Are you tired of not being able to afford to insure your vehicles every month? Your situation is no different than many other Florida drivers. Insurance companies such as Geico, Progressive and Allstate all promote huge savings with TV and radio ads and it is challenging if not impossible to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and take the time to shop coverage around.
If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you will benefit by learning to get lower rates and still get good coverage. Buying car insurance in Hialeah is easy if you know what you’re doing. Florida drivers only need to know the best way to shop for car insurance over the internet.
Automobile Insurance Quotes in Hialeah, Florida
Most major insurance companies allow you to get insurance quotes on their websites. Getting online rates is fairly straightforward as you simply type in your coverage information into a form. Once entered, the system orders information on your driving record and credit history and generates a price based on many factors. Online price quotes simplifies rate comparisons, but the work required to visit many different websites and complete many quote forms can be a bit repetitive. But it is imperative to do this in order to find the lowest possible prices on car insurance.
The easiest way to locate the lowest prices utilizes a single form that obtains quotes from several different companies. It’s a real time-saver, requires less work, and makes comparison shopping much more enjoyable. After your information is entered, it is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any of the returned quotes.
If a lower price is quoted, it’s easy to complete the application and purchase the new policy. The whole process takes just a few minutes to complete and can result in significant savings.
To save time and find out how much you can save on car insurance, click here to open in a new tab and submit your coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you replicate the limits and deductibles exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you will be getting comparison quotes for exact coverage.
Do you qualify for a discount?
Car insurance can cost a lot, but there are discounts available to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you purchase, but less common discounts must be requested specifically prior to getting the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.
- 55 and Retired – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
- Student in College – Any of your kids who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car can receive lower rates.
- Seat Belts Save – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Federal Government Employee – Employees or retirees of the government may qualify you for a discount with certain companies.
- New Car Discount – Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
- Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Fewer annual miles can qualify you for a substantially lower rate.
- Drivers Education – Have your child successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
Keep in mind that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous. But any discount will cut the cost of coverage.
Why your price might be higher
Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.
The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” that factor into prices.
- Theft deterrents lower rates – Purchasing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
- Safer cars cost less to insure – Cars with high safety ratings get lower rates. These vehicles protect occupants better and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.
- Bad driving skills means higher rates – Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Just one citation may increase your cost by twenty percent. Drivers who have severe citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Being married can save on car insurance – Getting married can actually save you money when buying car insurance. It translates into being more mature and it’s proven that married couples file fewer claims.
- High deductibles save money – Physical damage insurance, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, or theft. Your deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. The more you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
What happened to insurance agents?
A small number of people prefer to sit down with an agent and that is just fine! Agents can point out coverage gaps and help in the event of a claim. The best thing about price shopping on the web is you can get lower rates and still choose a local agent. Supporting small agencies is especially important in Hialeah.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is instantly submitted to companies in Hialeah who will battle for your coverage. You won’t need to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent to your email. Now that’s easy!
Is a captive or independent insurance agency right for you?
When searching for a reliable agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies to choose from. Agents can either be captive or independent. Both insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning the differences because it can impact your agent selection.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you won’t have to switch agencies. When comparison shopping, we recommend you include at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from.
The following are independent agents in Hialeah who may be able to give you price quote information.
Elite Insurance Group – 2851 W 68th St # 10 – Hialeah, FL 33018 – (305) 824-3172
Ashley Insurance Inc – 375 W 29th St – Hialeah, FL 33012 – (305) 888-0999
All-Motors Assurance Agency – 1524 W 49th St – Hialeah, FL 33012 – (305) 362-6830
Captive Agents
Captive agencies can only write with one company such as Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are unable to shop your coverage around so always compare other rates. They are well schooled on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.
Below is a list of captive insurance agencies in Hialeah that are able to give rate quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 15225 NW 77th Ave # 205 – Hialeah, FL 33014 – (305) 822-2424
Allstate Insurance – 4375 W 16th Ave – Hialeah, FL 33012 – (305) 821-8338
For a full directory of Hialeah captive agencies, visit this site.
Selecting an insurance agency needs to be determined by more than just a low price. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Florida?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
Upon getting positive responses to any questions you have and locked in a price quote, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that is a good match to properly service your car insurance policy.
Additional information is available on the website for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation found here. Florida consumers can find out industry alerts, find a variety of consumer forms, learn about insurance regulations, and discover disciplinary actions.
Car insurance ads bend the truth
Florida drivers can’t ignore all the ads for car insurance savings by companies like State Farm and Allstate. All the ads make the same claim that you can save if you change to them.
But how can every company say the same thing?
Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save a lot of money.
Consumers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile will be quoted a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That is how companies can make the claims of big savings.
This emphasizes why you should compare many company’s rates. It’s impossible to know the company that will give you the biggest savings.
One last thing
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of ways to save on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the most savings is with the least-expected company. These smaller insurers can often provide lower rates in certain areas compared to the large companies like Geico and State Farm.
When shopping online for car insurance, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced collision coverage and learned later that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Cost effective car insurance is attainable on the web as well as from independent agents in Hialeah, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies don’t offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.