Purchasing cheap Lafayette car insurance online can be somewhat difficult for consumers new to buying insurance online. With a ridiculous number of insurers available, how can anyone even start to compare them all to find the lowest price?
It’s a good idea to get comparison quotes at least once a year because rates fluctuate regularly. If you had the lowest rates a couple years back there may be better deals available now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding car insurance online, so I’m going to show you some tested techniques to find affordable car insurance.
The purpose of this post is to teach you how car insurance quotes work. If you have car insurance now, you will most likely be able to lower your premiums substantially using these tips. Nevertheless, Colorado car owners can benefit by having an understanding of how insurance companies determine prices and take advantage of how the system works.
Car Insurance Prices in Lafayette
To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways to compare quotes from local in Lafayettecar insurance companies. The quickest method to compare insurance prices is simply to get online rate quotes. This can be accomplished in several different ways.
- The single most time-saving way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This method prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests to each individual car insurance company. Just one form will get you price quotes from all major companies. It’s definitely the quickest method.
- Another way to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to each individual company website to complete a price quote. For sake of this example, let’s assume you want comparison quotes from State Farm, Liberty Mutual and Travelers. To find out each rate you need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Lafayette, click here.
- The hardest way to compare rates to different Lafayette agent offices. Buying insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the professional advice of a licensed agent. Drivers can get the lowest quotes online and get advice from an agent in your area. We’ll cover that shortly.
Whichever method you choose, make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits on every quote. If your comparisons have mixed coverages it’s impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Lafayette. Just a small difference in limits may cause a big price difference. And when price shopping your coverage, quoting more will increase your chances of finding the best rates.
Beware of misleading car insurance ads
Geico, State Farm and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. All the companies make an identical promise about savings if you change your policy. How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.
Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that is profitable for them. A good example of a desirable insured might be profiled as between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. A customer who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and therefore will save when switching.
Potential customers who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be quoted a more expensive rate and ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. This is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the savings.
This emphasizes why you need to get a wide range of price quotes. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Are you getting all your discounts?
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there could be available discounts to cut the cost considerably. A few discounts will automatically apply when you quote, but a few must be specially asked for before being credited.
- Resident Student – Kids in college living away from home attending college and don’t have a car may qualify for this discount.
- Organization Discounts – Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
- Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for a discount up to 10%.
- One Accident Forgiven – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Good Student Discount – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
- Multiple Cars – Buying insurance for all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles with anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.
It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will cut your premiums.
Are insurance agents a thing of the past?
A small number of people just want to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain lower rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from local businesses is especially important in Lafayette.
By using this quick form, your coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents in Lafayette who will battle for your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. It doesn’t get any easier! You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent.
The difference between Lafayette car insurance agents
When finding local Lafayette agents, there are two different types of agents from which to choose. Agents can either be captive or independent.
Independent Agents
Independent agencies do not work for one specific company but rather can write business with many different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you don’t have to find a new agent.
When searching for an agent, you should always get quotes from multiple independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.Many can place coverage with different regional companies which can be an advantage.
The following is a short list of independent insurance agents in Lafayette that are able to give price quote information.
- Affiliated Insurance Brokers – 100 E South Boulder Rd # 101 – Lafayette, CO 80026 – (303) 666-8858
- Advantage Service Insurance – 100 E South Boulder Rd # 101 – Lafayette, CO 80026 – (303) 456-2099
Agency Captives
Captive agents are contracted to one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are not able to shop your coverage around so they have to upsell other benefits. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers frequently buy insurance from these agents mainly due to the prominence of the brand and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
Shown below are Lafayette captive agencies that are able to give price quote information.
- Allstate Insurance – 100 E Chester St – Lafayette, CO 80026 – (303) 666-0747
- Farmers Insurance Group – 2770 Arapahoe Rd # 122 – Lafayette, CO 80026 – (303) 666-9729
- Shelter Insurance – 100 E South Boulder Rd # 103b – Lafayette, CO 80026 – (303) 666-0828
- American Family Insurance – 511 Crossing Dr # 204 – Lafayette, CO 80026 – (303) 460-9906
To view a complete directory of car insurance agents in Lafayette, please view this page.
Choosing an auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Here are some questions to ask:
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
Upon receiving answers to your satisfaction to your questions and a good coverage price, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to adequately provide car insurance.
Much more information about car insurance in Colorado is located on the Colorado DORA Division of Insurance website through this link. Consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, discover disciplinary actions, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.
Other related articles:
- Is Your Lafayette, IN Car Insurance Costing Too Much?
- Buy Lafayette Car Insurance Like a Tightwad
- How to Find a Good Insurance Agency in Lafayette, LA
Online plus local equals savings
The cheapest car insurance can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Lafayette, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who don’t offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When trying to cut insurance costs, never skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.
In this article, we presented many tips how you can save on car insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the lowest priced car insurance comes from a smaller regional carrier.