Car Insurance in Longmont – 9 Discounts Drivers are Forgetting

Finding lower rates for Longmont car insurance can seem to be a challenge for beginners to shopping for insurance online. Drivers have so many options that it can quickly become a ton of work to find lower rates in Longmont.

You should take the time to shop coverage around every six months because insurance rates fluctuate regularly. If you had the best price on your last policy there may be better deals available now. Starting right now, forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to learn how to use the internet to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Compare Quotes for Longmont Car Insurance

There are several ways of comparing rate quotes from local in Longmontcar insurance companies. One of the best ways to compare insurance prices consists of shopping online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.

The best way consumers can make multiple comparisons is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This form keeps you from doing separate quotation requests to each individual car insurance company. A single, simple form will return price quotes from multiple low-cost companies. This is by far the quickest method.

A less efficient way to get quotes online is going to each company’s website to complete their respective quote request forms. For examples sake, let’s say you want to compare rates from GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. You would have to spend time on each company’s site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Longmont, click here.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you use the exact same deductibles and coverage limits with each company. If you enter different liability limits it’s impossible to determine the best price in Longmont. Just a small difference in limits can result in a big premium difference. And when comparison shopping, having more price comparisons helps you find the best offered rates.

Discounts are great for lower rates

Companies that sell car insurance do not advertise every discount very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the more common and also the lesser-known car insurance savings.

• Passive Restraint Discount – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings of up to 25% or more.
• Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
• Senior Citizens – Older drivers can possibly qualify for better car insurance rates.
• Claim Free – Claim-free drivers can save substantially as compared to bad drivers.
• Organization Discounts – Being a member of a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.
• Sign Early and Save – A few companies offer discounts for switching policies prior to your current policy expiration. It can save you around 10%.
• Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles can earn a substantially lower rate.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save up to 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
• Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.

Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn’t work that way.

To see a list of insurers with the best car insurance discounts in Longmont, click here.

You may need specialized coverage

When buying coverage, there really is no one size fits all plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

For instance, these questions might point out whether you could use an agent’s help.

• Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• Do I need rental car coverage?
• Are rental cars covered under my policy?
• Do I qualify for additional discounts?
• Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
• Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
• Is Colorado a no-fault state?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form.

More detailed Colorado car insurance information is located at the Colorado DORA Division of Insurance website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and read consumer alerts.

What car insurance coverages do you need?

Understanding the coverages of your policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

This gives you protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (25/50/15 in Colorado), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Collision coverage protection

This coverage covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers things like rolling your car, sideswiping another vehicle and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also raise the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Liability coverages

This provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability insurance covers things such as attorney fees, legal defense fees, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and emergency aid. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible. Colorado requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/15,000 but you should consider buying better liability coverage.

Medical expense coverage

Med pay and PIP coverage pay for immediate expenses for pain medications, ambulance fees and X-ray expenses. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive protection

This coverage will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like hitting a deer, hitting a bird, fire damage, hail damage and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

In conclusion

We just covered a lot of techniques to shop for car insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company.

Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including not issuing a premium refund, lack of trust in their agent, high rates after DUI convictions and even being labeled a high risk driver. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching car insurance companies is actually quite simple.

Discount car insurance can be bought from both online companies and with local Longmont insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.