If you are a novice to online auto insurance shopping, you can be overwhelmed due to the large number of companies offering coverage in Tallahassee.
Auto Insurance Prices in Tallahassee
There are a variety of methods to compare auto insurance prices but one way is more efficient than others. You could spend the better part of a day talking to local insurance agents in Tallahassee, or you can stay home and use online quoting to get pricing more quickly.
All the larger companies participate in a marketplace where insurance shoppers send in one quote, and each company can give them a price determined by their information. This saves time by eliminating form submissions for every auto insurance company.
To submit your quote information now, click here to start a free quote.
The only downside to getting quotes like this is you cannot specify which carriers you want to price. So if you prefer to choose from a list of companies to receive pricing from, we put together a list of auto insurance companies in Florida. Click to view list.
Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you are comparing identical coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you use unequal deductibles or liability limits it’s impossible to make an equal comparison in Tallahassee. Just a small difference in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. And when comparing auto insurance rates, know that comparing a large number of companies will enable you to find a lower rate.
Cut your auto insurance rates with discounts
Companies don’t list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of both the well known and the harder-to-find discounts you could be receiving.
- Own a Home – Simply owning a home can help you save on auto insurance because maintaining a house is proof that your finances are in order.
- Paperless Signup – A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing on their website.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Government Employees – Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount with a few auto insurance companies.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low mileage vehicles could be rewarded with a substantially lower rate.
- Life Insurance – Some companies give a break if you buy life insurance.
- No Claims – Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared with drivers who are more careless.
- Memberships – Belonging to a professional or civic organization is a good way to get lower rates on your policy.
- Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last until age 25.
- Driver Safety – Successfully completing a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.
To see a list of insurers with discount auto insurance rates in Florida, click this link.
What determines how much you pay?
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that come into play when calculating your auto insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels enables informed choices that could result in big savings.
The list below includes some of the items auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.
- Being married is a good thing – Getting married helps lower the price when buying auto insurance. Having a significant other usually means you are more responsible and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.
- More performance means more cost – The type of car you are insuring makes a huge difference in your rates. Low performance passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you are a frequent claim filer, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Insurance companies in Florida award better rates to people who do not file claims often. Car insurance is intended for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
- Your location affects your rates – Living in a small town can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. Lower population means fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Urban drivers tend to have much more traffic to deal with and a longer drive to work. Longer commute distances can result in more accidents.
- Men fork out a little more – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men have accidents in similar percentages, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving.
- Safe vehicles cost less to insure – Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and better occupant protection means less money paid by your insurance company passed on to you as lower rates.
- Special features that cut premiums – Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart auto theft.
Additional detailed information is located at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. Florida consumers can find out industry alerts, find out which companies have the most complaints, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Ads can be misleading
Auto insurance companies such as Geico, State Farm and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. They all seem to make the same claim of big savings after switching to them. How does each company claim to save you money? It’s all in the numbers.
Insurance companies can use profiling for the driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, owns a home, and chooses high deductibles. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.
Potential insureds who are not a match for these standards must pay higher premiums which leads to business going elsewhere. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That’s why companies can truthfully make those claims. This illustrates why it’s extremely important to quote coverage with many companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
A tidy conclusion
Cheap auto insurance is attainable online and also from your neighborhood Tallahassee agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.
We just presented many ways to get a better price on auto insurance. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with a small local company.
Consumers who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as policy cancellation, questionable increases in premium, unfair underwriting practices or an unsatisfactory settlement offer. Whatever your reason, switching auto insurance companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.