Cheap Insurance for a Honda Insight in San Jose

When looking for cheaper insurance, are you intimidated by the sheer number of insurance companies in your area? You have so many companies available that it can easily become a chore to find better prices for Honda Insight insurance in San Jose. If you’ve ever been there, you know that San Jose is a great city to live in, but expensive insurance premiums can make it hard for many drivers to be able to afford adequate insurance coverage limits.

Steps to saving money on Honda Insight insurance in San Jose

If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to find cheaper prices for Honda Insight insurance in San Jose is to start comparing prices regularly from providers who sell insurance in California. You can compare rates by completing these steps.

1. Take a little time to learn about how companies price auto insurance and the things you can change to prevent rate increases. Many risk factors that result in higher rates like traffic citations and a bad credit score can be eliminated by paying attention to minor details.
2. Request rate estimates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agencies can give you price quotes from multiple sources.
3. Compare the price quotes to your existing rates to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find a lower rate quote and change companies, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
4. Give proper notification to your current agent or company of your decision to cancel your existing policy and submit the application along with any required down payment for your new policy. Make sure you safely store the certificate verifying coverage in your vehicle’s glove compartment or console.

A tip to remember is to use the same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote and and to compare as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this helps ensure an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete rate analysis.

It goes without saying that insurance companies don’t want policyholders to compare prices from other companies. Drivers who get price comparisons will most likely switch insurance companies because the odds are good of finding a cheaper policy. A recent insurance study revealed that people who regularly compared price quotes saved over $860 a year compared to drivers who didn’t regularly shop around.

If finding the best rates on auto insurance in San Jose is your ultimate objective, then knowing how to shop for insurance can save time, money, and frustration.

It is always a good idea to take a look at other company’s rates at least once a year because insurance rates are variable and change quite frequently. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rate on Honda Insight insurance in San Jose two years ago there may be better deals available now. You can find a lot of wrong information about Insight insurance online, but in just a couple of minutes you can learn some great ways to stop overpaying for insurance in San Jose.

If you are insured now, you should be able to lower your rates using this information. Finding and buying the lowest-priced protection in San Jose is not as confusing as people think. But California vehicle owners should learn how insurance companies determine how much to charge and apply this information to your search.

The method we recommend to compare insurance rates from multiple companies is to realize almost all companies provide online access to give you rate quotes. To start a quote, the only thing you need to do is provide the companies a bit of rating information such as the type of vehicles you drive, if you’re married, driver ages, and if it has an alarm system. That rating data gets sent immediately to multiple companies and they provide comparison quotes within a short period of time.

To compare lower-cost Honda Insight insurance rates now, click here and find out if you can get cheaper insurance in San Jose.

The following companies are our best choices to provide quotes in San Jose, CA. If multiple companies are shown, it’s highly recommended you visit several of them to find the lowest auto insurance rates.

Why you need insurance for your Insight

Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in San Jose, insurance is required in California but it also protects you in many ways.

• The majority of states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires a specific minimum amount of liability insurance in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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 you bought your Insight with a loan, most banks will require that you carry insurance to guarantee payment of the loan. If the policy lapses, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Honda at a much higher premium rate and require you to pay the higher price.
• Insurance protects both your Honda and your assets. It also can pay for medical bills incurred in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your Honda gets damaged, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.

The benefits of having insurance more than offset the price you pay, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. According to a recent study, the average American driver is overpaying more than $750 every year so you should quote rates each time the policy renews to save money.

Auto insurance data for a Honda Insight

The table displayed next outlines estimates of insurance premium costs for Honda Insight models. Having a good understanding how car insurance prices are calculated can be valuable when making smart choices when purchasing an auto insurance policy.

Cost estimates assume married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in specific location information which can impact auto insurance rates noticeably.

Deductible comparison

One of the most common auto insurance questions is how low should you set your deductibles. The following insurance rates can help show how much more rates are of buying low and high deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $250 deductible for physical damage and the second set of prices uses a $1,000 deductible.

Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Rate information does not factor in zip code location which can modify coverage rates noticeably.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $250 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $31 more each month or $372 each year than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would pay $750 more out-of-pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you tend to go at least 24 months between claims, you would probably save some money if you opt for a higher deductible.

Honda Insight insurance premiums by gender and age

The diagram below compares Honda Insight insurance costs for male and female drivers. The rates are based on no claims or driving violations, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, single status, and no additional discounts are factored in.

How much more does full coverage cost in San Jose?

The diagram below compares Honda Insight auto insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage. The information is based on no claims or driving citations, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.

Are you wasting money on full coverage?

There is no clear-cut rule for dropping physical damage insurance, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is about 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Honda Insight book value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would get paid by your company is $6,000 after the deductible is paid. If it’s costing in excess of $600 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

There are some cases where dropping physical damage coverage is not advised. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to carry full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should keep full coverage in place.

Insurance policy discounts for Honda Insight insurance in San Jose

Not too many consumers would say insurance is affordable, but discounts can save money and there are some available that could help you make your next renewal payment. Some of these discounts will be visible when you get a quote, but occasionally some discounts must be inquired about before you get the savings. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you are not getting the best rate possible.

• Multi-policy Discount – If you combine your homeowners and auto policies with the same company you could earn a discount of as much as 10 to 15 percent.
• Anti-theft Discount – Cars with anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and can earn a small discount on your policy.
• Responsible Driver Discounts – Insureds without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
• Buy New and Save – Buying a new car model is cheaper since newer models have better safety ratings.
• San Jose Homeowners Pay Less – Simply owning a home can save a few bucks because it is proof that your finances are in order.
• Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down on your Honda may enable drivers to earn lower rates due to less chance of an accident.
• Driving Data Discount – Policyholders that allow driving data collection to monitor vehicle usage by using a telematic data system such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system may get a rate reduction as long as the data is positive.
• Accident Forgiveness – Not really a discount, but a handful of insurance companies will let one accident slide without the usual rate increase if you are claim-free prior to the accident.

