The best way to get the cheapest auto insurance rates in San Jose is to compare prices annually from insurers that insure vehicles in California. You can compare rates by following these steps.
First, learn about what is in your policy and the changes you can make to prevent rate increases. Many risk factors that result in higher rates such as at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a poor credit rating can be eliminated by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Later in this article we will cover ideas to get cheaper rates and find hidden discounts.
Second, compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can give you price quotes for many different companies.
Third, compare the quotes to your existing policy to see if a cheaper rate is available in San Jose. If you find better rates and change companies, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
One important bit of advice is to use the same deductibles and limits on every price quote and and to get quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. Doing this helps ensure a level playing field and and a good selection of different prices.
Sad but true, nearly 70% of drivers have purchased from the same company for a minimum of four years, and nearly half have never quoted rates to find cheaper coverage. With the average premium in California being $1,387, drivers could save as much as $470 every year just by shopping around, but they underestimate the benefits if they bought a different policy.
All major car insurance companies allow consumers to get prices for coverage on the web. Doing online quotes for Buick Rendezvous insurance in San Jose can be done by anyone as you just type in your coverage information into the form. Once you submit the form, the system requests your driving record and credit report and gives you a price quote. The ability to get online rates for Buick Rendezvous insurance in San Jose streamlines rate comparisons, and it’s very important to compare as many rates as possible if you are searching for cheap car insurance pricing.
If you want to compare rates now, compare rates from the companies below. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you type in the insurance coverages as shown on your current policy. This ensures you will get comparison quotes for exact coverage.
The following companies have been selected to offer free rate quotes in California. If several companies are displayed, we recommend you visit several of them to get the most affordable price.
Cheaper San Jose insurance quotes with discounts
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but companies offer discounts that you may not even know about. A few discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but some discounts are required to be specifically requested before being credited.
- Discount for Good Grades – Maintaining excellent grades may save you up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
- Distant Student Discount – Youth drivers who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Mature Driver Discount – Older drivers may receive a slight reduction on a San Jose auto insurance quote.
- Membership in Organizations – Participating in qualifying employment or professional organizations could qualify you for a break on insurance.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will qualify for a discount on a San Jose auto insurance quote.
Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Just because you may think you can get free auto insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.
Car insurance companies that have these money-saving discounts are:
When getting a coverage quote, ask every company which discounts you may be entitled to. Depending on the company, some discounts may not be available in San Jose. To see providers that offer the discounts shown above in San Jose, click here to view.
Are insurance agencies a thing of the past?
A lot of people just want to visit with an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still buy from a local agent. Supporting local agencies is especially important in San Jose.
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, the quote information is sent to participating agents in San Jose that can provide free San Jose auto insurance quotes for your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to contact an agency as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. Get lower rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you want to get a rate quote for a specific company, don’t hesitate to search and find their rate quote page and complete a quote there.
If you are wanting to purchase auto insurance from a reliable insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies and how they are slightly different. Insurance agencies in San Jose can be categorized as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Independent Agents
Agents that choose to be independent are not employed by one company so they can quote policies with a variety of different insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If premiums increase, your agent can just switch to a different company which is easy for the insured.
When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to get some free quotes from multiple independent agents for the best price selection.
Listed below is a partial list of independent insurance agencies in San Jose that may be able to give you comparison quotes.
Filice Insurance Agency
738 N 1st St – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 350-5700 – View Map
All Solutions Insurance – San Jose
574 Blossom Hill Rd – San Jose, CA 95123 – (408) 225-4300 – View Map
Care Insurance Agency Inc
900 N 1st St E – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 292-2925 – View Map
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents
Agents in the exclusive channel can only place business with one company such as Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. They are unable to shop your coverage around so you need to shop around if the rates are high. They are usually well trained on the products they sell and that enables them to sell even at higher rates.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive agencies in San Jose that can give you rate quotes.
Rachel Bhan – State Farm Insurance Agent
1625 N Capitol Ave – San Jose, CA 95132 – (408) 272-2629 – View Map
Angela Frangieh – State Farm Insurance Agent
1270 S Winchester Blvd #134 – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 260-3370 – View Map
Gary Sanchez – State Farm Insurance Agent
2053 Lincoln Ave a – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 269-5001 – View Map
Picking a insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Before buying a policy in San Jose, get answers to these questions.
- Is the agent properly licensed in California?
- How does the company pay claims for a total loss?
- What is their Better Business Bureau rating?
- How much training do they have in personal risk management?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
After receiving reasonable responses to all your questions and an acceptable price quote, it’s a good possibility that you have found an auto insurance agent that will service your policy. But remember, you are able to cancel your policy at any time so don’t feel you are locked into a specific company indefinitely.
Choosing Buick vehicle insurance is an important decision
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Buick Rendezvous in San Jose, insuring your vehicle may not be optional for several reasons.
- Most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not 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 took out a loan on your Buick, most banks will stipulate that you buy full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you default on your policy, the bank may buy a policy for your Buick at a much higher premium rate and require you to reimburse them for it.
- Insurance safeguards not only your Buick but also your assets. Insurance will also pay for medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you cause an accident and are sued. If you have damage to your Buick as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance are without a doubt worth the cost, particularly if you ever have a claim. The average driver in America is overpaying over $810 a year so it’s very important to do a rate comparison every year to save money.
Auto insurance 101
Knowing the specifics of your policy aids in choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are the normal coverages available from insurance companies.
Coverage for medical payments – Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses such as nursing services, dental work, X-ray expenses and surgery. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover both the driver and occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Collision coverage – Collision coverage pays for damage to your Rendezvous resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision coverage pays for things like colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a parking meter, crashing into a building, damaging your car on a curb and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible on your Rendezvous to get cheaper collision coverage.
Comprehensive coverages – Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as hitting a bird, hail damage and falling objects. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Buick Rendezvous.
Since many California drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (15/30/5 in California), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Liability car insurance – This will cover injuries or damage you cause to other’s property or people in an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 15/30/5 that means you have $15,000 bodily injury coverage, $30,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $5,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Another option is one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as repair costs for stationary objects, legal defense fees, structural damage, funeral expenses and medical services. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. California state law requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.
The next chart demonstrates why buying low liability limits may not provide you with enough coverage.
More quotes mean more car insurance savings
We covered many ways to lower your Buick Rendezvous insurance auto insurance rates in San Jose. The key concept to understand is the more you quote San Jose auto insurance, the higher your chance of finding cheaper San Jose auto insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give better rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
Cheaper Buick Rendezvous insurance in San Jose is definitely available online in addition to local insurance agencies, so get free San Jose auto insurance quotes from both of them in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers may not have the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional carriers work with independent agents.
When you buy San Jose auto insurance online, do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate, but do not skimp to save money.
For more information, take a look at the following helpful articles:
- Young Drivers: The High Risk Years Video (iihs.org)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Jose Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Corolla? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for Immigrants in San Jose? (FAQ)
- How Much are San Jose Car Insurance Rates for a 20 Year Old Male? (FAQ)
- Collision Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
- Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)
- Auto Insurance FAQ (Farmers Insurance)