Have you had enough of robbing Peter to pay Paul to insure your vehicles every month? Your situation is no different than millions of other consumers. Having so many insurance companies to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to choose the lowest price company.
Consumers should take time to do rate comparisons periodically because rates are variable and change quite frequently. Just because you found the best price on your last policy you can probably find a better price now. Starting now, block out anything you think you know about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the fastest way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.
Finding affordable coverage in Windsor is not that difficult. If you are insured now or need new coverage, you can follow these tips to find the best rates while maximizing coverage. Colorado drivers just need to understand the best way to shop their coverage around online.
Rate influencing factors
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
- Multiple policies with one company can save – Some insurance companies will give a discount to insureds who consolidate policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can add up to 10 percent or more. Even though this discount sounds good, you still need to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal. Drivers may still find a better deal by buying insurance from more than one company.
- More performance means more cost – The performance level of the vehicle you are buying insurance for makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. The cheapest insurance rates are generally reserved for low performance passenger vehicles, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
- Battle of the sexes – The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean men are worse drivers. They both are in accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species tend to have more serious accidents. Men also tend to receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
- Equipment add-ons that lower car insurance rates – Driving a car with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder car theft.
- Your age impacts your rates – Mature drivers tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets. Young drivers are known to be careless and easily distracted in a vehicle and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
- Protect yourself with liability coverage – Liability insurance will protect you when a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
- Poor credit can mean higher rates – Credit rating is a large factor in your rate calculation. Drivers with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with lower credit scores. If your credit rating can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
- More miles equals more premium – Driving more miles in a year’s time the more you will pay for car insurance. Almost all companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Double check that your car insurance coverage properly reflects the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Cut your car insurance rates with discounts
Car insurance companies do not advertise all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the best known as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance. If they aren’t giving you every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.
- Low Mileage – Fewer annual miles could qualify for a substantially lower rate.
- No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents pay much less when compared with drivers who are more careless.
- Paperless Signup – Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up online.
- Multiple Cars – Insuring all your vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.
- Good Students Pay Less – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
- Life Insurance – Some companies give better rates if you take out life insurance from them.
- Early Switch Discount – Some insurance companies reward drivers for switching to them prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Defensive Driver – Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
- Club Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.
- Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more.
It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to the entire cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
For a list of providers who offer car insurance discounts in Windsor, click this link.
Quote online but work with a neighborhood agent
Certain consumers would rather buy from a licensed agent and that is a personal choice. Professional agents can point out coverage gaps and help submit paperwork. The biggest benefit of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain lower rates and still have an agent to talk to.
After completing this quick form, your insurance data gets sent to agents in your area who will give you bids for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy!
Deciding on an insurer should depend on more than just a low price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
To select a specific agent in Windsor, visit this site.
After getting answers to your satisfaction to any questions you have and an acceptable price quote, you have narrowed it down to a company that is a good match to provide car insurance coverage.
Colorado car insurance information
Additional detailed information can be found at the Colorado DORA Division of Insurance website. Colorado consumers can view a list of available companies, view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about a company, and learn about specific coverages.
Other useful links include this link for Colorado coverage information and this page for help finding agents in Windsor, CO.
Cheaper insurance is a realistic goal
The cheapest car insurance can be found on the web and with local Windsor insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. A few companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
As you prepare to switch companies, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. Too many times, an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
We just showed you many ideas to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the best prices are with a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower rates compared to the large companies like State Farm and Allstate.