How to Get Cheaper Chaffee Auto Insurance

Are you intimidated by the crazy number of auto insurance choices in Chaffee? Many other consumers are too. People have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a big hassle to locate the lowest price.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both well-publicized as well as the least known ways to save on auto insurance.

  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Driving fewer miles can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Homeowners Discount - Owning a home in Chaffee may earn you a small savings because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Discount for Good Grades - A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply until age 25.
  • Memberships - Participating in certain professional organizations could trigger savings when buying auto insurance.
  • Defensive Driver - Successfully completing a course in driver safety could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Auto/Life Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give lower rates if you buy life insurance.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most cut individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, auto insurance companies aren't that generous.

To see a list of insurers offering auto insurance discounts in Chaffee, click this link.

auto insurance in Chaffee

Comprehensive Chaffee Auto Insurance Comparison

There are several ways of comparing rate quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. The best method to find the lowest rates consists of shopping online. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

  • The best way to find the lowest comparison rates is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This form eliminates the need for separate quote forms for each company you want a rate for. Filling out one form will return quotes from many national carriers. This is perfect if you don't have a lot of time.
  • A less efficient way to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, we'll pretend you want to compare rates from , and . To get each rate you have to visit each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.

    To view a list of companies in Chaffee, click here.

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just ensure you are comparing the exact same coverages and limits on every quote you get. If you compare different deductibles it will be impossible to determine which rate is truly the best in Chaffee. Having just a slight variation in coverages may result in a large different in cost. Just remember that getting more free quotes will enable you to find a lower rate.

You have some control over your rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. Understanding what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are a few of the "ingredients" auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

  • High crash test scores lower rates - Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you.
  • Do you know your deductibles? - Physical damage deductibles represent how much money you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be colliding with a building, collision with an animal, and burglary. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your auto insurance will be.
  • Traffic violations increase rates - Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Only having one moving violation can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Careful drivers have lower premiums than bad drivers. Drivers with serious tickets like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to continue driving.
  • Liability coverage protects you - Liability insurance provides coverage if a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
  • Extra coverages can waste money - There are many extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Coverages like roadside assistance, accidental death and term life insurance may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment when you first buy your policy, but if they're wasting money get rid of them and save.
  • Pleasure use saves money - The more miles you rack up on your car in a year the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most insurance companies apply a rate based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Double check that your auto insurance policy is showing how each vehicle is driven.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the companies make the same claim about savings if you switch to their company. How do they all make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that is profitable for them. For example, a profitable customer could possibly be a mature driver, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who don't qualify for the "perfect" profile must pay a higher premium which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save that much. That's the way companies can truthfully advertise the savings. This illustrates why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Do the work, save more money

Cheap auto insurance is available online and also from your neighborhood Chaffee agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

In this article, we presented some good ideas how to compare auto insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a small local company.

When you buy insurance online, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.

Learn more about New York auto insurance

Even more information can be found at the New York Department of Financial Services website. New York consumers can find disaster information, report car insurance fraud, and file complaints about a company.