Affordable Quotes for Chevy Colorado Insurance in Fresno

Statistics show that most insurance buyers in California have bought insurance from the same company for four years or more, and almost half have never taken the time to shop around. With the average insurance premium being $1,847, U.S. drivers can cut their rates by 47% a year by just comparing quotes, but they just don’t understand the amount of savings they would get if they switch to a new company.

If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to find cheaper Chevy Colorado insurance in Fresno is to compare quotes once a year from insurance carriers in California. You can shop around by following these steps.

First, try to learn about how insurance works and the things you can control to keep rates low. Many policy risk factors that drive up the price such as speeding tickets, accidents and your credit history can be eliminated by making minor changes in your lifestyle. Keep reading for tips to prevent rate hikes and find hidden discounts.

Second, obtain price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only provide price estimates from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can quote prices for many different companies.

Third, compare the new quotes to your existing coverage to see if cheaper Colorado coverage is available in Fresno. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.

Fourth, notify your company or agent of your intent to cancel your current coverage. Submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application to the new company. Immediately upon receiving it, safely store the certificate verifying proof of insurance along with your vehicle registration.

One key aspect of rate comparisons is to use the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on every price quote and and to get price estimates from as many auto insurance providers as possible. This helps ensure a fair price comparison and the best price selection.

Finding cheaper auto insurance coverage in Fresno is not as difficult as people think. Practically every driver who needs lower cost auto insurance most likely will be able to find lower rates. But California drivers must know how companies market on the web and use it to find better rates.

To get the cheapest Chevrolet Colorado rate quotes, there a variety of ways of comparing price quotes from companies that offer car insurance in California. The recommended way to find competitive Chevy Colorado insurance rates is to get quotes online.

Online shopping is fast and free, and it makes it a waste of time to drive around to insurance agencies in your area. Shopping for car insurance online has made agencies unnecessary unless you require the professional assistance that can only be provided by a licensed insurance agent. If you prefer, some companies allow you to find lower rates online but still have the advice of a local agent.

When price shopping your coverage, quoting more will improve the odds of getting a better price. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide online rate quotes, so it’s necessary to compare price estimates from the smaller companies as well.

The providers in the list below provide free rate quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you visit two to three different companies to get a more complete price comparison.

Insurance rate breakdown

The premium information shown below covers a range of coverage costs for Chevy Colorado models. Having insight into how insurance premiums are established can be useful when making decisions when shopping around.

Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Rates do not factor in your specific Fresno location which can change rates noticeably.

Physical damage deductibles

When comparing insurance rates, the most common question is which deductible level should you buy. The rates shown below lay out the difference in cost when you choose different deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $250 deductible and the second set of rates uses a $1,000 deductible.

Data variables include married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, and multi-policy. Rates do not factor in vehicle location which can decrease or increase premium rates noticeably.

Based on the above data, using a $250 deductible will cost you roughly $28 more each month or $336 each year than quoting the higher $1,000 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $750 more out-of-pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you average at a minimum 27 months between claim filings, you would save money by selecting a higher deductible.

Safe drivers pay less for insurance

The illustration below illustrates how traffic citations and accidents drive up Chevy Colorado yearly insurance costs for each different age group. The prices are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

Chevrolet Colorado insurance rates by gender

The information below illustrates the comparison of Chevy Colorado insurance prices for male and female drivers. The premiums are based on no accidents or driving violations, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied.

How much more does full coverage cost?

The example below illustrates the difference between Chevy Colorado annual premium costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in California. The costs are based on no accidents or driving violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.

When to switch to liability coverage only

There is no clear-cut rule for phasing out physical damage insurance, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is about 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Chevy Colorado claim settlement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $8,000 after you pay the deductible. If you are paying in excess of $800 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

There are some scenarios where dropping full coverage is not in your best interest. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should maintain full coverage.

You may qualify for discounts for Chevy Colorado insurance in Fresno

Some insurance providers don’t always publicize every possible discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known as well as some of the hidden discounts that you can inquire about if you buy Fresno car insurance online.

