A recent NerdWallet.com study revealed that the vast majority of car insurance customers renewed their policy with the same company for over three years, and approximately 40% of consumers have never quoted car insurance rates at all. The average driver in California could save approximately 35% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they don’t believe the actual amount they would save if they replace their high priced policy.
The best way we recommend to save money on Volkswagen Atlas insurance is to regularly compare quotes from providers in San Jose. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.
- It will benefit you to learn about how insurance works and the modifications you can make to lower rates. Many policy risk factors that cause rate increases like careless driving and an unacceptable credit rating can be controlled by making minor changes in your lifestyle. Keep reading for ideas to get cheaper rates and get discounts that may be overlooked.
- Compare rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the quotes to your existing rates to see if cheaper Atlas coverage is available. If you find a better price and make a switch, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
A valuable tip to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same liability limits and deductibles on every price quote and and to get rates from as many auto insurance providers as possible. Doing this ensures a fair price comparison and a complete price analysis.
You Can Change Your Insurance Rates
Lots of factors are part of the equation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are obvious such as your driving history, but some are more transparent such as your marital status or your financial responsibility.
- Does your occupation cost you more? – Jobs like judges, police officers, and emergency personnel tend to have higher rates than the rest of us in part from intense work requirements and extremely grueling work hours. On the flip side, careers like actors, students and retirees generally pay rates lower than average.
- Deter vehicle theft – Choosing to buy a car that has a built-in theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Advanced theft deterrents such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent car theft.
- Insure your auto and home with one company – Most auto insurance companies will give discounts to customers who have multiple policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you qualify for this discount already, you may still want to compare Volkswagen Atlas rates in San Jose to ensure the best deal.
- Rural areas have lower costs – Having an address in areas with lower population can save you money when it comes to auto insurance. Fewer drivers and short commutes corresponds to lower accident rates and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. City drivers have to deal with much more traffic and longer commute times. Longer commute distances statistically corresponds to a higher accident and claim rate.
- How’s your driving record? – A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Attentive drivers get better rates compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one speeding ticket or other violation can increase the cost of insurance substantially. Drivers unfortunate enough to have flagrant tickets like DUI or willful reckless driving may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to legally drive a vehicle.
- Does insurance coverage cost more for men? – Statistics have proven females are less aggressive when driving. It does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Males and females have auto accidents at a similar rate, but males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also get ticketed for serious violations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.
- Continuous auto insurance coverage lowers rates – Not maintaining insurance is a misdemeanor and you may have a hard time finding new coverage because you let your insurance expire. In addition to paying higher rates, getting caught without coverage might get you a license revocation or jail time. You may have to file a SR-22 with the California DMV.
- Safeguard your assets with liability insurance – Liability insurance will provide protection in the event that you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Your liability coverage provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is pretty cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
Determine discounts to get cheap San Jose insurance rates
Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available to help offset the cost. A few discounts will be applied at the time of purchase, but a few must be manually applied before you will receive the discount.
- Policy Bundle Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles and insure them with the same company you could get a discount of up to 20% and get you low cost Volkswagen Atlas insurance.
- Switch and Save Discount – Select insurance companies give a discount for switching policies prior to the expiration date on your current Atlas insurance policy. It can save you around 10%.
- First Accident Forgiveness – Not really a discount, but companies like Allstate and State Farm will turn a blind eye to one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
- Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get better rates if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Claim Free – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims have much lower rates as compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- Save with a New Car – Insuring a new Atlas can be considerably cheaper since newer models have better safety ratings.
- Home Ownership Discount – Being a homeowner can help you save on insurance since home ownership requires personal responsibility.
- Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to participate in a local driver’s education class in school.
It’s important to note that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though you would think all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
A list of insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be found below.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including mySafetyValet, good student, good driver, Steer into Savings, accident-free, air bags, and TimeAway discount.
- Farm Bureau discounts include 55 and retired, multi-vehicle, youthful driver, renewal discount, multi-policy, safe driver, and good student.
- State Farm includes discounts for anti-theft, Drive Safe & Save, multiple policy, passive restraint, multiple autos, good driver, and defensive driving training.
- Travelers may include discounts for early quote, payment discounts, multi-car, student away at school, save driver, and driver training.
- The Hartford offers discounts for vehicle fuel type, air bag, good student, bundle, driver training, and defensive driver.
- GEICO has savings for anti-lock brakes, driver training, five-year accident-free, defensive driver, and multi-vehicle.
- Progressive may offer discounts for good student, continuous coverage, homeowner, online signing, online quote discount, and multi-policy.
When comparing rates, check with every company to give you their best rates. All car insurance discounts might not be offered in San Jose.
You can lower your insurance rates
We just covered some good ideas how to get a better price on Volkswagen Atlas insurance in San Jose. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of getting affordable San Jose auto insurance quotes. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest prices are with some of the smallest insurance companies.
Budget-conscious Volkswagen Atlas insurance can be bought from both online companies and from local agencies, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some companies don’t offer online price quotes and these smaller companies sell through independent agents.
While you’re price shopping online, do not skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate and still be able to protect your assets.
Additional resources
- Safety Tips for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Versa in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Handicapped Drivers in San Jose? (FAQ)
- How Much is San Jose Auto Insurance for First-time Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in San Jose? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Lyft Drivers in San Jose? (FAQ)
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)
- What if I Can’t Find Coverage? (Insurance Information Institute)