If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get low-cost auto insurance rates is to start comparing prices regularly from companies in San Jose. Price quotes can be compared by completing these steps.
- Take a little time to learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the factors you can control to keep rates low. Many risk factors that cause high rates like traffic violations, accidents, and a low credit rating can be remedied by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
- Compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agencies can provide prices from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the quotes to the premium of your current policy to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find better rates and make a switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
- Provide adequate notice to your current company to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to the newly selected company. Immediately upon receiving it, place your new proof of insurance paperwork with your vehicle’s registration.
An essential thing to point out is to try to use the same deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to get rate quotes from as many carriers as you can. This guarantees the most accurate price comparison and the best rate selection.
Astonishing but true, a large majority of insurance policyholders have stayed with the same insurance company for four years or more, and 38% of customers have never shopped around. San Jose insurance shoppers could save about 35% a year, but they feel it’s too difficult to compare other rate quotes.
Cheapest companies for Lincoln Mark LT insurance in California
The companies in the list below offer price quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, we recommend you get prices from several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Auto insurance discounts help lower rates for Lincoln Mark LT insurance in San Jose
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but companies offer discounts that many people don’t even know exist. A few discounts will be applied at the time of purchase, but less common discounts must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Cars equipped with ABS or steering control prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can save up to 40% or more on their San Jose auto insurance quote as compared to drivers with claims.
- Waiver for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but companies like State Farm and Progressive will forgive one accident without the usual rate increase so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment could provide a small rate reduction with a few auto insurance companies.
- Onboard Data Collection – Drivers that enable data collection to analyze driving patterns by using a small device installed in their vehicle like In-Drive from State Farm and Progressive’s Snapshot could possibly reduce rates as long as the data is positive.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Despite the fact that it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.
The best auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are:
- American Family has discounts for bundled insurance, air bags, good student, TimeAway discount, accident-free, good driver, and mySafetyValet.
- Nationwide includes discounts for easy pay, accident-free, Farm Bureau membership, business or organization, and defensive driving.
- MetLife may offer discounts for accident-free, good student, multi-policy, defensive driver, good driver, claim-free
- 21st Century offers discounts for driver training, student driver, good student, early bird, homeowners, and theft prevention.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for early shopping, bundle discounts, mature driver, teen driver, business and professional, and switch companies.
- Allstate may include discounts for good student, EZ pay plan discount, new car, senior citizen, passive restraint, farm vehicle, and FullPay discount.
Before you buy a policy, ask each company which discounts you qualify for. A few discounts might not be available to policyholders in your state. If you would like to view insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in San Jose, follow this link.
Why You Might Pay Inflated Rates in San Jose
Many different elements are part of the calculation when pricing auto insurance. Some are pretty understandable like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are less obvious like where you live or how financially stable you are.
Do you know you’re credit rating? – An insured’s credit rating factor in calculating your premium rate. Drivers with good credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have lower credit scores. If your credit score can be improved, you may save money insuring your Lincoln Mark LT by repairing your credit.
Policy lapses lead to higher rates – Driving any period of time without insurance is against the law and you will pay a penalty because you let your coverage have a gap. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage will get you fines and jail time. You could then be forced to file a SR-22 with the California motor vehicle department.
Lower rates by increasing coverage deductibles – Physical damage protection, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, helps pay for damage to your vehicle. A few examples of covered claims would be a windshield shattered by a rock, vandalism, and damage caused by flying debris. Your deductibles define how much you are required to pay if a claim is determined to be covered. The more damage repair cost you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
Cautious drivers pay less – Drivers with clean records pay less for auto insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Having just one chargeable violation can increase rates twenty percent or more. Drivers with multiple citations such as DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may find they need to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to legally drive.
Which gender costs less? – Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn’t mean females are better at driving than males. Females and males are in auto accidents at about the same rate, but guys get into accidents with more damage. Not only that, but men also receive more major tickets such as reckless driving. Males from age 16 to 21 have the highest risk to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
No policy claims equals better prices – Auto insurance companies in California award the best rates to people who are not frequent claim filers. If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can definitely plan on much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Your car insurance is intended for more catastrophic claims.
More policies can equal more savings – Most insurance companies apply better rates to buyers who buy several policies from them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can be as much as ten percent or more Even if you’re getting this discount it’s always a smart idea to get quotes from other companies to help ensure you have the lowest rates.There is a chance you can find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
You may need specialized auto insurance coverage
When quoting and comparing coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different so this has to be addressed.
For example, these questions may help highlight whether you will benefit from professional help.
- Should I rate my Lincoln Mark LT as pleasure use or commute?
- If my car is totaled with they pay enough to replace it?
- Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
- Can my teen drive my company car?
- What does PIP insurance cover?
- What does medical payments cover?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Compare prices but still have a local neighborhood San Jose car insurance agent
Some people would rather sit down and talk to an agent. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you may find cheaper car insurance rates and still buy from a local agent.
Once you complete this simple form, your coverage information is immediately sent to participating agents in San Jose that give free quotes for your business. There is no reason to leave your house because prices are sent to your email. You’ll get the best rates without requiring a lot of work. If you wish to compare rates from one company in particular, feel free to go to their quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Picking an company requires more thought than just a cheap price quote. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
- Will they make sure you get an adequate claim settlement?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
When looking for a reliable agent, it helps to know the two different types of agencies that you can choose from. Agents can be classified as either exclusive or independent.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive can only quote rates from one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agents cannot place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. These agents are well schooled on their company’s products which can be an advantage.
Listed below are San Jose exclusive insurance agents that can give you price quote information.
Angela Frangieh – State Farm Insurance Agent
1270 S Winchester Blvd #134 – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 260-3370 – View Map
Allstate Insurance: Valentine Deleon
1425 Foxworthy Ave b – San Jose, CA 95118 – (408) 266-8500 – View Map
Farmers Insurance: Jose Manabat
1620 Oakland Rd #D107 – San Jose, CA 95131 – (408) 437-5456 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agencies
Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company and that allows them to write policies amongst many companies and get the cheapest rates. If your premiums go up, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparing insurance rates, it’s a good idea to get quotes from several independent insurance agents in order to have the best price comparison.
Listed below is a short list of independent agencies in San Jose that are able to give price quotes.
Harrington Insurance Agency
6920 Santa Teresa Blvd #101 – San Jose, CA 95119 – (408) 754-9000 – View Map
San Jose Insurance
2542 S Bascom Ave – Campbell, CA 95008 – (408) 371-3700 – View Map
Casey Nguyen Insurance Agency, Inc.
1639 Meridian Ave a – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 286-4467 – View Map
Compare auto insurance prices regularly to save
When buying insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big error on their part. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
In this article, we covered many tips how you can save on Lincoln Mark LT insurance in San Jose. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote San Jose auto insurance, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the most savings is with the smaller companies. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like Progressive and GEICO.
A few companies don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies work with independent agents. The cheapest Lincoln Mark LT insurance in San Jose can be found from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money.
Additional information is located below:
- How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for a Learners Permit in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Teachers in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Jose Car Insurance Quotes for a Subaru Outback? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for Nurses in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Jose Car Insurance for 19 Year Olds? (FAQ)
- Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)