It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get the cheapest auto insurance rates is to start doing an annual price comparison from different companies in San Jose.
- First, spend a few minutes and learn about individual coverages and the measures you can control to keep rates down. Many factors that result in higher rates like accidents, careless driving, and a substandard credit history can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle. Later in this article we will cover ideas to help reduce premium rates and find additional discounts you may qualify for.
- Second, request price quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Third, compare the new rates to your existing coverage to see if cheaper Volt coverage is available. If you can save money and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Fourth, give proper notification to your current agent or company of your intent to cancel the current policy. Submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application for your new policy. Once the paperwork is finalized, place the new certificate verifying coverage with your registration paperwork.
An essential thing to point out is that you use the same liability limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to compare as many companies as you can. Doing this provides a fair rate comparison and a thorough price selection.
It’s safe to conclude that car insurance companies don’t want you to look for cheaper rates. People who perform rate comparisons are very likely to switch to a new company because there are good odds of finding better rates. Remarkably, a study showed that consumers who compared rates once a year saved as much as $860 a year compared to drivers who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.
If finding budget-friendly insurance in San Jose is your objective, then having a good understanding the best ways to shop for coverage rates can help simplify the task of finding more affordable coverage.
Choosing the most cost-effective insurance policy in San Jose seems hard but is not really that difficult. If you are insured now, you will most likely be able to buy cheaper insurance using this strategy. Although California drivers need to have an understanding of how companies market on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.
Cheapest companies for Chevy Volt insurance in California
The following companies can provide comparison quotes in San Jose, CA. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you get rates from several of them to find the cheapest auto insurance rates.
How Your Volt Insurance Costs are Determined
Lots of factors are part of the equation when premium rates are determined. Some factors are common sense such as your driving record, although some other factors are not quite as obvious like where you live or your vehicle rating.
- Low mileage costs less – The higher the miles on your Chevy annually the higher your rates will be. Almost all companies calculate prices based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than those that get driven frequently. It’s always a good idea to double check that your auto insurance declarations sheet states the correct driver usage, because improper ratings can cost you money. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Volt may be wasting your money.
- A policy lapse is a bad thing – Letting your insurance expire can be a guaranteed way to increase your renewal premiums. In addition to paying higher rates, being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.
- Occupation reflects on prices – Careers like fire fighters, police officers, and medical professionals tend to have higher premium rates attributed to high stress levels and lengthy work days. Other jobs like scientists, athletes and homemakers get better rates.
- Does insurance cost less for women? – Statistics demonstrate females are less aggressive when driving. This data doesn’t prove that women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men have at-fault accidents at about the same rate, but the males get into accidents with more damage. Not only that, but men also receive more costly citations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Males from age 16 to 21 are several times more likely to be in an accident so they pay the highest premiums.
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Loss probability for a Chevy Volt – Car insurance companies include the past claim trends for vehicles when they calculate premium prices for each model. Models that tend to have higher losses will cost more for specific coverages. The next table shows the compiled insurance loss statistics for Chevy Volt vehicles.
For each coverage category, the loss probability for all vehicles, regardless of make or model, is considered to be 100. Values that are 100 or less are indicative of better than average losses, while numbers that are greater than 100 indicate frequent claims or larger claims.
Insurance Loss Ratings for Chevrolet Volt Vehicles Specific Chevrolet Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Chevrolet Volt Electric 89 83 81 71 73 90 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEData Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Save with these discounts on Chevy Volt insurance in San Jose
Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every discount they offer very well, so the list below gives a summary of both well-publicized and also the lesser-known credits that you can use to lower your rates.
- Student Discounts – Maintaining excellent grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount up to age 25.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Military Rewards – Being deployed with a military unit could trigger a small discount.
- Telematics Data Discounts – Policyholders that allow their company to track where and when they drive by using a telematic data system like Allstate’s Drivewise may see discounts if they show good driving skills.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – Not necessarily a discount, but companies like Allstate, Progressive, and GEICO may permit one accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you haven’t had any claims for a specific time period.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save a little off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Safe Driver Discount – Drivers without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates as compared to drivers with claims.
One thing to note about discounts is that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck.
Larger car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts can be found below.
- GEICO discounts include air bags, five-year accident-free, daytime running lights, federal employee, driver training, anti-theft, and emergency military deployment.
