Save Money on Chevy Cobalt Insurance in San Jose

Shocking but true, most auto insurance buyers kept their coverage with the same auto insurance company for a minimum of four years, and 38% of drivers have never compared auto insurance rates at all. Drivers in San Jose can save up to $500 each year by just shopping around, but most tend to underestimate the amount of savings they would get if they replace their high priced policy.

If you want to save money, the best way to find better pricing on Chevy Cobalt insurance is to start comparing prices regularly from insurance carriers who provide auto insurance in San Jose. You can compare rates by following these steps.

1. Spend some time learning about policy coverages and the steps you can take to keep rates low. Many risk factors that are responsible for high rates such as traffic tickets, fender benders, and a low credit rating can be amended by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Later in this article we will cover more information to prevent high prices and find additional discounts you may qualify for.
2. Quote rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can provide prices for a wide range of companies. Find a San Jose insurance agent
3. Compare the new rates to your existing coverage to see if a cheaper rate is available in San Jose. If you find a lower rate, make sure coverage is continuous and does not lapse.

One key aspect when comparing rates is to compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on every price quote and to quote with every insurance company. Doing this enables an apples-to-apples comparison and the most accurate and complete price analysis.

Locating the most cost-effective auto insurance policy in San Jose is much easier if you know where to start. Essentially every vehicle owner who has to buy auto insurance will more than likely find a lower-cost policy. But California car owners need to have an understanding of the way companies set your policy premium because it can help you find the best coverage.

Buy Chevy Cobalt Insurance for Less

Many factors are used when pricing auto insurance. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving history, although others are less apparent such as your credit history or your financial responsibility.

The factors shown below are most of the major factors that factor into your rate level.

Teenage drivers pay higher costs – Young drivers in California tend to be less responsible when driving with friends therefore auto insurance rates are much higher. If you’ve ever had to add a beginning driver to your auto insurance policy can be quite pricey. Mature drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, cause fewer claims and accidents, and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.

The following data assumes a single driver, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

Insurance premiums and driver gender – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown that females tend to be a little less risky than males. Now that doesn’t mean females are better drivers. Men and women are in accidents at a similar rate, but males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also receive more costly citations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.

The chart below compares Chevy Cobalt annual premium costs for male and female drivers. The premium estimates are based on no claims or violations, full coverage, $100 deductibles, single marital status, and no other discounts are factored in.

Pay more for higher performance vehicles – The type of car or truck you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in your car insurance bill. The lowest rates are generally reserved for smaller low performance passenger models, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.

The data below assumes a single female driver age 30, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It compares Chevrolet Cobalt car insurance rates compared to other makes and models that have a range of risk factors.

Maintain auto insurance coverage – Going without insurance is a fast way to trigger a rate increase. In addition to paying higher premiums, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could earn you fines and jail time. You may then be required to file a SR-22 with the California department of motor vehicles.

Credit score impacts premiums – Having a bad credit score can be an important factor in calculating your premium rate. Insureds with excellent credit tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with poor credit scores. If your credit score leaves room for improvement, you could pay less to insure your Chevrolet Cobalt by improving your credit score.

Rural areas have lower premiums – Residing in small towns and rural areas has it’s advantages when it comes to auto insurance. Lower population translates into fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. Residents of big cities tend to have traffic congestion and more severe claims. The longer drive time means a statistically higher chance of an accident.

Proper usage rating affects premiums – Driving more miles in a year the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers rate vehicles based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos left parked in the garage get more affordable rates than those that get driven frequently. It’s always a good idea to double check that your policy states the correct usage for each vehicle. Incorrect rating for your Cobalt can cost quite a bit.

Better drivers pay less – Your driving record impacts premiums far more than you think. Getting just one speeding ticket or other violation can bump up the cost to the point where it’s not affordable. Drivers who don’t get tickets get better rates as compared to careless drivers. Drivers unfortunate enough to have dangerous citations like DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may face state-mandated requirements to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.

The example below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault accidents can influence Chevy Cobalt insurance premiums for different categories of driver ages. The premium estimates are based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

The quickest way to compare car insurance rates for Chevy Cobalt insurance in San Jose is to take advantage of the fact almost all companies provide online access to provide you with a free rate quote. The only thing you need to do is provide the companies a bit of rating information such as daily mileage, if the car is leased, whether the vehicles are used for commuting, and how much school you completed. Your insurance information is instantly submitted to many highly-rated insurers and they return cost estimate instantly to find the best rate.

If you would like to compare rates now, click here and complete the quick form.

The car insurance companies shown below are our best choices to provide comparison quotes in San Jose, CA. If the list has multiple companies, it’s a good idea that you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.

