Car Insurance Rates for a Nissan Altima in San Jose

It’s an obvious conclusion that car insurance companies don’t want you to look for a cheaper policy. People who shop around annually are very likely to switch to a new company because of the good chance of getting low-cost coverage. A study discovered that consumers who routinely shopped around saved over $865 annually compared to other drivers who never shopped around for better prices.

If finding budget-friendly rates on insurance in San Jose is the reason you’re reading this, then having a good understanding how to shop and compare insurance can save time and make the process easier.

If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get more affordable Nissan Altima insurance in San Jose is to compare prices annually from insurers in California. You can shop around by completing these steps.

1. Gain an understanding of car insurance and the modifications you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many factors that cause rate increases like tickets, at-fault accidents, and a negative credit history can be improved by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. Read the full article for information to get better rates and find more discounts that you may not know about.
2. Get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can provide rates from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes for a wide range of companies. Compare rates now
3. Compare the new rates to the price on your current policy and see if you can save money. If you can save some money, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
4. Provide adequate notice to your current company to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit a completed application and payment for your new policy. Immediately upon receiving it, place the new proof of insurance paperwork in an accessible location in your vehicle.

One key aspect of rate comparisons is to make sure you enter similar coverage information on each quote and and to get price quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. This guarantees an accurate price comparison and the best price selection.

If you are already insured or are looking for a new policy, use these cost-cutting techniques to lower your rates without reducing coverage. Locating the best rates in San Jose is not that difficult. Shoppers only need to know the least time-consuming way to quote multiple rates from many different companies online.

The most recommended method to compare car insurance company rates for Nissan Altima insurance in San Jose utilizes the fact all the major auto insurance companies participate in online systems to quote your coverage. The only thing you need to do is provide a small amount of information like if you have an active license, how much school you completed, if it has an alarm system, and whether you have decent credit. Your insurance information is automatically sent to multiple different insurance companies and they return rate quotes almost instantly.

To start a quote now, click here and enter your zip code.

The companies in the list below have been selected to offer free rate quotes in San Jose, CA. If multiple companies are shown, it’s a good idea that you visit two to three different companies in order to find the most affordable rates.

These discounts can lower your auto insurance quotes

Buying auto insurance is not cheap, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help offset the cost. Certain credits will be shown at the time you complete a quote, but occasionally some discounts must be specifically requested before being credited.

• Life Insurance – Auto insurance companies who offer life insurance give lower prices if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
• Professional Organizations – Having an affiliation with specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations could qualify you for a break on your bill.
• Accident-Free Discounts – Drivers who don’t have accidents can earn big discounts when compared with accident-prone drivers.
• Save with More Vehicles Insured – Having more than one vehicle on the same auto insurance policy qualifies for this discount.
• Discount for Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of 20 to 30 percent.
• Telematics Data – Drivers that enable their company to look at driving patterns by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system could see a rate decrease if their driving habits are good.
• Defensive Driving Course – Passing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
• Use Seat Belts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts can save a little on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.

We need to note that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Even though it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies don’t profit that way.

The information below illustrates the difference between Nissan Altima auto insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. Data assumes a female driver, no accidents, no driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, multi-policy, homeowner, marriage, claim-free, and safe-driver discounts applied.

Companies and a selection of discounts can be read below.

• American Family has discounts for early bird, good student, good driver, air bags, Steer into Savings, and bundled insurance.
• Nationwide discounts include family plan, Farm Bureau membership, good student, anti-theft, easy pay, defensive driving, and business or organization.
• MetLife offers discounts including accident-free, claim-free, good student, defensive driver, and good driver.
• 21st Century offers premium reductions for anti-lock brakes, teen driver, air bags, student driver, driver training, and theft prevention.
• Farmers Insurance offers discounts for good student, early shopping, switch companies, youthful driver, distant student, and alternative fuel.
• Allstate may include discounts for economy car, farm vehicle, multi-policy, FullPay discount, new car, and auto/life discount.

If you need lower rates, check with every company the best way to save money. Discounts might not apply in San Jose. For a list of auto insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in California, click here.

Premium rates and analysis

The table below covers estimates of coverage costs for Nissan Altima models. Understanding more about how policy premiums are determined is important for you to make decisions on the best policy to buy.

Above prices assume married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in San Jose location which can change insurance rates greatly.

Physical damage deductibles: Should you raise them?

One of the most common auto insurance questions is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The rates below show the differences in premium rates between high and low insurance deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $100 deductible for physical damage and the second set of prices uses a $500 deductible.

Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can decrease or increase coverage prices significantly.

Based on the data above, we can derive that using a $100 deductible costs roughly $33 more each month or $396 for a full year than selecting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $400 more to settle a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally average at least 12 months between claim filings, you would come out ahead if you choose a higher deductible.

The example below highlights how deductible choice and can impact Nissan Altima insurance rates for different age groups. The information is based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.

Full coverage versus liability only rates

The diagram below shows the difference between Nissan Altima car insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in California. The information is based on no claims or driving violations, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no additional discounts are factored in.

When to stop buying full coverage

There isn’t a steadfast formula for excluding physical damage coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might consider buying liability only.

For example, let’s pretend your Nissan Altima settlement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company would pay you is $7,000 after the deductible is paid. If you are currently paying more than $700 annually to have full coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.

There are some situations where dropping physical damage coverage is not a good idea. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not buy liability only.

Five Tips to Get More Affordable San Jose Insurance Prices

Smart consumers have a good feel for a few of the rating criteria that are used to determine auto insurance rates. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this enables you to make decisions that will entitle you to lower premium levels.

Listed below are some of the most rate-impacting factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your prices.

• Getting married can save you money – Having a spouse can get you a discount when buying auto insurance. Having a spouse generally demonstrates drivers are more responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
• Bundling policies can get discounts – Most insurance companies allow discounts to buyers that buy multiple policies in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you qualify for this discount already, drivers will still want to compare other San Jose Altima insurance rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
• Bad credit will cost you – Your credit score is likely to be a major factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. Drivers who have very good credit scores tend to be more responsible than drivers who have poor credit scores. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your Nissan Altima by improving your rating.

• Obey driving laws and save – Having a clean driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Having a single speeding ticket can increase the cost of insurance forty percent or more. Drivers who have received serious violations such as DUI or willful reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 with their state in order to keep their license.

  The illustration below highlights how speeding tickets and fender-benders impact Nissan Altima auto insurance costs for different insured age categories. The premiums are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

• Younger vs. older drivers – More mature drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, tend to cause fewer accidents, and receive fewer citations. Drivers with little experience are known to be inattentive and easily distracted when at the wheel of a vehicle therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.

  The chart below is based on a single driver, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

• Insurance loss data for Nissan Altima vehicles – Companies take into consideration historical loss data for every vehicle to help determine the rate you pay. Models that the data determines to have increased losses will cost more to insure. The next table shows the actual insurance loss data for Nissan Altima vehicles.

  For each type of coverage, the loss probability for all vehicles averaged together is set at 100. Values below 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while numbers shown that are more than 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or tendency to have larger claims.

  
  

  Auto Insurance Loss Data for Nissan Altima Models

  Vehicle Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Nissan Altima	110	97	119	144	147	114

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years