It’s well known that car insurance companies don’t want you quoting rates from other companies. Drivers who shop around for better prices will most likely switch companies because there is a good probability of finding a lower rate. A recent study showed that drivers who compared rate quotes regularly saved over $3,400 over four years as compared to drivers who never shopped around for better prices.
If finding the cheapest price for Volkswagen R32 insurance in San Jose is why you’re here, then having an understanding of the best ways to shop for insurance coverage can make it easier to find better rates.
It takes a few minutes, but the best way to find more affordable car insurance rates is to start comparing prices yearly from different companies in San Jose. You can compare rates by following these steps.
- First, get a basic knowledge of how insurance companies determine prices and the steps you can take to drop your rates. Many rating factors that result in higher rates like traffic violations and poor credit rating can be rectified by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. This article provides more details to find cheap rates and get additional discounts that may have been overlooked.
- Second, get rate quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agencies can provide price quotes for a wide range of companies. View insurance agents
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to your existing rates and determine if cheaper R32 coverage is available in San Jose. If you can save some money and make a switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
The critical component of shopping around is that you use identical limits and deductibles on every quote and and to look at as many companies as feasibly possible. This enables an apples-to-apples comparison and a complete rate analysis.
These discounts can lower your insurance rates
Insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but you may qualify for discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Many discounts should be triggered when you complete an application, but a few must be manually applied before being credited. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you could be saving more on your insurance.
- Driving Data Discount – Drivers that enable driving data submission to spy on driving manner by installing a telematics device such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system might see lower rates if their driving habits are good.
- Bundle and Save – If you can combine your home and auto policy with one company you will save up to 20% and get you cheap R32 insurance.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll and complete driver’s education if offered at their school.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Not every insurance company offers life insurance, but if they do you may earn a small discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Active Service Discounts – Having a family member in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may qualify for discounts of 25 to 30%.
- Discount for New Cars – Insuring a new R32 can save you some money compared to insuring an older model.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more on R32 insurance in San Jose.
- San Jose Homeowners Discount – Just being a homeowner can help you save on insurance since home ownership shows financial diligence.
We need to note that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. If you do the math and it seems like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are:
- State Farm may have discounts that include Drive Safe & Save, passive restraint, multiple policy, good student, accident-free, multiple autos, and student away at school.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including online signing, good student, homeowner, multi-policy, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and online quote discount.
- Progressive has savings for good student, online quote discount, online signing, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner.
- MetLife offers premium reductions for accident-free, claim-free, multi-policy, defensive driver, good driver, and good student.
- Farm Bureau discounts include multi-policy, 55 and retired, multi-vehicle, driver training, renewal discount, youthful driver, and safe driver.
- GEICO has discounts for seat belt use, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, federal employee, good student, and defensive driver.
- SAFECO includes discounts for teen safe driver, anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, multi-car, anti-theft, safe driver, and teen safety rewards.
It’s a good idea to ask every insurance company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts listed above may not be offered in your state.
Most companies provide prices on their websites. Comparing prices online for Volkswagen R32 insurance in San Jose is pretty painless as all you need to do is type in your required coverages as requested by the quote form. Once you submit the form, the company’s rating system automatically orders your credit score and driving record and returns a price quote based on the information you submitted.
This makes it easy to compare insurance prices and it’s also necessary to compare as many rates as possible in order to get lower-cost prices.
To find out how much you’re overpaying now, compare rate quotes from the providers shown below. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you enter the coverages identical to your current policy. Using the same limits helps guarantee you’re receiving a price comparison for the exact same coverage.
The car insurance companies shown below can provide free rate quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you click on several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
When should I discuss my situation with an agent?
Always keep in mind that when comparing your policy for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your policy should reflect that.
These are some specific questions may help highlight whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- What is an umbrella policy?
- What is medical payments coverage?
- Am I covered if I hit a deer?
- Do I pay less for low miles?
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
- Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in California?
- Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.
Can’t I compare rate quotes from local San Jose auto insurance agents?
Certain consumers would prefer to get advice from a local agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Professional agents can help you choose the best coverages and help you file claims. One of the benefits of comparing car insurance online is the fact that drivers can get lower auto insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from and supporting local insurance agencies is still important in San Jose.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who will give you quotes to get your business. You don’t have to search for an agent since rate quotes are delivered instantly to you. If you have a need to get a price quote from one company in particular, you can always jump over to their website to submit a rate quote request.
If you prefer to buy car insurance from a local insurance agency, there are two types of insurance agents and how they function. Car insurance agencies are either independent agents or exclusive agents. Both types can sell affordable car insurance policies, but it’s worth mentioning the difference between them since it may influence buying decisions.
Independent Agents
Agents of this type often have many company appointments so as a result can place your coverage with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. If they find a lower price, they simply switch companies in-house which makes it simple for you.
If you need lower rates, you will want to get some free quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to get the most accurate price comparison. Most also have access to companies you’ve never heard of which can be an advantage.
Below are independent insurance agencies in San Jose that may be able to give you comparison quotes.
- Care Insurance Agency Inc
900 N 1st St E – San Jose, CA 95112 – (408) 292-2925 – View Map - Donald Browne Insurance Services
330 W Hedding St #207 – San Jose, CA 95110 – (408) 292-4329 – View Map - Casey Nguyen Insurance Agency, Inc.
1639 Meridian Ave a – San Jose, CA 95125 – (408) 286-4467 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be exclusive normally can only provide a single company’s rates and some examples include State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive agents are highly trained in insurance sales which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Consumers frequently use the same agent partially due to the brand legacy and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Listed below are San Jose exclusive agents who can help you get price quote information.
- Farmers Insurance – Anh Vu
3005 Silver Creek Rd #110 – San Jose, CA 95121 – (408) 270-3978 – View Map - Mike Myers – State Farm Insurance Agent
4855 Atherton Ave #150 – San Jose, CA 95130 – (408) 550-7868 – View Map - Debbie Yang – State Farm Insurance Agent
3484 Stevens Creek Blvd Ste A – San Jose, CA 95117 – (408) 261-1623 – View Map
Deciding on an insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price quote. Before buying a policy in San Jose, get answers to these questions.
- Will you get a loaner vehicle if you car is being repaired?
- Does the company have a local claim office in San Jose?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- When do they do a full risk review?
- Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
After receiving acceptable answers to any questions you have and an affordable coverage quote, chances are good that you have found a car insurance agent that is professional and can provide car insurance coverage. Just keep in mind you are able to terminate coverage whenever you wish so don’t feel that you are obligated to your new company for the full term.
Persistence will pay off
You just read a lot of information how to get a better price on Volkswagen R32 insurance in San Jose. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with some of the smallest insurance companies. Regional companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than their larger competitors like State Farm or Progressive.
Some insurance companies do not offer price quotes online and these small insurance companies only sell through independent agents. Lower-priced auto insurance in San Jose can be found from both online companies in addition to many San Jose insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis.
While you’re price shopping online, never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost while still protecting your assets.
For more information, link through to the resources below:
- Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Unemployed Drivers in San Jose? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a School Permit in San Jose? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Over Age 50 in San Jose? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for Immigrants in San Jose? (FAQ)
- How Much is San Jose Auto Insurance for High Risk Drivers? (FAQ)
- What if I Can’t Find Coverage? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Pickups fall short in headlight tests (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)