Find Cheaper Kia Optima Insurance in San Jose

If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to find cheaper Kia Optima insurance is to compare prices annually from insurers who provide auto insurance in San Jose. Price quotes can be compared by completing these steps.

Step 1: Spend some time learning about how companies price auto insurance and the things you can control to keep rates in check. Many risk factors that result in higher rates such as traffic violations and an unacceptable credit rating can be amended by making minor changes to your lifestyle.

Step 2: Get rate quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can give you price quotes from multiple sources. Get quotes now

Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available in San Jose. If you find a lower rate, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.

Step 4: Provide notification to your current agent or company to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit payment and a completed application to your new agent or company. Don’t forget to place your new certificate verifying coverage in an easily accessible location in your vehicle.

One key aspect when comparing rates is to compare the same deductibles and limits on each price quote and and to get rates from every company you can. Doing this provides an apples-to-apples comparison and a thorough price selection.

We don’t have to point out that fact that auto insurance companies don’t want you shop around. Consumers who perform rate comparisons will most likely switch to a new company because there are good odds of finding better rates. A recent survey found that drivers who compared prices once a year saved about $865 annually compared to policyholders who never compared rates.

If saving money on Kia Optima insurance in San Jose is your target objective, then understanding how to quote prices and compare coverages can help make the process easier and more efficient.

Statistics and details

The data table displayed next highlights detailed analysis of insurance policy prices for Kia Optima models. Being more informed about how insurance policy rates are calculated is important for drivers to make informed decisions when comparing rates.

Data variables include single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in vehicle location which can increase or decrease auto insurance rates considerably.

How accidents and tickets impact rates

The diagram below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders raise Kia Optima car insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The premium estimates are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

Insurance premiums by gender

The chart below shows the difference between Kia Optima premium costs for male and female drivers. Data assumes no accidents, no driving violations, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are factored in.

Full coverage versus liability-only in San Jose

The diagram below compares Kia Optima auto insurance rates when comparing full coverage to state minimum liability only. The premium estimates are based on no violations or claims, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Are you wasting money paying for full coverage?

There is no set rule of when to eliminate physical damage insurance, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Kia Optima replacement cost is $9,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would receive is $8,000 after the deductible is paid. If premium cost is more than $800 a year for full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are a few situations where eliminating full coverage is not recommended. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you are required to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not buy liability only.

San Jose auto insurance discounts

Auto insurance is not inexpensive, but you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain reductions will be credited when you purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about before being credited.

• ABS Braking Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with ABS braking systems or traction control have fewer accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying coverage for multiple vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
• One Accident Forgiven – Not necessarily a discount, but certain companies may permit one accident before your rates go up if you have no claims for a set time period.
• Accident Free – San Jose drivers who stay claim-free have much lower rates when compared with frequent claim filers.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down on your Kia can earn lower prices due to less chance of an accident.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will definitely lower your overall premium however.

The example below illustrates the difference between Kia Optima annual premium costs with and without policy discounts. The rates are based on a male driver, no accidents or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, homeowner, multi-car, safe-driver, marriage, and multi-policy discounts applied.

Larger auto insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts are outlined below.

• GEICO has savings for military active duty, anti-lock brakes, federal employee, emergency military deployment, and multi-vehicle.
• Auto-Owners Insurance includes discounts for multi-policy, safe driver, mature driver, anti-lock brakes, and multiple vehicles.
• American Family discounts include multi-vehicle, defensive driver, Steer into Savings, early bird, TimeAway discount, and mySafetyValet.
• Esurance has discounts for homeowner, defensive driver, Switch & Save, paid-in-full, good driver, online shopper, and online quote.
• Progressive may include discounts for continuous coverage, good student, homeowner, multi-vehicle, online signing, and online quote discount.
• State Farm offers premium reductions for safe vehicle, student away at school, anti-theft, defensive driving training, and accident-free.
• AAA may have discounts that include multi-car, good driver, good student, anti-theft, multi-policy, and education and occupation.

If you want the cheapest Kia Optima rate quotes, ask every prospective company to give you their best rates. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply to policyholders in San Jose. To see auto insurance companies that offer the discounts shown above in San Jose, click here to view.

What auto insurance coverages do you need?

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.

Comprehensive protection

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims such as a broken windshield, damage from getting keyed, rock chips in glass, hail damage and fire damage. The most a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Kia Optima.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (15/30/5 in California), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family.

Medical expense coverage

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses such as nursing services, hospital visits, doctor visits and surgery. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Liability coverages

This coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property in an accident. It protects you against claims from other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 15/30/5 that translate to a limit of $15,000 per injured person, a total of $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $5,000.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as court costs, pain and suffering, bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and loss of income. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. California requires drivers to carry at least 15/30/5 but drivers should carry more coverage.

The chart below shows why buying low liability limits may not provide adequate coverage.

Collision insurance

Collision coverage covers damage to your Optima resulting from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for things like colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a ditch, rolling your car and scraping a guard rail. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. You can also increase the deductible on your Optima to get cheaper collision coverage.

In conclusion

Insureds leave their current company for many reasons like policy cancellation, unfair underwriting practices, being labeled a high risk driver and high prices. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new insurance company is not as hard as you think.

As you quote San Jose car insurance, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to shop for Kia Optima insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a small local company.

Additional information

• Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Affordable San Jose Auto Insurance for Ride Shares? (FAQ)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Business Use in San Jose? (FAQ)
• Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)