Amazingly, a recent NerdWallet.com study showed that about 70% of customers kept their coverage with the same car insurance company for more than four years, and 38% of customers have never compared rate quotes at all. Consumers in the U.S. can save hundreds of dollars each year, but they don’t invest the time required to do a rate comparison.
If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to get the cheapest car insurance rates in San Jose is to compare prices at least once a year from different companies who provide auto insurance in California. Drivers can shop around by completing these steps.
First, gain an understanding of how your policy works and the changes you can make to keep rates in check. Many factors that increase rates such as speeding tickets, accidents and a bad credit rating can be remedied by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
Second, obtain price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only provide price estimates from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes for a wide range of companies.
Third, compare the new quotes to your existing rates to determine if you can save on S40 insurance in San Jose. If you find a lower rate quote and buy the policy, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
The key aspect of shopping around is to use the same amount of coverage on each price quote and and to look at as many companies as possible. This provides a level playing field and maximum price selection.
If you have a policy now or just want cheaper rates, you can use these tips to get lower rates without reducing protection. Quoting and comparing the most affordable car insurance in San Jose is not as time-consuming as you think. Comparison shoppers just need to use the proper way to compare rates online.
You may qualify for discounts for Volvo S40 insurance in San Jose
Buying car insurance is not cheap, but there could be significant discounts that you may not even know about. Certain discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but some need to be manually applied prior to getting the savings.
- Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving less may enable drivers to earn lower premium rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Forcing all vehicle occupants to wear their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Just being a homeowner can save a few bucks because maintaining a house shows financial diligence.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers without accidents can save up to 40% or more on their San Jose car insurance quote as compared to drivers with claims.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Not every insurance company offers life insurance, but if they do you may earn a break if you buy some life insurance too.
You should keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
The chart below visualizes the comparison of Volvo S40 yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. Data assumes a male driver, no accidents or driving violations, 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 multi-car, claim-free, multi-policy, marriage, homeowner, and safe-driver discounts applied.
Companies and their offered discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm discounts include multiple autos, driver’s education, student away at school, good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and Drive Safe & Save.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts including hybrid vehicle, teen driver discount, exclusive group savings, new graduate, and newly retired.
- American Family may offer discounts for defensive driver, mySafetyValet, good student, good driver, multi-vehicle, air bags, and early bird.
- Progressive may include discounts for homeowner, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, good student, online quote discount, multi-policy, and online signing.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for electronic funds transfer, mature driver, pay in full, youthful driver, distant student, business and professional, and good student.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may have discounts that include anti-theft, paid in full, safe vehicle, mature driver, multiple vehicles, multi-policy, and group or association.
- SAFECO includes discounts for teen safety rewards, drive less, bundle discounts, anti-theft, and multi-car.
When getting a coverage quote, ask every insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Some discounts may not apply to policyholders in San Jose.
All major car insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm give coverage prices from their websites. Getting online rates for Volvo S40 insurance in San Jose is quite easy because you just enter the coverage amounts you desire as detailed in the form. Behind the scenes, the system automatically orders reports for credit and driving violations and generates a price based on these and other factors.
Being able to quote online for Volvo S40 insurance in San Jose makes it simple to compare prices and it is important to do this in order to get affordable car insurance pricing.
In order to find out how much you’re overpaying now, check out the car insurance providers below. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you complete the form with the insurance coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. This way, you will receive rate quotes using the same coverage and limits.
The auto insurance companies shown below are ready to provide price comparisons in San Jose, CA. If multiple providers are shown, we suggest you click on several of them to find the cheapest auto insurance rates.
Statistics and details
The premium information shown next highlights different prices for Volvo S40 models. Learning how prices are calculated helps drivers make informed decisions when shopping around for a new policy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S40 2.4I | $374 | $664 | $450 | $26 | $134 | $1,648 | $137 |
| S40 T5 | $374 | $664 | $450 | $26 | $134 | $1,648 | $137 |
| S40 T5 AWD R-Design | $374 | $664 | $450 | $26 | $134 | $1,648 | $137 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data variables include married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Premium costs do not factor in your specific San Jose location which can affect coverage rates significantly.
Responsible drivers pay cheaper car insurance rates
The information below demonstrates how citations and at-fault claims increase Volvo S40 insurance prices for different age groups of insureds. The rate quotes are based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Insurance premiums for males and females
The diagram below compares Volvo S40 car insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premium estimates are based on a clean driving record, no claims, full coverage, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied.
