Are you overwhelmed by the dozens of auto insurance companies in your area? Drivers have so many options that it is a big hassle to locate the lowest premium rates. Lots of people think Oakland Park is a great place to live, but budgeting for expensive auto insurance makes it difficult to pay other bills every month.
It’s smart to compare prices before your next renewal due to the fact that insurance prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the best rates a couple years back you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in how to use online quotes to find lower rates on auto insurance.
What determines your policy premium?
Lots of things are used when you quote your car insurance policy. Some factors are common sense like an MVR report, but some are not quite as obvious such as whether you are married or your commute time. A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing some of the things that aid in calculating your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this allows you to make good choices that can earn you cheaper rates.
- Is your vehicle theft-ready? – Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can save you some money. Advanced theft deterrents like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent auto theft.
- Get a ticket, pay higher costs – Just one moving violation may increase your cost substantially. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than bad drivers. Drivers who have dangerous citations like DUI or willful reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
- Maintain auto insurance coverage – Having an insurance coverage lapse is a guaranteed way to bump up your auto insurance costs. Not only will you pay higher rates, not being able to provide proof of insurance can result in a revoked license or a big fine.
- Combine policies and save – The majority of auto insurance companies will give a discount to clients that buy multiple policies. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. The discount can add up to ten or even fifteen percent. Even if you qualify for this discount already, drivers will still want to shop around to help ensure you have the lowest rates. You may still be able to save money by buying insurance from more than one company.
The easiest way to get rate comparisons is to take advantage of the fact most insurance companies participate in online systems to compare rate quotes. All you need to do is provide a small amount of information such as marital status, level of coverage desired, how old drivers are, and if it has an alarm system. Your information gets sent immediately to insurance carriers in your area and they return rate quotes immediately.
To compare multiple company rates now, click here and enter your zip code.
Can you really save that much by switching?
Allstate and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the companies advertise the message that drivers can save some big amount if you move your auto insurance coverage to their company. Is it even possible that every company can give you a better price? It’s all in the numbers.
Different companies have an ideal profile for the type of insured that will be a good risk. For example, a profitable insured might be between the ages of 30 and 45, carries high limits, and drives a safe vehicle. A customer who matches those parameters gets the lowest prices and as a result will probably save a lot of money.
Insureds who don’t qualify for this ideal profile will be charged higher premiums and ends up with the customer not buying. If you listen closely, the ads state “drivers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings.<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-85.jpg" alt="Florida auto insurance“/>
Different companies use different criteria so you should get a wide range of price quotes. It is just not possible to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.
These discounts can cut auto insurance rates
Auto insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but there may be some discounts to reduce the price significantly. A few discounts will automatically apply at quote time, but a few need to be specifically requested in order for you to get them.
- Senior Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 may receive a discount up to 10%.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Taking a course teaching defensive driver skills is a good idea and can lower rates and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and will qualify for a discount on a .
- Active Military Service – Having a family member in the military can result in better prices.
- Good Driver Discounts – Drivers without accidents can pay as much as 50% less as compared to drivers with claims.
- Payment Method – By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
As a footnote on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way.
Insurance companies that possibly offer some of the discounts shown above include:
Before buying, ask each insurance company which discounts you qualify for. All car insurance discounts might not be offered on policies in your state. If you would like to view insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates in Oakland Park, follow this link.
Local Oakland Park car insurance agents
A small number of people just want to go talk to an agent. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get lower rates and still have a local agent. Buying insurance from local agents is especially important in Oakland Park.
Upon completion of this short form, your information is instantly submitted to companies in Oakland Park that can provide and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t even need to contact an agency since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. You can find lower rates and a licensed agent to work with. In the event you want to compare rates from a specific company, don’t hesitate to go to their quote page and fill out their quote form.
Below are Oakland Park car insurance companies that may be able to provide rate quotes.
- South State Insurance – 676 W Prospect Rd, Oakland Park, FL 33309 – (954) 630-0221
- Choice One Insurance – 1891 W Oakland Park Blvd, Oakland Park, FL 33311 – (954) 523-6409
If you prefer to choose from professional licensed agents, view this list of insurance agents in Oakland Park, FL.
Finding the right insurance company is decision based upon more than just a cheap quote. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- When do they do a full risk review?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Oakland Park?
- Will one accident increase rates?
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
More information can be found on the website for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation through this link. Consumers can find a variety of consumer forms, learn about insurance regulations, and get help finding coverage.
In the end, you save
We covered many tips how you can get a better price on auto insurance. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the biggest savings come from the least-expected company.
Budget-conscious auto insurance can be sourced online as well as from independent agents in Oakland Park, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies may not offer internet price quotes and most of the time these regional carriers only sell through independent insurance agencies.
When trying to cut insurance costs, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where an insured dropped collision coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.