Analysis of Chevy Cobalt rates

The information shown below highlights estimates of policy rates for Chevy Cobalt models. Having a better understanding of how insurance premiums are figured is important for you to make smart choices when comparing insurance rates.

Prices above based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in vehicle location which can modify premium rates noticeably.

The information below demonstrates how deductibles and can change Chevy Cobalt insurance costs for each different age group. The information is based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Does full coverage make sense?

The information below visualizes the comparison of Chevy Cobalt yearly insurance costs when comparing full coverage to state minimum liability only. The price estimates are based on no violations or claims, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no other discounts are factored in.

Are you wasting money paying for full coverage?

There isn’t a steadfast formula to exclude physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Chevy Cobalt settlement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $8,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying in excess of $800 annually to have full coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

There are some cases where buying only liability insurance is not a good idea. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should not eliminate full coverage.

Protect your vehicle and other assets

Even though it can be expensive, buying insurance is required in California but it also protects you in many ways.

• Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific minimum amount of liability if you don’t want to risk a ticket. 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 Cobalt has a lienholder, almost every bank will make it mandatory that you have insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender will be forced to insure your Chevy at a much higher rate and force you to pay much more than you were paying before.
• Insurance protects both your assets and your Chevy Cobalt. It will also pay for all forms of medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability coverage also covers legal expenses in the event you are sued. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.

The benefits of insuring your car more than offset the price you pay, especially with large liability claims. But the average driver in California is wasting up to $830 a year so you should quote and compare rates each time the policy renews to save money.

Save a ton with discounts

Companies don’t necessarily list all discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the below list has both well-publicized and also the lesser-known credits that you can use to lower your rates. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.

• Safe Driver Discount – Accident-free drivers can pay as much as 50% less than drivers with accidents.
• Multi-car Discount – Drivers who insure multiple vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
• Safety Course Discount – Passing a course that instructs on driving safety may get you a small discount if your company offers it.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Forcing all vehicle occupants to wear their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks on medical payment and PIP coverage.
• Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with lower auto insurance rates if you buy some life insurance too.
• Low Mileage – Driving less may enable drivers to earn substantially lower auto insurance rates.

As a footnote on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it’s just not the way it works.

The example below visualizes the comparison of Chevy Cobalt auto insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The premiums are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, safe-driver, multi-car, multi-policy, homeowner, and marriage discounts applied.

The best auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.

• Esurance may have discounts that include paid-in-full, emergency road assistance, multi-policy, online shopper, safety device, and multi-car.
• The Hartford offers discounts for vehicle fuel type, air bag, anti-theft, good student, driver training, and defensive driver.
• AAA discounts include good student, multi-car, AAA membership discount, anti-theft, and pay-in-full.
• GEICO offers discounts including membership and employees, defensive driver, military active duty, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, and multi-policy.
• State Farm includes discounts for anti-theft, defensive driving training, student away at school, safe vehicle, accident-free, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.

Double check with all the companies what discounts are available to you. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not apply to policyholders in your state. If you would like to see a list of insurers with the best discounts in California, click here to view.

When to get advice from an agent

A small number of people still prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. One of the benefits of comparing rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get cheaper premium rates but also keep your business local.

By using this form (opens in new window), the quote information is immediately sent to local insurance agents that can give you free San Jose auto insurance quotes for your coverage. You won’t need to leave your house because prices are sent to your email. You can find lower rates AND a local agent. If you wish to get a price quote from one company in particular, you just need to go to their quote page to submit a rate quote request.

Choosing the best provider requires you to look at more than just the bottom line cost. Some important questions to ask are:

• Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
• Will the agent or a CSR service your policy?
• How does the company pay claims for a total loss?
• Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• Is the agent properly licensed in California?
• Are they full-time agents?
• How are they compensated?

What is the best auto insurance coverage?

When selecting your policy, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Every insured’s situation is different.

For example, these questions may help highlight if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• Am I covered if I have no license?
• Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
• What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
• Do I have coverage if I rent a car in Mexico?
• Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
• Can I rent a car in Mexico?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Be persistent and save

We just showed you some good ideas how to get a better price on Chevy Cobalt insurance in San Jose. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of getting affordable San Jose auto insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

When you buy San Jose auto insurance online, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many instances, an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your objective should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest cost while still protecting your assets.

Some car insurance companies don’t offer online rate quotes and usually these regional carriers sell through independent agencies. Low-cost Chevy Cobalt insurance in San Jose is available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood San Jose agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture.

More information is located below:

• How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers Under 25 in San Jose? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for a Ford F-150 in San Jose? (FAQ)
• How Much are San Jose Car Insurance Rates for a 20 Year Old Male? (FAQ)
• Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
• Uninsured Motorists: Threats on the Road (Insurance Information Institute)