Best Insurance for a GMC Sierra 3500HD in Colorado Springs

If you want to save money, the best way to get more affordable GMC Sierra 3500HD insurance is to do an annual price comparison from insurers who sell insurance in Colorado Springs. You can shop around by completing these steps.

• Step 1: Get a basic knowledge of how auto insurance works and the measures you can take to prevent expensive coverage. Many factors that cause high rates like traffic tickets, fender benders, and a lousy credit rating can be remedied by paying attention to minor details.
• Step 2: Compare price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agents can provide prices from many different companies. Compare rates
• Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing rates to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save some money and decide to switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
• Step 4: Notify your agent or company of your decision to cancel the current policy. Submit the completed application along with a down payment to the new insurer. When you receive it, safely store the certificate verifying coverage above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.

The most important part of this process is that you’ll want to compare the same level of coverage on each price quote and to quote with every company you can. This ensures an accurate price comparison and the best price selection.

It’s shocking but over 70% of consumers kept their policy with the same company for a minimum of four years, and nearly the majority have never compared rate quotes at all. Most drivers in Colorado could save themselves $605 a year by just shopping around, but they just feel it’s too hard to compare rates online.

If you have a policy now, you will surely be able to get lower rates using the concepts you’re about to learn. Quoting affordable car insurance in Colorado Springs is simple if you know the tricks. But Colorado drivers should learn how the larger insurance companies market insurance on the web because rates are impacted by many factors.

Cheaper GMC Sierra 3500HD insurance quotes in Colorado Springs

Some insurance providers don’t always list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the below list has a few of the more well known and the harder-to-find discounts that may be available.

• Safety Course Discount – Taking time to complete a class that teaches driver safety techniques could save 5% or more and make you a better driver.
• Organization Discounts – Joining a civic or occupational organization in Colorado Springs could qualify you for a break when getting a Colorado Springs auto insurance quote.
• Responsible Driver Discount – Drivers without accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
• No Charge for an Accident – This one is not really a discount per se, but a handful of insurance companies allow you one accident without the usual rate increase so long as you are claim-free prior to the accident.
• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Military Discounts – Being on active deployment in the military can result in better auto insurance rates.
• Discount for Passive Restraints – Options like air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings up to 30%.
• Good Student Discount – Excelling in school can earn a discount of 20% or more. The discount lasts up until you turn 25.
• Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles on your GMC could earn slightly better premium rates than normal.
• Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for several vehicles on one policy can get a discount for every vehicle.

Discounts lower rates, but most credits do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

The chart below shows the difference between GMC Sierra 3500HD annual premium costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The premiums assume a male driver, a clean driving record, no claims, Colorado state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, homeowner, marriage, claim-free, multi-car, and safe-driver discounts applied.

A list of companies and some of their more popular discounts are shown below.

• Progressive may include discounts for online quote discount, good student, multi-policy, continuous coverage, and multi-vehicle.
• The Hartford has discounts for anti-theft, bundle, driver training, vehicle fuel type, good student, and air bag.
• Mercury Insurance offers discounts including good student, professional/association, low natural disaster claims, multi-car, multi-policy, and good driver.
• GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including emergency military deployment, federal employee, seat belt use, anti-theft, and multi-policy.
• AAA offers premium reductions for good student, anti-theft, pay-in-full, multi-policy, AAA membership discount, education and occupation, and multi-car.
• State Farm offers discounts for good driver, safe vehicle, anti-theft, accident-free, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple policy, and driver’s education.

Before buying, ask all companies you are considering which discounts you qualify for. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not be offered on policies everywhere. If you would like to choose from a list of auto insurance companies that offer discounts in Colorado, click here to view.

Most of the larger companies allow you to get prices for coverage direct online. Getting quotes for GMC Sierra 3500HD insurance in Colorado Springs doesn’t take much effort because it’s just a matter of typing in your coverage preferences as requested by the quote form. Once entered, their quoting system automatically retrieves reports for credit and driving violations and quotes a price.

Quoting online for GMC Sierra 3500HD insurance in Colorado Springs streamlines rate comparisons, and it’s very important to perform this step in order to find lower-cost rates.

If you want to find out if lower rates are available, compare rates now from the companies shown below. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you enter the limits and deductibles just like they are on your policy. Doing this guarantees you’re receiving an apples-to-apples comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

The following companies can provide quotes in Colorado Springs, CO. To locate cheaper auto insurance in Colorado, we suggest you click on several of them to get a more complete price comparison.

Insurance coverage details

The table displayed below showcases different policy rates for GMC Sierra 3500HD models. Having a better understanding of how car insurance prices are established can be of help when making smart choices when selecting a policy.

Data based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Colorado minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Prices do not factor in specific zip code location which can change auto insurance rates greatly.