- SAFECO offers discounts for bundle discounts, safe driver, anti-theft, teen safety rewards, multi-car, and homeowner.
- State Farm may have discounts that include defensive driving training, student away at school, multiple policy, accident-free, and passive restraint.
- MetLife includes discounts for accident-free, good driver, good student, multi-policy, defensive driver, claim-free
- 21st Century has discounts for student driver, theft prevention, good student, early bird, homeowners, and 55 and older.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including good student, homeowner, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, online signing, multi-policy, and continuous coverage.
When comparing rates, check with each company which discounts can lower your rates. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be available to policyholders in every state. To view car insurance companies that offer discounts in San Jose, click here to view.
Do I need a local insurance agent?
Many people still like to get advice from a local agent and that is just fine! The best thing about comparing rates online is the fact that you can find the lowest rates but also keep your business local.
Upon completion of this quick form, your coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents in San Jose who will give you bids to get your business. There is no reason to contact any agents since rate quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. Get lower rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you need to get a price quote from a specific car insurance provider, you can always navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Picking an insurance company should depend on more than just a cheap price quote. You should also get answers to these questions.
- Will the company cover a rental car if your car is getting fixed?
- Does their agency support local causes in San Jose?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- What company do they have the most business with?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in California?
- Can glass claims be handled at your home?
- Do they have designations such as AIC, CPCU, or CIC?
When searching for a local San Jose insurance agent, there are two different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Car insurance agents are categorized either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Exclusive Agencies
Exclusive agents work for only one company and examples are Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive agents receive extensive training on sales techniques which helps them sell on service rather than price. Consumers sometimes choose to use a exclusive agent partially due to the prominence of the brand rather than having the cheapest rates.
Listed below are exclusive insurance agents in San Jose that are able to give rate quotes.
- Allstate Insurance: David Tofig
6116 Camino Verde Dr Ste 9 – San Jose, CA 95119 – (408) 281-9190 – View Map - Reed Sparks – State Farm Insurance Agent
3119 Alum Rock Ave – San Jose, CA 95127 – (408) 923-2055 – View Map - Farmers Insurance: Jose Manabat
1620 Oakland Rd #D107 – San Jose, CA 95131 – (408) 437-5456 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agents
Independent agents do not have single company limitations so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If you want to switch companies, your agent can just switch to a different company and you don’t have to switch agencies. When shopping rates, we recommend you get several quotes from multiple independent agents to have the most options to choose from. Many independent agencies also insure through companies you’ve never heard of that many times have cheaper rates.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agents in San Jose that are able to give rate quotes.
- Taylor Benefits Insurance Agency
4820 Harwood Rd #130 – San Jose, CA 95124 – (408) 358-7502 – View Map - All Spectrum Insurance Brokers
4010 Moorpark Ave #117 – San Jose, CA 95117 – (408) 604-0092 – View Map - Care Insurance Agency Inc
900 N 1st St E – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 292-2925 – View Map
How to know if you need help
Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing coverage online or from an agent, there really isn’t a one size fits all plan. Every situation is different.
For example, these questions may help highlight whether you will benefit from professional help.
- How high should deductibles be on a Chevy Volt?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
- Do I pay less for low miles?
- Where can I find high-risk insurance?
- What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
- Can I cancel at any time?
- What is no-fault insurance?
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.
What is YOUR best insurance company?
Insureds switch companies for many reasons like an unsatisfactory settlement offer, not issuing a premium refund, delays in responding to claim requests or even high rates after DUI convictions. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right insurance provider is not as difficult as it may seem.
We just showed you many tips how you can reduce Chevy Volt insurance car insurance rates online in San Jose. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get premium rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even be surprised to find that the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies.
Budget-friendly insurance in San Jose is available online in addition to local insurance agencies, and you should compare rates from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers do not offer online quoting and most of the time these regional carriers only sell through independent agents.
For more information, link through to the following helpful articles:
- How Does Hitting a Deer Impact Insurance Rates? (Allstate)
- How Much is San Jose Car Insurance for a Ford Explorer? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Welfare Recipients in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable San Jose Auto Insurance for Infrequent Drivers? (FAQ)
- What are my Rights when Filing a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Electronic Stability Control FAQ (iihs.org)
- Comprehensive Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)