It’s a fact that insurance companies don’t want you to look for a cheaper policy. People who shop around at least once a year will, in all likelihood, switch insurance companies because there is a good probability of finding coverage at a cheaper rate. A recent study showed that consumers who faithfully checked for cheaper rates saved approximately $865 annually compared to those who never shopped around.
If finding the best rates on car insurance is the reason you’re reading this, then having some insight into how to shop for car insurance can make shopping around easier.
The easiest way to get budget Mitsubishi i-MiEV insurance is to compare quotes once a year from insurers who provide auto insurance in San Jose.
- Learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the factors you can control to prevent rate increases. Many policy risk factors that increase rates like at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be amended by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
- Quote rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the new rates to your current policy premium and determine if there is any savings. If you find a lower rate quote and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
An important bit of advice to remember is to try to use the same level of coverage on every price quote and and to look at all possible companies. Doing this guarantees a level playing field and a complete price analysis.
Finding affordable insurance coverage in San Jose is not that difficult. If you have coverage now or just want to reduce your rates, use these tips to find better prices without reducing protection. Consumers just have to learn the fastest way to get comparison rates online from multiple companies.
Score discounts on San Jose car insurance
Some companies don’t always publicize every possible discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the best known as well as some of the hidden credits that you can use to lower your rates. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are not getting the best rate possible.
- Government Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government may qualify for a discount when you quote San Jose auto insurance but check with your company.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying in monthly installments you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Purchasing coverage when you have primary and secondary vehicles with one company qualifies for this discount.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to use a seat belt can save 10% or more on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Own a Home and Save – Simply owning a home may trigger a policy discount on car insurance due to the fact that maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
- No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers pay much less in comparison to frequent claim filers.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some car insurance companies provide a discount for signing up before your current i-MiEV insurance policy expires. You may see this discount when you get San Jose auto insurance quotes online.
- Mature Driver Discount – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens may be able to get reduced rates.
- Paper-free Discount – Some larger companies will give a small break for signing up online.
- College Student – Kids who live away from home to go to college without a vehicle on campus could qualify for this discount.
A little disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
A list of car insurance companies and their possible discounts can be read below.
- State Farm offers discounts for Drive Safe & Save, passive restraint, good student, accident-free, anti-theft, multiple autos, and student away at school.
- Esurance offers discounts including multi-policy, multi-car, Pac-12 alumni, good student, anti-lock brakes, and online quote.
- Progressive has savings for multi-vehicle, good student, continuous coverage, homeowner, multi-policy, and online quote discount.
- Liberty Mutual may include discounts for new graduate, multi-car, hybrid vehicle, newly married, new move discount, and safety features.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may offer discounts for company car, multi-policy, teen driver, anti-lock brakes, good student, mature driver, and paperless.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including driver training, air bags, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, and daytime running lights.
Double check with every insurance company the best way to save money. Savings may not be offered in your state. To choose insurance companies with discount rates in California, click here.
The quickest way to compare car insurance company rates for Mitsubishi i-MiEV insurance in San Jose utilizes the fact most larger insurance companies actually pay money for the chance to give you rate quotes. The one thing you need to do is spend a couple of minutes providing details including if it has an alarm system, your credit rating estimate, how you use your vehicles, and if you are currently licensed. That information is submitted instantly to many of the top insurers and they provide comparison quotes very quickly.
To check rates for your Mitsubishi i-MiEV now, click here and find out if lower rates are available in San Jose.
The following companies provide quotes in California. If more than one company is shown, we suggest you visit two to three different companies in order to find the most competitive rates.
Compare rates but buy from a local neighborhood San Jose car insurance agent
Certain consumers prefer to talk to an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Licensed agents can point out coverage gaps and help in the event of a claim. The biggest benefit of comparing rate quotes online is you may find lower premium rates and also buy local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), the quote information is instantly submitted to participating agents in San Jose who will gladly provide quotes for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to drive around since price quotes are sent instantly to you. In the event you want to compare prices from a specific insurance company, feel free to go to their quote page and complete a quote there.
Choosing the best company shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Here are some questions to ask:
- What company holds the largest book of business for them?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
- What is their Better Business Bureau rating?
- Are they giving you every discount you deserve?
- Is coverage determined by price?
- Can glass claims be handled at your home?
Best auto insurance agent in San Jose
When researching a local insurance agency, you should know the types of insurance agents to choose from. San Jose agents are categorized either exclusive agents or independent agents. Either type can insure your vehicles, but we need to point out the difference in how they write coverage because it can impact your agent selection.
Exclusive Agents
Exclusive agencies can only provide one company’s prices like Farmers Insurance and State Farm. They usually cannot compare rates from other companies so you might not find the best rates. They are trained well on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.
Shown below is a list of exclusive insurance agents in San Jose willing to provide price quotes.
Mike Myers – State Farm Insurance Agent
4855 Atherton Ave #150 – San Jose, CA 95130 – (408) 550-7868 – View Map
Lillian Moore – State Farm Insurance Agent
5589 Winfield Blvd #210 – San Jose, CA 95123 – (408) 268-8600 – View Map
Farmers Insurance: Jose Manabat
1620 Oakland Rd #D107 – San Jose, CA 95131 – (408) 437-5456 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Agents of this type do not write with just one company so they can quote policies with multiple insurance companies depending on which coverage is best. If your premiums go up, your policy is moved internally and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparing rates, you will want to get several quotes from at least one independent agent for the best price selection.
Below are San Jose independent insurance agencies that are able to give comparison quotes.
Sergio Plascencia Insurance Agency
3136 Story Rd – San Jose, CA 95127 – (408) 254-8336 – View Map
All Coverage Insurance Agency
3033 Moorpark Ave #27 – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 244-9100 – View Map
Mission Counties Insurance Agency
1777 Hamilton Ave – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 979-8160 – View Map
After you get good responses to any questions you have and a good coverage price, chances are good that you have found an insurance agent that meets the criteria to adequately provide insurance. It’s important to know that you are entitled to cancel coverage any time you want so never assume that you are permanently stuck with a specific agent for any length of time.
In Summary
Lower-priced auto insurance in San Jose can be sourced both online as well as from insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who may not offer rates over the internet and these regional insurance providers sell through local independent agencies.
When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are many occasions where an insured dropped liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest cost and still be able to protect your assets.
More tips and info about auto insurance is located at these sites:
- Insurance Losses by Make and Model (iihs.org)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Unemployed Drivers in San Jose? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Young Drivers in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for 4×4 Vehicles in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for a Mazda CX-7 in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Vehicle Safety Ratings (iihs.org)
- Teen Driving Statistics (GEICO)
- Self-driving cars won’t replace humans (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)