Deductible analysis

One of the most common insurance questions is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The tables below illustrate the costs and benefits of buying low and high comp and collision deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $250 deductible and the second pricing table uses a $500 deductible.

Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Colorado minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can modify insurance rates substantially.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $250 deductible costs about $17 more each month or $204 each year across all GMC Sierra 3500HD models than opting for the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $250 more out of your own pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you usually have at least 15 months between claim filings, you would probably save some money if you choose a higher deductible.

The diagram below demonstrates how deductibles and can affect GMC Sierra 3500HD insurance premiums for different insured age categories. Data assumes a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Price comparison of only insuring for liability

The information below shows the comparison of GMC Sierra 3500HD annual premium costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in Colorado. The premium estimates are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Should you buy full coverage or liability only?

There is no exact rule to delete comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than about 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.

For example, let’s assume your GMC Sierra 3500HD settlement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $7,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $700 a year to have full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.

There are some situations where eliminating full coverage is not recommended. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should keep full coverage.

What is the best insurance coverage?

Always remember that when buying a policy for your vehicles, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply.
For example, these questions might help in determining whether or not you may require specific advice.

• If my car is totaled with they pay enough to replace it?
• When can I cancel my policy?
• Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
• Do I need higher collision deductibles?
• Is my GMC Sierra 3500HD covered for smoke damage?
• Why do I only qualify for high-risk insurance?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

When to talk to an agent

A lot of people still prefer to visit with an insurance agent. One of the benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find cheap auto insurance rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from and supporting neighborhood insurance agencies is important especially in Colorado Springs.

Upon completion of this short form, the quote information is immediately sent to local insurance agents in Colorado Springs who will return price quotes for your business. It makes it easy because there is no need to leave your house due to the fact that quote results will go to you instantly. Get lower rates AND a local agent. If you need to compare rates from one company in particular, just navigate to their website and give them your coverage information.

If you’re trying to find a reputable insurance agent or broker, you should know the types of agencies that you can select. Auto insurance agencies are either exclusive agents or independent agents.

Independent Auto Insurance Agents

Agents that choose to be independent are not locked into one company so they can quote policies with a variety of different insurance companies and find you the best rates. If your agent finds better pricing, your policy is moved internally and that require little work on your part.

When shopping rates, it’s a good idea to check rates from a few independent agents to have the most options to choose from. Most independent agents also contract with smaller regional carriers which may have better rates.

The following are Colorado Springs independent insurance agents that can give you rate quotes.

• Solid Rock Insurance Agency
  2850 Serendipity Cir W #230 – Colorado Springs, CO 80917 – (719) 574-0082 – View Map
• Insurance Stops
  2105 E Bijou St A – Colorado Springs, CO 80909 – (719) 636-3369 – View Map
• A Better Choice Auto Insurance
  1863 N Circle Dr – Colorado Springs, CO 80909 – (719) 667-1301 – View Map

More Colorado Springs agents

Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents

These agents can only write with one company and some examples include Farmers Insurance, State Farm, Allstate, and AAA. Exclusive agencies are unable to compare other company’s rates so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive agents are well schooled on sales techniques and that allows them to sell at a higher price point. Drivers often use the same agent mainly due to the brand name rather than low rates.

Shown below is a short list of exclusive agents in Colorado Springs who can help you get price quotes.

• American Family Insurance – Jim Whitlock Agency LLC
  8540 Scarborough Dr Ste 220 – Colorado Springs, CO 80920 – (719) 591-6336 – View Map
• Bob Hawkins – State Farm Insurance Agent
  5490 Powers Center Point #132 – Colorado Springs, CO 80920 – (719) 418-3377 – View Map
• Brandon Kolk – State Farm Insurance Agent
  12229 Voyager Pkwy Ste 100 – Colorado Springs, CO 80921 – (719) 599-3600 – View Map

More Colorado Springs agents

Finding the right insurance agent should depend on more than just the price. The questions below may impact your decision as well.

• Can they help ensure a fair claim settlement?
• How does the company pay claims for a total loss?
• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
• Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
• Are all drivers listed on the coverage quote?

Once you have received good responses to any questions you have and an affordable coverage quote, it’s a good possibility that you have found a car insurance agent that meets your needs to insure your vehicles. But keep in mind you can terminate your policy whenever you want so don’t feel you are locked into a policy with no way to switch.

The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest

Cost effective GMC Sierra 3500HD insurance is definitely available online and from local insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies don’t offer the ability to get quotes online and these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.

While you’re price shopping online, make sure you don’t skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your objective should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

More resources

• Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for Government Employees in Colorado Springs? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Colorado Springs Auto Insurance for 17 Year Olds? (FAQ)
• Electronic Stability Control FAQ (iihs.org)
• Distracted Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)