Auto Insurance in Centennial – 6 Discounts You May be Forgetting

Perplexed by the wide range of auto insurance choices in Centennial? You have a lot of company. People have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a ton of work to find the lowest price.

It’s important to do rate comparisons occasionally because rates are usually higher with each renewal. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price a year ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to how to quote online to get good coverage at a lower rate.

Do you qualify for these six discounts?

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but a few need to be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.

• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control can avoid accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.
• Discounts for Safe Drivers – Insureds without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% less than less cautious drivers.
• Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to use a seat belt can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
• E-sign – A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy on their website.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way. But all discounts will cut your overall premium however.

For a list of providers with discount auto insurance rates in Centennial, click here.

Won’t my local insurance agent miss me?

A small number of people would rather sit down with an agent and that is a personal choice. The best thing about comparing rates online is you may find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting local insurance agencies is important particularly in Centennial.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, your information is immediately sent to participating agents in Centennial who will battle for your coverage. There is no need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent to your email. You can find the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.

If you prefer to view a list of agents in Centennial to contact, view this link.

Deciding on a company should depend on more than just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:

• Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• How often do they review policy coverages?
• Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
• How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
• Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
• Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
• If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
• If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?

After receiving answers to your satisfaction to all your questions and a low price estimate, most likely you have located an insurance company that will properly insure your vehicles. Just keep in mind once you purchase a policy you can cancel your coverage at any point so never feel you are locked into any particular company for the entire policy term.

Specific coverages

Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers

This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your vehicle.

Since many Colorado drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (Colorado limits are 25/50/15), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Comprehensive auto insurance

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

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as vandalism, hail damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from flooding and damage from getting keyed. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Coverage for medical expenses

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for bills like doctor visits, dental work, nursing services and prosthetic devices. They are often used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Auto collision coverage

Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against claims like hitting a parking meter, crashing into a building, damaging your car on a curb and crashing into a ditch. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Liability coverages

This can cover damage that occurs to other people or property. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Some companies may use a combined limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage pays for things like legal defense fees, funeral expenses and structural damage. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but you should buy as much as you can afford. Colorado state law requires minimum liability limits of 25,000/50,000/15,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.

To learn even more about auto insurance

Much more information about auto insurance in Colorado can be found on the Colorado DORA Division of Insurance website through this link. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, report car insurance fraud, and find a variety of consumer forms.

Also read more on this link for Colorado coverage information and this list of insurance agents in Centennial, CO.

Shop smart and save

As you shop your coverage around, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

Consumers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, delays in paying claims, questionable increases in premium and delays in responding to claim requests. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding a new company is actually quite simple.

We just showed you many ideas to reduce auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with an unexpected company.