I can’t think of anyone who looks forward to paying for car insurance, in particular when they are paying too much. Big-name insurance companies like State Farm, Farmers Insurance, Geico and Allstate constantly bombard you with advertising and it is difficult to see through the deception and find the best price available.
Car Insurance Comparison Rates in Lakeland
Getting better car insurance pricing doesn’t have to be difficult. Just take the time to compare quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be done in a couple of different ways.
- One of the simplest ways consumers can analyze rates would be an industry-wide quote request form (click to open form in new window). This easy form prevents you from having to do separate forms for every car insurance company. Just one form will get you price quotes from car insurance companies with the best prices.
- A less efficient way to compare prices requires visiting the website for each individual company to complete their respective quote request forms. For sake of this example, we’ll pretend you want to compare rates from USAA, 21st Century and Farmers. To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site to input your insurance information, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a handy list of car insurance company links in Lakeland, click here.
- The hardest way of getting rate comparisons is to spend time driving to different Lakeland agent offices. Shopping for car insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the professional guidance of a licensed agent. Drivers can compare online quotes and get advice from an agent in your area and we’ll talk about that later.
Whichever way you use, be sure to compare the exact same deductibles and coverage limits with every price quote. If you enter different deductibles you can’t possibly decipher which rate is best in Lakeland.
Cut your premium with these six discounts
Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be available discounts to help bring down the price. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at quote time, but some may not be applied and must be asked about prior to receiving the credit. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Have your child enroll in driver’s education in school.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
- Life Insurance – Larger companies have lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
- New Car Discount – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being deployed with a military unit could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will bring down your overall premium however.
For a list of companies with discount car insurance rates in Florida, follow this link.
Your personal situation dictates your coverage
When choosing the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions could help you determine whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.
- What can I do if my company denied a claim?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
- Does my personal policy cover me when driving my company car?
- Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
- When would I need rental car insurance?
- What are Florida no-fault laws?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.
Are insurance agents a thing of the past?
Some people just want to get advice from a local agent and that is a personal choice. Insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and help submit paperwork. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain better rates and still choose a local agent. Supporting local agencies is important particularly in Lakeland.
To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your coverage information is sent to agents in your area who will compete for your business. You never need to even leave your home because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier!
If you prefer to select a specific agent in Lakeland, visit this link.
Choosing a company should depend on more than just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Can glass repairs be made at your home?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
After receiving satisfactory answers to your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you’ve probably found an insurer that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-28.jpg" alt="Lakeland Florida car insurance quote”/>
Car insurance coverages explained
Having a good grasp of your car insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverage types found on most car insurance policies.
Insurance for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for short-term medical expenses like EMT expenses, doctor visits, prosthetic devices and surgery. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. They cover you and your occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)
This coverage pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things like damage from flooding, damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a deer, a broken windshield and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.
Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance
This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and damage to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many Florida drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (Florida limits are 10/20/10), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important. Normally the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Collision protection
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision can pay for claims like rolling your car, scraping a guard rail, crashing into a building, colliding with a tree and hitting a mailbox. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.
Liability insurance
This coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people by causing an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show values of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability can pay for claims like court costs, repair costs for stationary objects, legal defense fees and loss of income. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford. Florida requires drivers to carry at least 10,000/20,000/10,000 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
Affordable insurance is out there
When buying insurance coverage, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at an affordable rate.
Budget-conscious car insurance is possible on the web and with local Lakeland insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection. Some insurance providers do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
Additional car insurance information can be found on the website for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation located here. Florida drivers can find out industry alerts, view agent and company licensing information, find a variety of consumer forms, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Additional helpful sites include FindNewCarInsurance.com and this link which helps you find a Lakeland agent.