The best way we recommend to find lower priced auto insurance rates is to regularly compare quotes from insurance carriers in San Jose. Rate comparisons can be done by following these guidelines.
- Spend a few minutes and learn about how companies set rates and the factors you can control to drop your rates. Many rating factors that drive up the price such as high-risk driving behaviors and an unacceptable credit rating can be remedied by paying attention to minor details. Keep reading for tips to help prevent expensive coverage and get bigger discounts that may have been overlooked.
- Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes from multiple sources.
- Compare the new quotes to your existing policy to see if a cheaper price is available in San Jose. If you find better rates and switch companies, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Provide proper notification to your current company of your intent to cancel your current policy and submit the application along with any required down payment to your new insurance company. Immediately place the new proof of insurance paperwork above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.
An important note is to make sure you’re comparing the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to get price estimates from as many auto insurance providers as possible. This enables a level playing field and a complete rate analysis.
Unimaginable but true, most California insurance customers renewed their policy with the same company for over three years, and almost 40% of drivers have never even compared quotes to find affordable rates. With the average insurance premium being $1,847, U.S. drivers could save as much as $859 a year just by comparing rates, but most just don’t grasp the actual amount they would save if they bought a different policy.
There are several ways to compare quotes from lots of California insurance companies. The fastest way to find the cheapest Nissan 350Z insurance rates consists of obtaining rate quotes online.
When price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies increases your odds of finding more affordable insurance.
The providers in the list below offer price quotes in San Jose, CA. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you click on several of them to get the most competitive price.
Car insurance policy discounts you can’t miss
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there could be significant discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some of these discounts will be visible at the time of purchase, but some discounts are required to be requested specifically before being credited.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you combine your auto and home policies with one company you may earn at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
- No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers pay much less as opposed to accident-prone drivers.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of up to 25% or more.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed in the military may lower your rates slightly.
- Telematics Data – Drivers who elect to allow driving data submission to scrutinize when and where they use their vehicle through the use of a telematics system such as Snapshot from Progressive or Drivewise from Allstate might get better premium rates if they have good driving habits.
- Senior Discount – Older drivers can possibly qualify for lower premium rates.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are much safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time as opposed to paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. A few only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
A few of the larger companies and some of their more popular discounts are outlined below.
- Progressive may offer discounts for online quote discount, online signing, good student, multi-vehicle, and homeowner.
- MetLife includes discounts for good driver, multi-policy, claim-free, accident-free, good student, defensive driver
- Mercury Insurance may include discounts for location of vehicle, accident-free, good driver, low natural disaster claims, multi-policy, professional/association, and anti-theft.
- Nationwide offers premium reductions for easy pay, Farm Bureau membership, defensive driving, multi-policy, anti-theft, family plan, and good student.
- GEICO may have discounts that include federal employee, good student, driver training, anti-theft, seat belt use, multi-vehicle, and air bags.
- AAA policyholders can earn discounts including education and occupation, good driver, multi-car, anti-theft, AAA membership discount, and multi-policy.
If you want affordable Nissan 350Z insurance quotes, ask all the companies which credits you are entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be offered everywhere.
Are auto insurance agents used anymore?
Many drivers would rather sit down and talk to an agent and doing that can be a smart decision A nice benefit of comparing insurance prices online is that you can find cheap car insurance quotes but still work with a licensed agent. Putting coverage with local insurance agents is important especially in San Jose.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, your insurance data is sent to local insurance agents that provide free San Jose car insurance quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent to the email address you provide. You can find better rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you wish to compare rates from a specific company, feel free to jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.
If you are wanting to find a local San Jose insurance agency, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Car insurance agents in San Jose are categorized either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Independent agencies are not limited to a single company and that gives them the ability to insure amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If they find a cheaper price, they can switch companies in-house and that require little work on your part.
When comparing car insurance rates, we recommend you get some free quotes from a few independent agents to maximize your price options. Many independent agencies also insure through smaller mutual companies which may have better rates.
Shown below are independent agencies in San Jose who can help you get free price quotes.
- Cya Insurance Agency From Sn
1271 Story Rd #50 – San Jose, CA 95122 – (408) 971-4172 – View Map - Taylor Benefits Insurance Agency
4820 Harwood Rd #130 – San Jose, CA 95124 – (408) 358-7502 – View Map - Lords Insurance Agency Inc
2239 Moorpark Ave #100 – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 289-5445 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive can only quote rates from one company and examples are Farmers Insurance, State Farm, Allstate, and AAA. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so you might not find the best rates. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on sales techniques which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. A lot of people use the same agent primarily because of loyalty to the company rather than having low rates.
The following is a list of exclusive agencies in San Jose who can help you get rate quotes.
- Doug Kim – State Farm Insurance Agent
1361 S Winchester Blvd #107 – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 370-2008 – View Map - Art Holland – State Farm Insurance Agent
5520 Almaden Expy – San Jose, CA 95118 – (408) 229-7870 – View Map - Steve Sosnowski – State Farm Insurance Agent
841 Blossom Hill Rd #102 – San Jose, CA 95123 – (408) 629-4700 – View Map
Deciding on an car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price. Get answers to these questions too.
- Does the agent help file claims?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in California?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
How to Lower Your Insurance Rates
Many factors are considered when premium rates are determined. Most are fairly basic like a motor vehicle report, although some other factors are less apparent like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.
The items below are some of the things utilized by car insurance companies to help set your prices.
- Never allow your coverage to lapse – Having a lapse in insurance coverage is a fast way to bump up your insurance costs. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage could earn you a steep fine or even jail time. You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the California motor vehicle department.
- Tickets drive up rates – Careful drivers receive lower rates as compared to those with violations. Just one speeding ticket or other violation can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers unfortunate enough to have multiple tickets such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may face state-mandated requirements to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state in order to legally drive.
- Lower miles equals lower premium – The more you drive your Nissan in a year’s time the more you will pay for insurance. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on how the vehicle is used. Vehicles that do not get driven very much qualify for better rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. An improperly rated 350Z may be wasting your money. It’s a smart idea to ensure your vehicle rating states how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Safeguard your assets with liability protection – Your policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that a court rules you are at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides legal defense starting from day one. Liability insurance is pretty cheap compared to comp and collision, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
Why you need vehicle insurance in California
Despite the high cost, insuring your vehicle may not be optional for several reasons.
First, just about all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance in order to be legal. 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.
Second, if your 350Z has a loan, more than likely the lender will require you to buy full coverage to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the lender will be forced to insure your Nissan at an extremely high rate and force you to reimburse them for it.
Third, car insurance protects both your assets and your Nissan 350Z. It will also pay for medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay to defend you in the event you are sued. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your car insurance policy will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of buying enough insurance greatly outweigh the cost, particularly for liability claims. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is wasting up to $825 a year so shop around at every policy renewal to ensure rates are inline.
Shop smart and save
Cheap Nissan 350Z insurance in San Jose is definitely available online and from local insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some car insurance companies don’t offer online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies prefer to sell through independent agencies.
In this article, we covered quite a bit of information on how to lower your Nissan 350Z insurance auto insurance rates in San Jose. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheaper San Jose car insurance quotes. You may even discover the most savings is with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.
When you buy San Jose car insurance online, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are too many instances where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Additional information can be read on the following sites:
- New Honda safety features benefit drivers of all ages (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Hybrid Vehicles in San Jose? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Uninsured Drivers in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap San Jose Car Insurance for 19 Year Olds? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for a Mazda CX-7 in San Jose? (FAQ)
- What is Full Coverage? (Allstate)
- Liability Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)