What can I do to lower my auto insurance costs?

Paying your bills can take a big chunk out of you’re checking account, which is why it is so important to take a close look at where you are spending your money. One major category of spending for most households are insurance, and you probably carry many types, including homeowners or renters, health, life, and auto. Today, we would like to help you lower your cost of auto insurance in Colorado.

Increase Your Deductible: One feature of your insurance policy is the deductible, which is the amount you need to pay before your insurance company will cover the rest of the repair bill. Usually, the deductible comes into play only when you are making a comprehensive or collision claim for which you are at least partly at fault. To save money, you should consider increasing the amount of the deductible, which will decrease the amount of your insurance premiums.

Drive Safely: Your insurance rates are tied to your driving record, and infractions tied to your driver’s license can increase your premiums. In addition, making insurance claims can also increase your premiums. The longer you drive safely without any accidents or moving violations, the lower your car insurance bill will be.

Compare Quotes from Different Companies: As your independent agent, we can help you gather auto insurance quotes from many different leading insurance providers in the area. Not all providers charge the same amount for the same policy, and we can do the work of gathering quotes on your behalf. Then all that is left for you to do is to look over the policies and choose the one with the lowest cost. Get an instant quote online or contact us today to get started!

What if the accident takes place in an area other than where the policy was issued?

An auto insurance policy can only be purchased from an insurance company licensed to sell insurance in your state. If you live in Florida, you have to buy a Florida auto insurance policy. If you live in Texas, you have to buy a Texas auto insurance policy.

Even though you have to buy insurance coverage in the state in which you live, your insurance coverage extends to other states or even other countries. If you are involved in an accident while hundreds or thousands of miles away from home, you are protected up to the limits of your policy.

So, when you decide to pack up the car and take an extended road trip from your home in Maine to Minnesota, you are covered in Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and every other state through which you may travel. If you decide to take a swing north through Toronto, you will be covered if you have a crash.

Think how messy it would be if your auto insurance only covered you while you were within the boundaries of your home state. If that was the case, you would have to buy a separate policy for every state you planned to visit or risk driving without coverage. If you happened to live in one state and commute to work in another, it would require a second policy. Give our leaders and legislatures a little credit for allowing auto insurance to travel with you.

While car insurance functions in essentially the same way no matter which state you buy it in, there are some differences based on the insurance requirements in each state. You may be required to carry more liability coverage or the average premium may be higher in one state as compared to another. If you move to another state, you have a limited period of time to take the necessary steps to obtain coverage in your new state.

Does an insurance company have to pay diminished value after repairs on a claim?

If you’re a long-time car owner, you probably realize that the term "pre-accident condition" is a myth, and that the minute your car is in an accident, it’s lost some value, no matter how good the repairs are. With so many companies out there now providing detailed car history reports, you can rest assured that whomever you sell or trade your car in to will know all about any accidents in its past, too. There is sometimes a way to recoup some of that depreciation cost by seeking "diminished value compensation" from the insurance company of the party who caused the accident.

First off, you will almost never qualify for compensation for the decreased value of your car if you are at fault in the accident. Whether an insurance company has to pay you for the decreased value of your car in an accident when someone else is at fault depends greatly on the laws of your state. If your state does allow this type of claim, you will need to contact the insurance company yourself–they will very rarely offer to pay this type of compensation up front without you seeking it. In some cases, you might not get compensation until you seek legal counsel or file a complaint with the insurance commissioner for your state.

Diminished value claims are relatively uncommon at this time, and as such, they are tricky to navigate. It helps to talk to someone who knows your state’s insurance laws backwards and forwards. As your independent agent, we can tell you whether or not it’s worthwhile to make a claim and how you can increase your chance of success, so contact us today!

Accidental Damage Coverage Explained

If you are a Colorado resident who is looking for information about filing a property claim because of accidental damage to your home, you might find it confusing exactly what is covered and what is not. This can become even more difficult to determine if you have foundation damage since not all types of foundation damage will be covered.

Every policy is unique so it is vital that you don’t just do some reading on the Internet and assume it applies to your own policy. Talk to your agent about the exact specifications included in your policy. This article is meant to serve as a general guideline to explain how most insurance policies will handle accidental damage like a foundation damage claim.

An accident that damages your foundation could happen in multiple ways. One such circumstance is floods. Your coverage will typically not include flooding, however it is very common for homeowners to add flood coverage for just a small extra amount each month.

Another circumstance that could cause foundation damage is fire. If your home and home foundation are damaged due to a fire, your homeowner’s insurance will typically cover all the repairs including the foundation repair. The home can’t normally be repaired or rebuilt after a fire if there is a new problem with the foundation, so this is usually the first repair done.

If your foundation is sinking or cracking and the reason is undetermined, it is important that you consult with foundation repair professionals to find out the origin of the issue. There may be something going on that you don’t know about.

If the foundation damage turns out to be present due to an accident, your homeowner’s policy will usually take care of the repair. Don’t gamble on being stuck with no insurance when a disaster happens. Our agents can give you comparative quotes by phone or Internet, free of charge. Contact us today for the free quotes!