Baffled by the crazy number of auto insurance sources that you can choose from? Consumers have so many sources to choose from that it can easily become a lot of work to find lower prices. Everyone knows that Aspen is an excellent city in which to live, but trying to pay high auto insurance rates can make it hard for many drivers to buy full coverage.
There are several ways to compare rate quotes from many different Colorado insurance companies. The best method to find the cheapest insurance rates consists of shopping online. This is very easy and can be done in a couple minutes as outlined below.
- One of the fastest ways to get quotes is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This quick form prevents you from having to do separate forms to each individual auto insurance company. A single form will return price quotes from multiple companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.
- A more difficult way to analyze rates is going to the website for every company you want to comare and repeat the quote process. For instance, we’ll pretend you want to compare rates from Farmers, Liberty Mutual and State Farm. In order to get each rate, you would have to spend time on each company’s site and repeatedly type in your coverage information, which can be really labor intensive. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Aspen, click here.
- The old school method to quote and compare insurance rates is physically going to all the different insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online reduces the need to sit down with an agent unless you want the personal advice that only a licensed agent can provide. Drivers can obtain prices from the web but buy the policy through an agent.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just be sure you’re using apples-to-apples information on every price quote you get. If you are comparing different data it’s not possible to decipher which rate is best in Aspen. Just a small difference in insurance coverages or limits can make a big difference in price. It’s important to know that comparing a large number of companies provides better odds of finding more affordable rates. Not every company does quotes online, so you should also compare rates from those companies as well.
Auto insurance discounts help lower rates
Some insurers don’t always advertise every possible discount very well, so the next list breaks down some of the more common and the harder-to-find ways to save on auto insurance. If you are not receiving all the discounts you deserve, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – When you combine your homeowners and auto insurance and place coverage with the same company you will save up to 20% off your total premium.
- Driver Safety – Successfully completing a course that instructs on driving safety is a good idea and can lower rates and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Save over 55 – Drivers over the age of 55 may receive lower premium rates.
- One Accident Forgiven – This one isn’t a discount, but companies like Geico and Liberty Mutual may permit one accident without the usual rate increase with the catch being you have to be claim-free for a set time period.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Insurance companies who offer life insurance give a break if you buy some life insurance too.
- Active Military Service – Being deployed in the military could mean lower rates.
- Full Payment Discount – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
- Buy New and Save – Insuring a vehicle that is new can be considerably cheaper since new vehicles are generally safer.
- Multiple Vehicles – Purchasing coverage when you have multiple cars on the same auto insurance policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
Keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it’s just not the way it works.
Large auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide are:
- Progressive may offer discounts for multi-vehicle, online quote discount, homeowner, online signing, and multi-policy.
- Geico may include discounts for five-year accident-free, anti-theft, driver training, defensive driver, seat belt use, and military active duty.
- State Farm may have discounts that include multiple autos, multiple policy, defensive driving training, anti-theft, good student, and student away at school.
- Esurance policyholders can earn discounts including homeowner, defensive driver, DriveSense, good driver, multi-policy, and online shopper.
- The Hartford has discounts for anti-theft, air bag, driver training, vehicle fuel type, defensive driver, good student, and bundle.
If you need , ask every prospective company which discounts they offer. Some discounts listed above might not be offered on policies everywhere.
Do I need an insurance agent?
A small number of people just prefer to sit down with an agent and that can be a smart move A good thing about comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find better rates and still buy from a local agent. And providing support for neighborhood agents is still important in Aspen.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is immediately sent to local insurance agents in Aspen who will gladly provide quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to search for an agent because prices are sent immediately to your email address. You can find the lowest rates without a big time investment. If you need to get a comparison quote for a specific company, feel free to search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
Two types of car insurance agents
When researching an insurance agent, it can be helpful to understand the types of agencies and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Aspen are considered either independent or captive.
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
Agents in the independent channel do not work for one specific company and that enables them to quote your coverage through many different auto insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, they can switch companies in-house and that require little work on your part.
If you need lower rates, you definitely need to contact multiple independent agents in order to have the best price comparison. Most also have access to smaller companies that may provide cheaper auto insurance rates.
Below are independent insurance agents in Aspen that may be able to provide price quote information.
- Ross Insurance – 100 S Spring St – Aspen, CO 81611 – (970) 925-2800
- Aspen Agency Insurance – 407 Aabc – Aspen, CO 81611 – (970) 925-7287
- Mark Fowler Insurance – 1235 E Cooper Ave # 8 – Aspen, CO 81611 – (970) 920-2062
Captive Agents
Captive agencies can only place business with one company like State Farm, AAA, Farmers Insurance or Allstate. Captive agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive insurance agents are trained well on what they offer which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Consumers frequently buy from the same agent for years partially due to the prominent brand name and strong financial ratings.
Below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Aspen willing to provide price quotes.
- State Farm Insurance – 715 W Main St # 103 – Aspen, CO 81611 – (970) 925-5134
To help find insurance agents near you, please view this list of insurance agents in Aspen.
Finding the right insurance agent requires you to look at more than just a cheap price quote. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- When do they do a full risk review?
- Is coverage determined by price?
- Do you need full coverage on every vehicle?
- Will the company cover a rental car if your car is getting fixed?
- Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
After getting positive responses to all your questions as well as a price you’re happy with, it’s a good possibility that you have found an insurance agent that meets the requirements to adequately provide auto insurance.
How to know if you need help
When buying proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is unique.
Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether you will benefit from professional help.
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
- Is my business laptop covered if it gets stolen from my vehicle?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form.
Much more information about auto insurance in Colorado can be found on the . Click here for link. Colorado drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read consumer alerts, discover disciplinary actions, and get help finding coverage.
Other informative sites include these car insurance answers and this page where you can research Aspen insurance agents.
Car insurance 101
Knowing the specifics of your policy helps when choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Auto insurance terms can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.
Comprehensive insurance – This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for things such as hitting a bird, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and fire damage. The maximum payout 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 it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Auto liability – This protects you from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see limits of 25/50/25 which stand for a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability coverage pays for things like funeral expenses, medical services, medical expenses, emergency aid and court costs. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as large an amount as possible. Colorado state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/15,000 but you should think about purchasing more coverage.
Collision – This covers damage to your vehicle resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision can pay for claims like sustaining damage from a pot hole, rolling your car, backing into a parked car and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like dental work, hospital visits and EMT expenses. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. They cover both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (25/50/15), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important. Most of the time these coverages are set the same as your liablity limits.
Smart consumers save more
We just covered many ways to lower your auto insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding . Consumers may even find the lowest rates are with a smaller regional carrier.
Consumers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including being labeled a high risk driver, extreme rates for teen drivers, policy cancellation and an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, choosing a new insurance company is not as difficult as it may seem.
Cheaper auto insurance can be found on the web and from local insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies do not provide the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.