to be specifically requested prior to getting the savings. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you could be getting lower rates.
- Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Purchasing coverage when you have all your vehicles on a single policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
- Responsible Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can save as much as half off their rates compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
- Claim-Free Discount – Drivers who don’t have accidents have much lower rates in comparison to policyholders that have many claims.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
Policy discounts save money, but some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. Even though it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will reduce the cost of coverage.
Larger auto insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be read below.
- State Farm has discounts for good driver, driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, multiple autos, passive restraint, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for youthful driver, electronic funds transfer, bundle discounts, mature driver, and multi-car.
- GEICO has savings for five-year accident-free, seat belt use, emergency military deployment, air bags, and federal employee.
- American Family includes discounts for bundled insurance, good student, TimeAway discount, multi-vehicle, and good driver.
- Nationwide may offer discounts for easy pay, defensive driving, anti-theft, accident-free, business or organization, and family plan.
- Progressive offers discounts including continuous coverage, online quote discount, homeowner, online signing, multi-policy, good student, and multi-vehicle.
Check with each company the best way to save money. Some credits may not apply in San Jose. If you would like to view insurers that offer the discounts shown above in California, click here.
Ways to get Chevy TrailBlazer insurance quotes in San Jose, CA
Most larger insurance companies such as Allstate and Progressive allow you to get prices on the web. Comparing prices online for Chevy TrailBlazer insurance in San Jose is quite simple because you just enter your personal and coverage information as requested by the quote form. After you submit the form their rating system automatically orders reports for credit and driving violations and returns pricing information based on many factors.
This simplifies rate comparisons, and it’s absolutely necessary to do this if you are searching for a lower rate.
If you want to get comparison pricing now, compare rates from the companies below. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with deductibles and limits exactly as shown on your declarations page. This guarantees you will receive an apples-to-apples comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.
The car insurance companies shown below are ready to provide free quotes in San Jose, CA. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you visit two to three different companies to find the most affordable car insurance rates.
Will just any policy work for me?
When quoting and comparing insurance from an agent or online, there really is no one size fits all plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.
These are some specific questions can help discover whether or not you could use an agent’s help.
- I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- Is pet coverage available?
- What exactly is covered by my policy?
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
- What is motorclub and do I need it?
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It only takes a few minutes and you can get the answers you need.
You may want advice from an agent
Some consumers just prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent and doing that can be a smart decision Agents can help you choose the best coverages and give you someone to call. The biggest benefit of comparing rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get better rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is immediately sent to local insurance agents in San Jose who will give competitive quotes for your coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to find an agent on your own as quotes are delivered instantly to you. If you wish to compare rates from a particular provider, you just need to search and find their rate quote page and complete a quote there.
Finding a good company should depend on more than just the quoted price. Any good agent in San Jose should know the answers to these questions.
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in California?
- Is there a Errors and Omissions policy in force?
- By raising physical damage deductibles, how much would you save?
- Can you contact them at any time?
- What is their Better Business Bureau rating?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
If you are wanting to find a reliable insurance agency, you need to know there are two different types of agents and how they operate. Agents are considered either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Either one can insure your vehicles, but it is important to understand how they differ since it can impact which type of agent you select.
Exclusive Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive can usually just insure with one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. Exclusive agents cannot compare rates from other companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive agencies are well trained on sales techniques and that enables them to sell even at higher rates. Many people use the same exclusive agent mostly because of the prominent brand name and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Below are exclusive agents in San Jose willing to provide price quote information.
- Reed Sparks – State Farm Insurance Agent
3119 Alum Rock Ave – San Jose, CA 95127 – (408) 923-2055 – View Map - Andre Nguyen – State Farm Insurance Agent
4990 Speak Ln #220 – San Jose, CA 95118 – (408) 265-8888 – View Map - Rachel Bhan – State Farm Insurance Agent
1625 N Capitol Ave – San Jose, CA 95132 – (408) 272-2629 – View Map
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
Independent agents are not locked into one company so they can quote policies with a variety of different insurance companies and get the cheapest rates. If you want to switch companies, your policy is moved internally and you don’t have to switch agencies.
When comparing rate quotes, you need to compare prices from a few independent agents to have the best price comparison. Most independent agents also contract with less well-known companies that many times have cheaper rates.
The following are San Jose independent agents who can help you get rate quotes.
- Lords Insurance Agency Inc
2239 Moorpark Ave #100 – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 289-5445 – View Map - Cya Insurance Agency From Sn
1271 Story Rd #50 – San Jose, CA 95122 – (408) 971-4172 – View Map - Oasis Insurance Agency Inc. Branch 4
1629 Alum Rock Ave – San Jose, CA 95116 – (408) 929-6111 – View Map
After receiving good responses to these questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have found a car insurance agent that is a good match to provide auto insurance coverage.
Quote more and you will save more
Drivers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including delays in paying claims, denial of a claim, poor customer service and even extreme rates for teen drivers. Whatever your reason, finding the right car insurance provider is not as difficult as it may seem.
Some insurance providers may not have price quotes online and usually these smaller providers work with independent insurance agencies. Low-cost Chevy TrailBlazer insurance in San Jose is definitely available online as well as from insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.
We’ve covered a lot of information how to shop for Chevy TrailBlazer insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest priced car insurance comes from some of the smallest insurance companies.
To read more, link through to the articles below:
- Distracted Driving Extends Beyond Texting (State Farm)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Jose Car Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Camry? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for a Toyota Tacoma in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for Immigrants in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Jose Auto Insurance Quotes for Uber Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Active Military in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for Nurses in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)