Paying for high-priced car insurance can drain your savings account and make it hard to pay other bills. Comparison shopping is a great way to help make ends meet. Drivers have multiple insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s a good thing to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates and find the lowest cost car insurance.
You should take the time to do rate comparisons on a regular basis since insurance rates change quite often. Even if you think you had the lowest rates on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So just forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I’m going to teach you how to use online quotes to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.
North Port Car Insurance Comparisons
Shopping for lower car insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don’t know the most efficient way to do it. You can waste hours talking to agents in North Port, or you could use the web to quickly compare rates.
Most of the larger companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to send in one quote, and every company can give them a price determined by their information. This system prevents you from having to do quote forms to every company.
To access this free quoting program, click to open in new window.
The one downside to using this type of system is buyers cannot specifically choose the providers you want pricing from. If you would rather choose specific insurance companies to receive pricing from, we put together a list of car insurance companies in Florida. View list of Florida insurance companies.
It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you’re using the exact same coverage limits and deductibles with every price quote. If you are comparing mixed coverages you will not be able to determine which rate is truly the best in North Port.
You probably qualify for some discounts
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you can get discounts that you may not know about. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied prior to getting the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
- No Charge for an Accident – Certain companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a set time period.
- Discount for Swiching Early – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current expiration date. The savings is around 10%.
- Military Discounts – Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
- Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Sign Online – A few companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks simply for signing over the internet.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
- Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can help you save on car insurance because owning a home shows financial diligence.
- Good Student – Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. This discount can apply until age 25.
Drivers should understand that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will help reduce your premiums.
To choose providers with the best car insurance discounts in Florida, click here.
Shop online but buy locally
A small number of people just want to talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. Licensed agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. The best thing about getting online price quotes is you can get the best rates but also keep your business local. Supporting small agencies is important particularly in North Port.
Upon completion of this quick form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area who will battle for your business. You don’t have to leave your computer as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox.
Do you need an independent or captive auto insurance agent?
If you’re trying to find local North Port agents, you need to know there are two types of agencies to choose from. North Port agents are either captive or independent (non-captive). While both can write coverage properly, but it’s good to learn how they are different since it can impact the selection process.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company but instead can place your coverage with many different companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparison shopping, it’s recommended you include price quotes from at least one independent agent to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Listed below is a list of independent insurance agencies in North Port who can help you get pricing information.
CYA Insurance Inc – 14375 Tamiami Trl – North Port, FL 34287 – (941) 429-6662
X S Brokers Insurance – 2858 Royal Palm Dr – North Port, FL 34288 – (941) 429-8802
Key Agency Inc – 14942 Tamiami Trl # D – North Port, FL 34287 – (941) 429-9709
Captive Insurance Agents
This type of agents are contracted to one company such as AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance and Allstate. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so always compare other rates. Captive agencies receive extensive training on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage.
The following are North Port captive agents who can help you get price quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 14506 Tamiami Trl – North Port, FL 34287 – (941) 426-0651
Allstate Insurance – 13015 Tamiami Trl – North Port, FL 34287 – (941) 423-1686
To view a complete directory of captive agents in North Port, visit this site.
Deciding on an auto insurance agent should depend on more than just the bottom line cost. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Florida?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
Upon getting positive responses for all questions you ask in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you’ve probably found a car insurance agent that will provide car insurance coverage. Just keep in mind policyholders can terminate coverage at any point so never feel you are locked into any specific agency for any length of time.
Much more information about car insurance in Florida can be read on the website for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation located here. Florida drivers can read state legal mandates and laws, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, discover disciplinary actions, and read industry bulletins.
Car insurance coverage considerations
Knowing the specifics of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find typical coverages offered by car insurance companies.
Collision protection
This covers damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. A deductible applies then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, damaging your car on a curb and backing into a parked car. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Medical payments coverage and PIP
Med pay and PIP coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses for funeral costs, hospital visits and rehabilitation expenses. They are utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage
This coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many Florida drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Florida limits are 10/20/10), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important. Normally these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Liability car insurance
Liability coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other people or property. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.
Liability can pay for claims like legal defense fees, pain and suffering and funeral expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford. Florida requires drivers to carry at least 10,000/20,000/10,000 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims like damage from getting keyed, theft, hitting a bird and fire damage. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Shop smart and save
When you buy insurance online, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The aim is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.
We just showed you many ways to reduce car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from the least-expected company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like Progressive or Geico.