If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to save on Buick Rainier insurance is to regularly compare prices from companies in San Jose.
Step 1: It will benefit you to learn about coverages and the measures you can take to drop your rates. Many things that cause rate increases such as traffic citations and a negative credit rating can be eliminated by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
Step 2: Compare rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agencies can quote rates for many different companies. View companies
Step 3: Compare the price quotes to the price on your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate in San Jose. If you find a lower rate and make a switch, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Step 4: Provide notification to your current company of your intention to cancel your current coverage and submit a down payment along with a signed application for your new policy. As soon as coverage is bound, store the certificate verifying proof of insurance with your vehicle’s registration.
A tip to remember is that you use similar coverage information on every quote request and and to get price estimates from as many companies as you can. This guarantees the most accurate price comparison and a thorough selection of prices.
Everyone knows that car insurance companies don’t want their policyholders to compare prices. People who shop around for the cheapest rate are highly likely to move their business because they have good chances of getting low-cost coverage. Remarkably, a study showed that consumers who made a habit of comparing rates saved as much as $850 each year as compared to drivers who never shopped around for cheaper prices.
If finding the lowest rates on car insurance is why you’re here, then learning a little about how to choose a company and compare insurance rates can save time and money.
Buying affordable car insurance in San Jose can be easy if you know a few tricks. If you have coverage now or just want cheaper rates, use these money-saving tips to get lower rates without reducing protection. You only need an understanding of the fastest way to compare rate quotes over the internet.
The companies shown below provide quotes in California. If several companies are displayed, we suggest you visit as many as you can in order to find the cheapest rates.
Insurance rates and discounts
Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be significant discounts to help offset the cost. Most are applied at the time of purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be specifically requested in order for you to get them.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a safe driver class may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
- Membership in Organizations – Belonging to specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for insurance.
- Distant College Student Discount – Youth drivers who are attending college without a vehicle on campus may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed in the military could trigger a small discount.
- E-sign Discounts – A handful of larger companies provide a small discount simply for signing on their website.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Putting insurance coverage on a new Rainier can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for newer models.
- Theft Deterrent Discount – Cars and trucks with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will qualify for a discount on a San Jose auto insurance quote.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though you would think you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Some companies that may have most of the discounts above may include but are not limited to:
Check with each company or agent which discounts can lower your rates. Some discounts may not be available in your area.
Do I need an agent?
Some consumers would prefer to buy from a licensed agent. Professional insurance agents are highly skilled in risk management and help you file claims. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get cheaper premium rates and still buy from a local agent.
Once you complete this short form, the quote information is emailed to agents in your area who can give free rate quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to search for any insurance agencies because prices are sent immediately to you. If you want to quote rates from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to go to their quote page and submit a quote form there.
Finding the right company should include more criteria than just a low price. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- Has the agent ever had any license suspensions?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
When looking for a local San Jose insurance agency, it helps to know the two types of insurance agents and how they can write your policy. Insurance agents are considered either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Either one can handle insurance, but it’s worth mentioning the difference between them since it may influence the selection process.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
These type of agents can only write with one company like State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so they really need to provide good service. These agents are highly trained on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Many people purchase coverage from exclusives mostly because of loyalty to the company and solid financial strength.
The following is a list of exclusive agents in San Jose that can give you price quotes.
- Doug Kim – State Farm Insurance Agent
1361 S Winchester Blvd #107 – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 370-2008 – View Map - Burch Boehner – State Farm Insurance Agent
201 E Taylor St #2 – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 287-8190 – View Map - Mike Murillo – State Farm Insurance Agent
1449 Park Ave #3 – San Jose, CA 95126 – (408) 295-0554 – View Map
Independent Agents
Independent agents are not limited to a single company and that allows them to write policies with many different companies depending on which coverage is best. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply switch companies in-house and the insured can keep the same agent. If you need lower rates, you need to get some free quotes from at a minimum one independent agency in order to have the best price comparison. Most independent agents also contract with mutual insurance companies which can save you money.
The following are San Jose independent insurance agencies that are able to give price quotes.
- Gatewood Insurance Agency Inc
1095 Bird Ave #2 – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 298-1611 – View Map - Care Insurance Agency Inc
900 N 1st St E – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 292-2925 – View Map - Cya Insurance Agency From Sn
1271 Story Rd #50 – San Jose, CA 95122 – (408) 971-4172 – View Map
How do Insurers Determine Buick Rainier Insurance Rates?
Part of the auto insurance buying process is learning the different types of things that are used to determine your auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively determines premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that can earn you cheaper rates. Lots of factors are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are pretty understandable like an MVR report, but other factors are more transparent such as your credit history or your vehicle rating.
Get hitched and get better rates – Your spouse helps lower the price compared to being single. Having a significant other is viewed as being more mature than a single person and insurance companies reward insureds because married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.
Age of drivers – Teenage drivers in California are proven to be more careless when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Having to add a young driver to your policy will cause a huge premium hike. Older insureds have been proven to be more responsible, cost insurance companies less in claims, and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.
Excellent credit scores equal low prices – Your credit score factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have excellent credit scores tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit leaves room for improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your Buick Rainier if you improve your credit rating.
Only buy add-on coverages you need – There are a lot of extra coverages that can add up when buying auto insurance. Add-on coverages like rental car reimbursement, death and dismemberment, and extra life insurance coverage could be just wasting money. They may seem like a good idea when you first buy your policy, but if you have no use for them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
Liability coverage – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you if ever you are responsible for an accident. Liability provides for a legal defense starting from day one. This coverage is relatively inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Are you male or female? – Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. It does not mean males are worse at driving than females. Men and women are responsible for fender benders in similar percentages, but the male of the species tend to have more serious accidents. In addition to higher claims, males also receive more costly citations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.
Why do I need car insurance?
Despite the high insurance cost for a Buick Rainier in San Jose, car insurance is a good idea for several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific level of liability protection if you want to drive legally. 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 your Rainier has a loan, it’s most likely the lender will require that you have insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the lender will be forced to insure your Buick for a much higher rate and require you to fork over for it.
- Car insurance preserves both your assets and your Buick Rainier. It will also provide coverage for medical expenses incurred in an accident. Liability insurance also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of insuring your Rainier are definitely more than the cost, especially if you ever need it. Unknowingly, the average driver is currently overpaying as much as $850 per year so compare quotes from several companies each time the policy renews to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Shop smart and save
When you buy San Jose auto insurance online, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits and learned later that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
In this article, we covered many ways to shop for Buick Rainier insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheaper San Jose auto insurance quotes. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a lesser-known regional company.
Drivers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, not issuing a premium refund and denial of a claim. Whatever your reason, switching companies can be pretty painless.
Much more information about auto insurance in California is available at the links below
- Neck Injury FAQ (iihs.org)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for Teenagers in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Under 25 in San Jose? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for 16 Year Olds in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable San Jose Auto Insurance After a Speeding Ticket? (FAQ)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
- Credit and Insurance Scores (Insurance Information Institute)