While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, it’s just not the way it works.

The information below illustrates the difference between Honda Insight yearly insurance costs with and without policy discounts. The data is based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-car, marriage, and multi-policy discounts applied.

Large insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are shown below.

• GEICO offers discounts for federal employee, driver training, seat belt use, anti-theft, emergency military deployment, and military active duty.
• USAA discounts include good student, loyalty savings, vehicle storage, multi-policy, driver training, and defensive driver.
• Progressive may have discounts that include good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online signing, online quote discount, continuous coverage, and homeowner.
• American Family offers discounts including early bird, defensive driver, accident-free, mySafetyValet, Steer into Savings, good student, and good driver.
• Esurance has savings for anti-lock brakes, online quote, paid-in-full, good driver, claim free, multi-policy, and multi-car.
• Farmers Insurance has discounts for business and professional, early shopping, distant student, electronic funds transfer, good student, and switch companies.
• State Farm may include discounts for multiple policy, good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple autos, driver’s education, accident-free, and defensive driving training.

If you need lower rates, check with each insurance company the best way to save money. Savings might not be offered on policies in every state.

Local San Jose insurance agencies and auto insurance

Certain consumers just want to get advice from a local agent and that is OK! One of the benefits of getting free rate quotes online is that you can obtain better rates and still buy from a local agent.

Once you complete this short form, your insurance data is transmitted to companies in San Jose that can provide free San Jose car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to leave your computer since rate quotes are delivered immediately to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you need to compare prices from a specific company, feel free to navigate to their website and give them your coverage information.

Deciding on an provider needs to be determined by more than just the price. Below are some questions you should ask.

• Does the agent help file claims?
• How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?
• Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
• Are they full-time agents?
• Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?

What types of auto insurance agents are in San Jose?

If you want a good San Jose insurance agent, it’s helpful to know the different types of agencies and how they can service your needs differently. Insurance agencies in San Jose can be classified as either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).

Exclusive Auto Insurance Agencies

Agents that elect to be exclusive can usually just insure with one company such as Farmers Insurance and State Farm. They generally cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents are usually quite knowledgeable on what they offer and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Some people will only buy from exclusive agents mainly due to the prominent brand name rather than low price.

Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in San Jose who may provide you with price quotes.

• Andre Nguyen – State Farm Insurance Agent
  4990 Speak Ln #220 – San Jose, CA 95118 – (408) 265-8888 – View Map
• Gary Sanchez – State Farm Insurance Agent
  2053 Lincoln Ave a – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 269-5001 – View Map
• GEICO Insurance Agent
  2195 Monterey Rd #20 – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 286-4342 – View Map

More San Jose agents

Independent Agents

These agents are not locked into one company so they can quote policies with an assortment of companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If prices rise, they simply switch companies in-house and you stay with the same agent. When shopping rates, it’s recommended you get some free quotes from a few independent agents to maximize your price options. Most have the option of insuring with small regional insurance companies that many times have cheaper rates.

The following is a list of independent agents in San Jose willing to provide comparison quotes.

• HealthMarkets Insurance Agency
  543 W Capitol Expy – San Jose, CA 95136 – (408) 441-7777 – View Map
• All Spectrum Insurance Brokers
  4010 Moorpark Ave #117 – San Jose, CA 95117 – (408) 604-0092 – View Map
• Sergio Plascencia Insurance Agency
  3136 Story Rd – San Jose, CA 95127 – (408) 254-8336 – View Map

More San Jose agents

What insurance coverages do I need?

Always remember that when buying coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one size fits all plan. Your situation is unique.

Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if your situation might need professional guidance.

• When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
• Are combined or split liability limits better?
• What if an uninsured driver hits me?
• Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
• What are good deductibles for a Honda Insight?
• Does my Honda Insight qualify for pleasure use?
• Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form.

Frequent quotes can save

Drivers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including high prices, not issuing a premium refund, policy non-renewal and extreme rates for teen drivers. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies is actually quite simple.

We covered a lot of tips how to find affordable Honda Insight insurance in San Jose. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may even discover the biggest savings come from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

Cheap Honda Insight insurance in San Jose can be sourced from both online companies and with local San Jose insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some auto insurance companies don’t offer online rate quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies prefer to sell through independent agents.

How to find low-cost rates for Honda Insight insurance in San Jose

If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to find better pricing on Honda Insight insurance is to start doing an annual price comparison from insurers in San Jose. You can compare prices by completing these steps.

Step 1: Spend some time learning about how insurance companies determine prices and the things you can control to keep rates in check. Many rating criteria that result in higher prices like speeding tickets, careless driving and poor credit can be eliminated by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.

Step 2: Compare rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for many different companies.

Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage and determine if there is any savings. If you find a lower rate quote, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.

A key point to remember is to use similar deductibles and liability limits on each price quote and and to get price quotes from as many companies as you can. Doing this helps ensure a level playing field and and a good selection of different prices.

For more information, take a look at these articles:

• Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for Drivers with Good Credit in San Jose? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for a Toyota Tacoma in San Jose? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Honda Civic in San Jose? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap San Jose Car Insurance for 19 Year Olds? (FAQ)
• How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Female in San Jose? (FAQ)
• Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Institute)
• Smart Auto Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
• Auto Theft Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)