Do you get exhausted from trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You’re in the same situation as many other Florida drivers. Since you have so many options, it’s difficult to pick a more affordable insurance company.
You should make it a habit to compare rates quite often because car insurance prices are usually higher with each renewal. Just because you had the lowest price a few years ago there may be better deals available now. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re about to find out the fastest way to get good coverage at a lower rate.
Finding affordable coverage in Winter Park is not rocket science. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to save some money using this information. Florida drivers just need to know the tricks to shop for car insurance over the internet.
Reducing your insurance rates is a great way to save money. The only requirement is to take time getting comparison quotes online with multiple companies. You can get a good selection of rate quotes in a couple of different ways.
- One of the simplest ways to find low rates is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This form eliminates the need for repetitive form submissions to each individual car insurance company. Just one form will get you price quotes from multiple companies.
- A less efficient way to find better pricing is spending the time to visit the website for each individual company and repeat the quote process. For sake of this example, let’s assume you need rates from USAA, 21st Century and Progressive. You would have to navigate to each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which can get rather old.
For a list of links to insurance companies in Winter Park, click here.
Whichever way you choose to compare rates, be certain you are entering equivalent information on every quote you get. If you are comparing different values for each quote you will not be able to make an equal comparison in Winter Park.
Car insurance policy discounts you can’t miss
Car insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but there may be some discounts that you may not even know about. Certain reductions will be credited at the time you complete a quote, but occassionally some discounts must be requested specifically prior to receiving the credit.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Insurance companies who offer life insurance give a discounted price on car insurance if you buy some life insurance too.
- Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on in comparison with drivers with a long claim history.
- Use Seat Belts – Requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Driver’s Ed – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to participate in a local driver’s education class as it can save substantially.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates as compared to drivers with claims.
- Telematics Devices – Insureds who allow driving data submission to track when and where they use their vehicle through the use of a telematics system such as Progressive’s Snapshot might get better premium rates if they are good drivers.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying in monthly installments you could save 5% or more.
Keep in mind that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Despite the appearance that you can get free auto insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
A list of car insurance companies and their possible discounts are detailed below.
- 21st Century has discounts for good student, defensive driver, homeowners, theft prevention, and teen driver.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-policy, continuous coverage, homeowner, good student, and multi-vehicle.
- State Farm includes discounts for passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, driver’s education, Drive Safe & Save, multiple autos, and multiple policy.
- Nationwide has savings for Farm Bureau membership, family plan, good student, accident-free, and multi-policy.
- Esurance offers discounts including online shopper, renters, anti-theft, good student, and DriveSense.
- The Hartford offers discounts for anti-theft, air bag, good student, defensive driver, and driver training.
When comparing rates, check with every prospective company which discounts you qualify for. Some discounts might not apply in every state. If you would like to see a list of companies that offer the discounts shown above in Florida, click here to view.
Insurance agents can help
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions could help you determine if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
- Do no-fault laws apply in Florida?
- Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
- Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
- Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.
Do drivers who switch really save?
Florida drivers get pounded daily by advertisements that claim the lowest rates from the likes of Allstate, Geico and Progressive. All the companies say the same thing that drivers will save a bundle if you move to their company.
How does every company charge less that you’re paying now? It’s all in the words they use.
Most companies provide the lowest rates for the type of driver that will add to their bottom line. One example of a desirable insured could possibly be over the age of 45, has no driving citations, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote that meets those criteria will get a cheap rate quote and will probably cut their rates if they switch.
People who don’t meet those standards may receive higher premium rates which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The trick is to say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings. Different companies use different criteria so you really should get price quotes at each policy renewal. It’s just too difficult to predict with any certainty which company will provide the lowest prices.
Car insurance coverages 101
Having a good grasp of your policy helps when choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are the usual coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Auto liability insurance
This protects you from damage or injury you incur to a person or their property that is your fault. It protects you from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see liability limits of 100/300/100 which means a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability insurance covers claims like legal defense fees, emergency aid and attorney fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. Florida requires drivers to carry at least 10,000/20,000/10,000 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.
Collision coverage protection
This coverage pays for damage to your vehicle caused by collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision insurance covers things like crashing into a ditch, driving through your garage door, colliding with a tree, sustaining damage from a pot hole and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.
Coverage for medical payments
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses like ambulance fees, prosthetic devices and pain medications. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many Florida drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (Florida limits are 10/20/10), their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
Comprehensive coverages
This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as fire damage, falling objects, rock chips in glass and damage from getting keyed. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.
One last thing to lower rates
Discount car insurance is attainable online as well as from independent agents in Winter Park, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies may not have price quotes online and usually these regional carriers work with local independent agencies.
As you shop your coverage around, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced full coverage only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. The aim is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford.
More detailed Florida car insurance information can be read at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, find a variety of consumer forms, discover disciplinary actions, and read consumer alerts.