Price shopping your Cortez auto insurance may be kind of frustrating for people who have little experience buying insurance online. There are so many choices that it can quickly become a chore to find more affordable auto insurance rates.
It is always a good idea to compare premium rates every six months because insurance prices are variable and change quite frequently. If you had the best rates last year there is a good chance you can find better rate quotes now. There is a lot of bad advice regarding auto insurance on the web, but we’re going to give you some good information on how to find affordable auto insurance.
If you have a policy now or need a new policy, you can use these techniques to get lower rates while maintaining coverages. The purpose of this article is to tell you how car insurance quotes work. Colorado drivers just need to understand the proper way to find the lowest price online.
Compare quotes for Cortez auto insurance
Getting a cheaper price on insurance is a fairly straight forward process. All you need to do is take a few minutes comparing price quotes to see which company has . You can get a good selection of rate quotes using a couple different methods.
One of the fastest ways consumers can make multiple comparisons is an all-inclusive rate comparison click here to open form in new window. This style of form keeps you from doing separate quote forms for each company. Filling out one form compares rates from several companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.
A more difficult way to find lower rates is to take the time to go to the website of each company and repeat the quote process. For instance, let’s say you want to compare rates from State Farm, Esurance and Progressive. To find out each rate you need to navigate to each company’s site and enter your policy data, which can get old fast.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Cortez, click here.
Even if you have time, the least recommended way to compare price quotes is to waste gas driving to each insurance agency near you. Comparing rate quotes online makes this process obsolete unless your situation requires the extra assistance that only an agent can give. Drivers can price shop online but purchase the actual policy in an agency.
Compare rates however you want, just do your best to use identical quote information on every quote. If you have different deductibles it will be next to impossible to determine the best price in Cortez.
Are you receiving every discount?
Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise every discount very clearly, so the list below contains a few of the more well known and the more hidden discounts that you can inquire about if you .
- Senior Citizens – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens could receive a slight reduction on a .
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Select companies reward you with better rates if you take out a life policy as well.
- Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver’s ed class in school.
- Resident Student – who are attending college and leave their car at home may be able to be covered for less.
- Claim Free – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims can earn big discounts compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Professional Organizations – Being a member of qualifying clubs or civic groups is a simple method to lower premiums when getting a .
- Switch and Save Discount – Select larger companies give a discount for switching policies early. This can save 10% or more.
- Driving Data Discount – Insureds who allow companies to scrutinize where and when they drive by installing a telematics device such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system may see discounts as long as the data is positive.
Don’t be shocked that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates you could get a free auto insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky.
A few popular companies and their offered discounts are detailed below.
- 21st Century may include discounts for teen driver, 55 and older, student driver, early bird, theft prevention, and good student.
- Progressive has savings for online signing, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for driver’s education, anti-theft, multiple autos, good driver, Drive Safe & Save, accident-free, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- Nationwide policyholders can earn discounts including anti-theft, good student, Farm Bureau membership, accident-free, family plan, and business or organization.
- Esurance includes discounts for Pac-12 alumni, renters, DriveSense, claim free, defensive driver, emergency road assistance, and anti-theft.
- The Hartford may offer discounts for good student, vehicle fuel type, air bag, driver training, and anti-theft.
If you are trying to find , ask each insurance company what discounts are available to you. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be offered on policies in Cortez.
Are car insurance agents a thing of the past?
Certain consumers just prefer to talk to an insurance agent. Good agents can answer important questions and help in the event of a claim. An additional benefit of getting online price quotes is the fact that drivers can get cheap auto insurance rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Once you complete this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area that give free quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You don’t have to contact an agency because prices are sent to your email. In the event you want to get a price quote for a specific company, don’t hesitate to visit that company’s website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Finding the right provider should depend on more than just a low price. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Do they offer rental car reimbursement?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Is there a 24/7 contact number?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
When searching for a local insurance agency, you should know the different types of agencies from which to choose. Auto insurance agencies can be described as either independent (non-captive) or captive. Either can sell auto insurance policies, but we need to point out the differences since it can impact the selection process.
