Compare Kia Niro Insurance Rates in San Jose

Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that about 70% of customers kept their coverage with the same auto insurance company for more than four years, and roughly 40% of drivers have never even shopped around for lower-cost coverage. California insurance shoppers could cut their rates by almost $470 a year, but most tend to underestimate the actual amount they would save if they moved their coverage to a different company.

Really, the only way to get cheaper Kia Niro insurance in San Jose is to start comparing prices yearly from insurance carriers in California. You can shop around by completing these steps.

Step 1: It will benefit you to learn about how insurance works and the modifications you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that cause high rates such as traffic citations and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle.

Step 2: Request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can provide rates from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for many different companies. Find a San Jose insurance agent

Step 3: Compare the new rates to the price on your current policy and determine if cheaper Niro coverage is available in San Jose. If you find a better price, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.

The most important part of this process is to make sure you enter the same deductibles and limits on every price quote and and to get rate quotes from all possible companies. This helps ensure an accurate price comparison and a good representation of prices.

Getting a cheaper price on insurance is an easy way to save money. Drivers just need to take a few minutes getting comparison quotes online from several insurance companies.

Getting free rates online is quite simple, and it takes the place of having to actually drive to different San Jose agent offices. Shopping for car insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you require the professional assistance of a local San Jose agent. Although, it is possible get the lowest quotes online but purchase the actual policy in an agency.

The car insurance companies shown below can provide comparison quotes in San Jose, CA. If multiple companies are shown, we recommend you click on several of them to get the cheapest price.

Why do I need car insurance?

Even though it can be expensive, paying for auto insurance is not optional due to several reasons.

• Almost all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires specific minimum amounts of liability protection in order to drive the car 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 Kia has a loan, almost every bank will make it mandatory that you have insurance to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the lender will be forced to insure your Kia at a more expensive rate and make you pay for the expensive policy.
• Insurance safeguards not only your vehicle but also your assets. It will also cover medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.

The benefits of having auto insurance greatly outweigh the cost, especially when you need to use it. An average driver in America is wasting up to $825 a year so compare quotes from several companies every year to ensure rates are competitive.

Affordable rates with these nine discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not even know about. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time you complete a quote, but occasionally some discounts must be specially asked for prior to getting the savings.

• Professional Memberships – Being in a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates when shopping for car insurance.
• Resident Student – College-age children who live away from home to go to college and won’t have access to an insured vehicle could qualify for this discount.
• Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
• Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get lower rates if you buy a life policy as well.
• Anti-theft Discount – Cars equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and will qualify for a discount on a San Jose car insurance quote.
• No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers get the best car insurance rates as opposed to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
• Waiver for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but certain companies will let one accident slide before your rates go up if you have no claims for a specific time period.
• Good Grades Discount – Excelling in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
• Low Miles Discount – Fewer annual miles on your Kia could be rewarded with cheaper premium rates.

One last thing about discounts, most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

A list of car insurance companies and some of the discounts can be read below.

• State Farm offers premium reductions for passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, anti-theft, and accident-free.
• American Family has savings for TimeAway discount, Steer into Savings, early bird, good student, and good driver.
• AAA offers discounts for multi-car, pay-in-full, good student, multi-policy, and education and occupation.
• GEICO has discounts for anti-lock brakes, multi-policy, defensive driver, anti-theft, driver training, and five-year accident-free.
• Mercury Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including annual mileage, multi-car, age of vehicle, anti-theft, and type of vehicle.
• Farmers Insurance may include discounts for switch companies, alternative fuel, bundle discounts, good student, business and professional, and youthful driver.
• Progressive may have discounts that include continuous coverage, good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online quote discount, and homeowner.

When comparing rates, check with all the companies how you can save money. A few discounts may not be offered in San Jose.

Shop online but buy locally

Some consumers would rather sit down with an agent and that can be a smart move Most agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of getting free rate quotes online is that you can obtain cheaper prices and still have an agent to talk to.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents in San Jose who will return price quotes for your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to find an agent as quotes are delivered instantly to you. In the event you want to get a comparison quote for a specific company, you can always find their quoting web page and fill out their quote form.

Picking the best insurer requires you to look at more than just a cheap price quote. Some important questions to ask are:

• Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
• How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
• Can glass claims be handled at your home?
• Does the company have a local claim office in San Jose?
• Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
• Will high miles depreciate repair valuations?

San Jose auto insurance agents come in two flavors

If you want to buy car insurance from a local San Jose insurance agency, it’s helpful to know the different agency structures and how they can quote your rates. Insurance agencies in San Jose may be either exclusive agents or independent agents. Both types of agents can sell affordable car insurance policies, but we need to point out the difference in how they write coverage since it may influence the kind of agent you use.

Exclusive Insurance Agents

Agents in the exclusive channel can usually just insure with one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, or Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agents are highly trained on sales techniques which can be an advantage.

Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in San Jose willing to provide price quote information.

More insurance agents

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agents can quote rates with many companies so they have the ability to put coverage through lots of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to do anything.

If you need lower rates, you absolutely need to get several quotes from a few independent agents in order to have the best price comparison.

The following are independent insurance agencies in San Jose who can help you get price quotes.

More insurance agents

Specifics of your car insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Car insurance terms can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are the usual coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Collision coverage – This coverage covers damage to your Niro resulting from colliding with an object or car. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision insurance covers claims such as backing into a parked car, colliding with a tree and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also bump up the deductible on your Niro in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Medical expense coverage – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like surgery, funeral costs and prosthetic devices. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – This gives you protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (15/30/5 in California), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.

Comprehensive protection – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things such as hitting a bird, damage from getting keyed and rock chips in glass. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Liability coverages – Liability coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property in an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 15/30/5 which stand for $15,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $30,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $5,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability can pay for things like bail bonds, medical services, medical expenses, funeral expenses and legal defense fees. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but buy as much as you can afford. California requires drivers to carry at least 15/30/5 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.

The next chart demonstrates why buying the state minimum limits may not be adequate.

Find affordable rates by being thorough

As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

We’ve covered many ideas to save on Kia Niro insurance in San Jose. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of getting the cheapest Kia Niro rate quotes. Consumers could even find that the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company. Smaller companies may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments compared to the large companies like State Farm or Progressive.

Additional information is available at these links:

• Electronic Stability Control FAQ (iihs.org)
• Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for a Learners Permit in San Jose? (FAQ)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for a Honda CR-V in San Jose? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Under 25 in San Jose? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest San Jose Car Insurance Rates for a Toyota Corolla? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap San Jose Auto Insurance for a Nissan Sentra? (FAQ)
• Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
• Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)