• Theft Prevention Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems help deter theft and that can save you a little bit as well.
• Smart Student Discounts – This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
• Braking Control Discount – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are much safer to drive so you can save 10 percent or more.
• Air Bag Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings of 25 to 30%.
• No Charge for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but companies like Liberty Mutual, GEICO and Allstate will forgive one accident before they charge you more for coverage so long as you are claim-free for a particular time prior to the accident.

Don’t be shocked that most discounts do not apply the whole policy. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.

The information below illustrates the comparison of Chevy Colorado annual premium costs with and without discounts applied. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no violations or claims, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with claim-free, multi-car, homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, and marriage discounts applied.

Companies and their possible discounts are included below.

• GEICO offers premium reductions for defensive driver, multi-policy, good student, driver training, military active duty, and federal employee.
• Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include multi-car, age of vehicle, accident-free, anti-theft, and good driver.
• Farmers Insurance has discounts for switch companies, business and professional, pay in full, teen driver, and mature driver.
• Auto-Owners Insurance may include discounts for anti-lock brakes, student away at school, paperless, anti-theft, and air bags.
• Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for hybrid vehicle, multi-policy, multi-car, newly retired, preferred payment discount, new vehicle discount, and new graduate.
• SAFECO includes discounts for bundle discounts, homeowner, anti-theft, teen safety rewards, anti-lock brakes, multi-car, and drive less.
• Progressive offers discounts for online quote discount, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, online signing, good student, and multi-policy.
• USAA policyholders can earn discounts including safe driver, annual mileage, vehicle storage, family discount, and multi-vehicle.

Before purchasing a policy, check with each company which discounts you qualify for. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply in Fresno.

Car insurance does more than just protect your car

Despite the potentially high cost of Chevy Colorado insurance, insuring your vehicle may be required for several reasons.

First, almost all states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means state laws require a specific minimum amount of liability protection in order to drive the car. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.

Second, if your Chevy Colorado has a loan, almost every bank will force you to buy full coverage to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may buy a policy for your Chevy at an extremely high rate and force you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.

Third, car insurance protects not only your Chevy but also your financial assets. Insurance will pay for medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also covers legal expenses in the event you are sued. If your Chevy gets damaged, your policy will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.

The benefits of buying enough insurance more than offset the price you pay, especially when you need to use it. But the average American driver overpays more than $855 a year so it’s important to compare rates once a year at a minimum to save money.

When to contact a local insurance agent

Certain consumers would prefer to talk to an insurance agent and that can be a great decision One of the great benefits of comparing rate quotes online is that drivers can save money and get the lowest rates and also buy local. Supporting local agents is important particularly in Fresno.

Upon completion of this short form, your information is sent to participating agents in Fresno who will give you quotes for your coverage. There is no need to drive around since price quotes are sent to you instantly. You can find better rates AND a local agent. If you want to get a comparison quote from one company in particular, you can always go to their quote page and submit a quote form there.

If you are wanting to purchase auto insurance from a reputable insurance agent or broker, it’s important to understand the types of insurance agents to choose from. Auto insurance policy providers can be categorized as either independent agents or exclusive agents.

Independent Agents

Independent agencies are not restricted to one company so they have the ability to put coverage with a variety of different insurance companies and find the cheapest rate. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can just switch to a different company and you stay with the same agent.

When shopping rates, it’s recommended you check rates from several independent insurance agents in order to have the best price comparison.

The following is a short list of independent agents in Fresno that may be able to provide comparison quotes.

More Fresno agents

Exclusive Insurance Agencies

Exclusive agencies generally can only insure with one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. Exclusive agents are unable to provide other company’s prices so keep that in mind. They are usually well trained on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Listed below is a list of exclusive agents in Fresno who can help you get rate quotes.

More Fresno agents

Picking the best insurance agency shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Here are some questions you should ask.

• Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
• Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
• Will your rates increase after a single accident?
• Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
• Where would your vehicle be repaired?
• Do they assist clients in filing claims?
• Do they have designations such as AIC, CPCU, or CIC?