Buying the most affordable Thornton car insurance on the internet is problematic for people who are new to comparing rates online. When there are so many insurance companies available, how can Thornton drivers even start to compare every one to find the lowest rates?
Smart consumers take time to shop coverage around at least once a year due to the fact that insurance rates fluctuate regularly. If you had the best deal a couple years back a different company probably has better rates today. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about car insurance online, so I’m going to show you some guaranteed methods to find affordable car insurance.
Lower rates by qualifying for discounts
Car insurance can cost a lot, but there are discounts available to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you get a quote, but a few must be specially asked for prior to getting the savings.
- No Charge for an Accident – A handful of insurance companies permit an accident before raising your premiums if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
- Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance.
- Save over 55 – Older drivers may be able to get better car insurance rates.
- Drive Safe and Save – Safe drivers may save up to 50% more than drivers with accident claims.
It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.
To see a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in Thornton, follow this link.
Lower your Thornton Car Insurance Rates
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that go into determining car insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.
- How credit affects car insurance rates – A driver’s credit score is a large factor in your rate calculation. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with poor credit. If your credit score is low, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your rating.
- You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in Colorado generally give discounts to people who file claims infrequently. Car insurance is intended for the large, substantial claims.
- Is your vehicle built for speed? – The performance of the vehicle you drive makes a significant difference in how high your rates are. Low performance passenger vehicles generally receive the lowest base rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Safer cars can get you lower premiums. These vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and thus lower rates.
- Drive less and save money – The higher the mileage driven every year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars not used for work or commuting qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.
Misconceptions in car insurance advertisements
Car insurance providers like State Farm, Geico and Progressive consistently run television and radio advertisements. They all make an identical promise that you’ll save big if you change your coverage to them. How can each company make the same claim?
All the different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that makes them money. A good example of a preferred risk could be between 30 and 50, is a homeowner, and has a short commute. A driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.
Drivers who fall outside these standards will be quoted a more expensive rate and ends up with business not being written. The ads say “customers who switch” not “people who quote” save money. That’s the way companies can truthfully make those claims.
This emphasizes why you should compare many company’s rates. It’s just too difficult to predict which company will have the lowest rates.
Much more information about car insurance in Colorado is available on the Colorado DORA Division of Insurance website located here. Colorado consumers can read industry bulletins, view agent and company licensing information, find out industry alerts, and view a list of available companies.
Additional helpful sites include NAIC.org’s Understanding your Policy and this page of Thornton insurance agents.
Smart consumers save more
Budget-conscious car insurance can be bought from both online companies and with local Thornton insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
While you’re price shopping online, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.
Drivers change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as unfair underwriting practices, high rates after DUI convictions, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or questionable increases in premium. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new insurance company is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.