Cost difference between full coverage and liability
The chart below visualizes the comparison of Volvo S40 premium costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The premium estimates are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no policy discounts are applied.
Deciding between full coverage and liability only
There is no set guideline to delete physical damage insurance, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.
For example, let’s say your Volvo S40 settlement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $4,000 after the deductible is paid. If you are paying in excess of $400 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
There are a few cases where only buying liability is not a good plan. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should not opt for liability only.
Exclusive or independent insurance agents
Certain consumers would prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Professional insurance agents can answer important questions and help you file claims. An additional benefit of comparing rates online is you may find the best rates and still choose a local agent. Putting coverage with neighborhood insurance agencies is especially important in San Jose.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this short form, your insurance data is immediately sent to agents in your area who will give you quotes to get your business. There is no reason to even leave your home since rate quotes are delivered to your email. If for some reason you want to compare rates for a specific company, feel free to search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
When narrowing the list to find a reputable agency, it’s important to understand the different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. Insurance agents in San Jose can either be independent or exclusive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s a good idea to understand the difference in the companies they write for since it may influence which agent you choose.
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not limited to a single company so as a result can place your coverage with an assortment of companies and find you cheaper rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, the agent simply finds a different carrier which requires no work on your part.
If you are trying to find cheaper rates, we recommend you get several quotes from several independent agencies so that you have a good selection of quotes to compare. Most independent agents also contract with lesser-known insurance companies which can be an advantage.
Listed below is a small list of independent insurance agencies in San Jose that may be able to provide free insurance rate quotes.
- All Solutions Insurance – San Jose
574 Blossom Hill Rd – San Jose, CA 95123 – (408) 225-4300 – View Map - Lords Insurance Agency Inc
2239 Moorpark Ave #100 – San Jose, CA 95128 – (408) 289-5445 – View Map - All Spectrum Insurance Brokers
4010 Moorpark Ave #117 – San Jose, CA 95117 – (408) 604-0092 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive are contracted to one company such as Farmers Insurance, American Family, State Farm and Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents are usually well trained on what they offer which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers frequently use the same agent partially due to the brand legacy and solid financial strength.
Shown below is a list of exclusive agents in San Jose willing to provide rate quotes.
- Andre Nguyen – State Farm Insurance Agent
4990 Speak Ln #220 – San Jose, CA 95118 – (408) 265-8888 – View Map - Rachel Bhan – State Farm Insurance Agent
1625 N Capitol Ave – San Jose, CA 95132 – (408) 272-2629 – View Map - Lillian Moore – State Farm Insurance Agent
5589 Winfield Blvd #210 – San Jose, CA 95123 – (408) 268-8600 – View Map
Deciding on a auto insurance agent requires more thought than just the quoted price. Get answers to these questions too.
- Has the agent ever had any license suspensions?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
- Does the agent help file claims?
- What companies can they write with?
- What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
After talking to the agent and getting reasonable responses for all questions you ask as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to a car insurance agent that can be relied on to properly service your insurance policy. Just be aware that you can always cancel your coverage whenever you choose to so don’t feel you are locked into the insurance policy indefinitely.
Auto insurance coverages and their meanings
Learning about specific coverages of a auto insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. Auto insurance terms can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.
Collision coverage protection
This coverage pays for damage to your S40 resulting from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims like driving through your garage door, damaging your car on a curb and crashing into a building. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also choose a higher deductible on your S40 in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as damage from flooding, a broken windshield, falling objects and rock chips in glass. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.
Auto liability
Liability insurance protects you from damage that occurs to other people or property in an accident. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see limits of 15/30/5 that translate to a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, $30,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $5,000. Occasionally you may see one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.
Liability can pay for things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, emergency aid and medical services. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible. California state minimum liability requirements are 15/30/5 but you should think about purchasing more liability than the minimum.
The illustration below shows why low liability limits may not be high enough to adequately cover claims.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This gives you protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Volvo S40.
Since many California drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (15/30/5 in California), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses for dental work, X-ray expenses, surgery, EMT expenses and nursing services. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible
Compare. Compare. Compare.
In this article, we presented some good ideas how to shop for Volvo S40 insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding cheaper San Jose car insurance quotes. You may even find the best price on insurance is with an unexpected company.
Cheaper insurance in San Jose is definitely available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood San Jose agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies do not offer rate quotes online and usually these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
Consumers leave their current company for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, not issuing a premium refund, high prices or poor customer service. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
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