Captive Agencies
Captive insurance agents write business for a single company and examples are State Farm or Allstate. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so always compare other rates. They receive a lot of sales training on the products they sell and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Many people buy from the same agent for years partially due to the brand and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Shown below are captive insurance agents in Cortez that are able to give rate quotes.
- Farm Bureau Insurance – 48 W Main St – Cortez, CO 81321 – (970) 565-4454
Independent Agents
Agents in the independent channel often have affiliation with several companies and that allows them to write policies with any number of different companies and find you cheaper rates. If they quote lower rates, your agent can just switch to a different company and you can keep the same agent. When shopping rates, you definitely need to get quotes from multiple independent agents to get the best comparison. Many can place coverage with small regional insurance companies that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agents in Cortez that can give you rate quotes.
- Nancy Wiltgen Agency – 1213 E Main St – Cortez, CO 81321 – (970) 565-4720
- Martin Insurance – 45 N Harrison St – Cortez, CO 81321 – (970) 565-4593
- Jarvis Insurance Svc – 23 W Main St – Cortez, CO 81321 – (970) 565-7094
- Martin Agency – 12 E Main St – Cortez, CO 81321 – (970) 565-3404
To view more Cortez insurance agents, you can see this list of auto insurance providers in Cortez.
Once you have answers to your satisfaction for all questions you ask in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have found an insurance agent that can be trusted to service your policy.
Five tips to get lower Cortez auto insurance premiums
The best way to find cheaper auto insurance is to take a look at some of the things that are used to determine the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that may reward you with lower premium levels.
The items below are some of the major factors used by companies to determine your rates.
- Low deductibles cost more – Physical damage protection, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of some claims that would be covered could be running into the backend of another car, flood damage, and having your car stolen. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles represent how much money the insured will be required to pay in the event of a claim. The higher the amount the insured is willing to pay, the less money you will pay for auto insurance.
- Tickets and citations cost more than a fine – Being a careful driver influences premium rates substantially. Good drivers pay lower auto insurance prices as compared to those with violations. Having just one ticket may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers who have gotten severe tickets such as DUI or reckless driving might be required by their state to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive a vehicle.
- Buy as much liability insurance as you can afford – Liability coverage will protect you when you are found to be at fault for an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage to attempt to prove you were not liable. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
- Uninterrupted coverage lowers premiums – Driving without insurance coverage in place is a big no-no and you may have a hard time finding new coverage because you let your coverage have a gap. And not only will your rates increase, getting caught without coverage will get you fines and jail time. You could then be forced to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the Colorado motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- Drive a fast vehicle and pay more – The performance of the vehicle you own makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. The lowest rates will generally be found on low performance passenger models, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Beware of misleading auto insurance ads
Colorado consumers can’t ignore all the ads that claim the best car insurance rates by Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm. All the companies tend to make the same promise that people will save if you just switch to them.
Is it even possible that every company can give you a better price? It’s all in the wording.
Insurance companies quote the lowest rates for the type of driver that earns them a profit. An example of this type of insured might be described as between the ages of 30 and 50, has other policies, and has excellent credit. Someone that meets those criteria receives the best premium rates as well as save if they switch.
Potential customers who may not quite match these standards must pay higher rates and this results in the customer not buying. If you listen closely, the ads state “drivers who switch” not “all people who quote” save money. That is how insurance companies can confidently lure you into getting a quote. That is why it’s extremely important to compare often. Because without a comparison, you cannot know which auto insurance company will provide the lowest premium rates.
You can lower your rates
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to lower your auto insurance car insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the lowest car insurance rates come from a small mutual company.
Budget-conscious auto insurance is attainable on the web as well as from insurance agents, so get from both of them to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online quoting and these small, regional companies prefer to sell through independent insurance agents.
Consumers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as questionable increases in premium, being labeled a high risk driver, high rates after DUI convictions or an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new company can be easier than you think.
More tips and info about auto insurance is available at the Colorado DORA Division of Insurance website. Consumers can read consumer alerts, view agent and company licensing information, read state legal mandates and laws, and view a list of available companies.