Are you sick and tired of not being able to afford to keep your car insured? You have the same problem as the majority of other drivers in Florida. You have multiple insurers to insure vehicles with, and although it’s a good thing to be able to choose, too many choices makes it more difficult to find a good deal.
Most companies such as State Farm, Geico and Progressive provide insurance quotes directly from their websites. Comparing rates online is possible for anyone because you just enter your personal and coverage information as requested by the quote form. When the form is submitted, their system sends out for reports for credit and driving violations and generates a price based on many factors. This streamlines rate comparisons, but the work required to visit many different websites and type in the same information can be a bit repetitive. But it’s absolutely necessary to do this if you want to get the best price on car insurance.
A more efficient way to get multiple rate quotes uses one form that obtains quotes from more than one company. It saves time, eliminates repetitive work, and makes quoting online much more enjoyable. Once the form is submitted, it gets priced with multiple companies and you can pick any or none of the returned quotes.
If a lower price is quoted, you simply finish the application and purchase the new policy. This process takes just a few minutes to complete and you will know how your current rates stack up.
To use this form to compare rates, click here to open in new window and complete the simple form. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you copy your coverages as close as possible to your current policy. This ensures you will have a price comparison for similar insurance coverage.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Car insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but there could be significant discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of quoting, but some must be asked about before you get the savings.
- Theft Deterent – Cars equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and will qualify for a discount on a .
- Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle their seat belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the medical payments premium.
- Smart Student Discounts – A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount until age 25.
- No Claims – Insureds with no claims or accidents have much lower rates in comparison to policyholders that have many claims.
- Renewal Discounts – Some companies give discounts for switching companies early. This can save 10% or more.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Larger car insurance companies have a discounted rate on car insurance if you buy auto and life insurance together.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Maintaining low annual mileage may enable drivers to earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Even though the math looks like all the discounts add up to a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. Any amount of discount will definitely lower the cost of coverage.
A list of companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are outlined below.
- Progressive may include discounts for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, homeowner, online signing, and good student.
- AAA offers discounts including education and occupation, pay-in-full, good driver, multi-policy, anti-theft, good student, and AAA membership discount.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for multi-car, switch companies, early shopping, homeowner, and bundle discounts.
- Geico has discounts for seat belt use, federal employee, defensive driver, anti-theft, emergency military deployment, multi-vehicle, and air bags.
- Esurance policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, Pac-12 alumni, safety device, anti-theft, and multi-car.
- SAFECO may have discounts that include bundle discounts, teen safe driver, anti-lock brakes, multi-car, drive less, and homeowner.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for accident-free, multiple policy, Drive Safe & Save, multiple autos, safe vehicle, and anti-theft.
Double check with each company or agent which discounts you qualify for. All car insurance discounts may not be offered in Lake Worth. If you would like to see a list of insurers who offer free car insurance quotes in Florida, click here.
Are insurance agents used anymore?
A small number of people still like to sit down and talk to an agent. Good agents will help you protect your assets and will help you if you have claims. A good thing about comparing car insurance online is the fact that you can find lower rates but also keep your business local. Buying from small agencies is especially important in Lake Worth.
After filling out this short form, your insurance coverage information is sent to local insurance agents in Lake Worth who can give free rate quotes for your business. There is no reason to contact any agents because prices are sent instantly to you. In the event you want to compare rates from a specific insurance company, you just need to visit that company’s website to submit a rate quote request.
If you would like to find a local Lake Worth insurance agency, there are a couple of different types of agents and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Car insurance agencies are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. Either one can do a good job, but it’s good to learn the difference between them because it can factor into the selection process.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents that elect to be independent are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage with any number of different companies and find the cheapest rate. If prices rise, the agent simply finds a different carrier which is easy for the insured.
If you are trying to find cheaper rates, you absolutely need to get some free quotes from multiple independent agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Shown below is a small list of independent insurance agencies in Lake Worth that may be able to give price quotes.
