No car owner enjoys paying for car insurance, in particular when they are paying too much. Online insurance companies like Progressive, Geico and Farmers Insurance increase brand awareness with ad campaigns and it is challenging if not impossible to see past the geckos and flying pigs and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
You need to get comparison quotes periodically because car insurance prices tend to go up over time. If you had the best quotes a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to learn how to use the internet to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.
There are multiple methods to shop for car insurance, but there is one way that is more efficient than others. You can spend your afternoon talking to insurance agencies in Clermont, or you could save time and use online quotes to get prices fast.
The majority of car insurance companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to complete one form, and each company returns a competitive quote based on the submitted data. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for each company you want a rate for.
To enter your information into the quoting system, click to open in new window.
The one disadvantage to using this type of form is you can’t choose the insurers you want pricing from. So if you prefer to choose specific insurance companies to compare, we have a page of companies who write car insurance in Florida. Click to view list.
You can use whichever method you prefer to find lower rates, just do your best to use apples-to-apples coverage data for each comparison quote. If the quotes have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be next to impossible to find the best deal in Clermont. Slightly different coverages could throw off the whole comparison. And when comparison shopping, more quotes increases the change that you will find a better price.
Take policy discounts and save
Some companies don’t always list all available discounts in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below gives a summary of a few of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits that may apply to you.
- Military Rewards – Being on active deployment in the military could mean lower premium rates.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Drivers who insure primary and secondary vehicles with one company qualifies for this discount.
- Theft Deterent Discount – Cars and trucks that have factory anti-theft systems help deter theft so companies will give you a small discount.
- Senior Citizen Discount – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
- Driver’s Ed – Teen drivers should participate in a local driver’s education class if offered at their school.
- Own a Home and Save – Owning your own home or condo can save a few bucks because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
- Telematics Devices – Clermont drivers who agree to allow their company to analyze driving habits by using a small device installed in their vehicle like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm could possibly reduce rates as long as the data is positive.
Consumers should know that some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you aren’t that lucky.
A list of companies and the discounts they provide are shown below.
- Progressive may offer discounts for online quote discount, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, and good student.
- SAFECO offers premium reductions for safe driver, accident prevention training, multi-car, anti-theft, teen safe driver, and drive less.
- American Family offers discounts for accident-free, mySafetyValet, early bird, good driver, bundled insurance, multi-vehicle, and Steer into Savings.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, good driver, accident-free, good student, defensive driver, claim-free
- Geico may include discounts for daytime running lights, multi-policy, good student, air bags, seat belt use, anti-theft, and driver training.
- The Hartford includes discounts for anti-theft, driver training, good student, defensive driver, and bundle.
Double check with each company or agent how many discounts you can get. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be available to policyholders in your state. If you would like to view insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts in Florida, click here.
Which policy gives me the best coverage?
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s needs are different so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions can help discover if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.
- What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Florida?
- Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Florida?
- Will I lose any money if I cancel my policy before it expires?
- Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Does my vehicle qualify for pleasure use?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Florida?
- Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
- What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
Even more information can be found at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. Visitors are able to learn about specific coverages, view a list of available companies, and read industry bulletins.