Celedinas Agency Inc – 1315 N Dixie Hwy – Lake Worth, FL 33460 – (561) 588-7304
Donald Bailin Insurance – 10233 Oak Meadow Ln – Lake Worth, FL 33467 – (561) 966-7742
Byers Agency – 2945 S Congress Ave – Lake Worth, FL 33461 – (561) 964-5533
Fed USA Insurance – 3735 S Military Trl – Lake Worth, FL 33463 – (561) 433-1129
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive agencies can only write with one company like AAA, Allstate, and State Farm. Captives cannot compare rates from other companies so keep that in mind. They are usually well trained in insurance sales and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Lake Worth that can give you price quote information.
Allstate Insurance – 4095 State Road 7 # K – Lake Worth, FL 33467 – (561) 439-4602
To see available insurance agencies near you, see this full listing of car insurance agents in Lake Worth, FL.
Deciding on an auto insurance agent should depend on more than just the quoted price. These are some questions you should get answers to.
- Does the agency have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau?
- How would your car be valued if totalled?
- Does the agent help file claims?
- If independent agents, which companies do they recommend?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in Florida?
What impacts Lake Worth car insurance premiums?
It’s important that you understand the rating factors that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. If you have a feel for what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this enables informed choices that can earn you big savings.
The list below includes some of the items used by insurance companies to determine premiums.
- Small claims can cost you – If you file a lot of claims you can expect much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Insurance companies in Florida give cheaper rates to drivers who are claim-free. Your car insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
- Mature drivers pay less – Older insureds have been proven to be more responsible, file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.Beginning drivers have a tendency to get distracted easily when driving with friends and because of this, their car insurance rates are much higher.
- Rural vs Urban Areas – Being located in a rural area may provide you with better prices when buying car insurance. Fewer drivers means less chance of accidents in addition to lower liability claims Drivers in populated Florida areas have more road rage incidents and more time behind the wheel. More time on the road translates into higher accident risk.
- Alarm systems save money – Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention devices such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms can help prevent car theft.
- Rates increase with driving citations – Whether or not you get tickets influences premium rates substantially. Just one speeding ticket or other violation can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance as compared to those with violations. Drivers who have received severe citations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
- Add-on coverages that may not be needed – There are many additional extra coverages that sound like a good idea at the time on your policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, towing, and motor club memberships may be costing you every month. These may sound like a good investment when buying your policy, but if you have no use for them remove them from your policy.
- Increase coverage deductibles and save – Protection for physical damage, also called ‘full coverage’, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are a windshield shattered by a rock, vandalism, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Your deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket if the claim is covered. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the better rate you will receive.
- Car insurance policy lapses increase rates – Driving with no insurance is not a good idea and companies may charge more for letting your coverage lapse. Not only will rates go up, the inability to provide proof of insurance can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license. Then you may be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Florida motor vehicle department.
Car insurance savings promises
Florida drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings from companies such as State Farm, Geico and Progressive. All the companies make an identical promise that people will save if you change your coverage.
But how can every company make almost identical claims? It’s all in the wording.
Different companies have specific guidelines for the type of customer that will generate a profit. An example of a desirable insured may need to be a mature driver, carries high limits, and does not commute to work. Someone who matches that profile will get a cheap rate quote and have a good chance to save a lot if they switch.
Consumers who do not fit these criteria will probably be forced to pay higher premiums which translates to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay attention, the ads say “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save the amount stated. That is how insurance companies can confidently make it sound like they have such great premium rates.
This really emphasizes why you absolutely need to quotes as often as possible. It’s impossible to know which company will have the best auto insurance rates.
Quote often and quote early
While you’re price shopping online, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where someone dropped full coverage to discover at claim time that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The proper strategy is to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
Low-cost car insurance is definitely available from both online companies and from local agencies, so you should compare both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some car insurance companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies work with local independent agencies.
Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to save on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of getting . You may even discover the best premium rates are with the smaller companies. These companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
Additional car insurance information is available on the website for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation located here. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, get help finding coverage, find disaster information, and read state legal mandates and laws.