Top Ways to Save on Jacksonville Car Insurance

Expensive car insurance can take a big chunk out of your bank account and make it impossible to make ends meet. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to make sure you're not throwing money away. There is such a variety of to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates.

It's important to get comparison quotes quite often due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the lowest rates six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So just ignore everything you know about car insurance because I'm going to teach you the tricks you need to know to save on car insurance.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

  • Marriage brings a discount - Having a spouse can get you a discount when buying car insurance. It usually means you are more mature and it's statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
  • Teen drivers pay high rates - Youthful drivers in Texas are known to be more careless when driving so they pay higher car insurance rates. Adding a youthful driver onto your car insurance can really hurt. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel.
  • Rural vs Urban Areas - Residing in a small town can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. City drivers regularly have much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer drivers means reduced accidents.
  • Do men or women drive better? - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women cause accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are several times more likely to be in an accident and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
  • The more you drive the more you pay - Driving more miles in a year's time the more you will pay for car insurance. The majority of insurers charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Vehicles that are left in the garage qualify for better rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your car insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage.

How to Buy Jacksonville Car Insurance Online

All major car insurance companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive allow you to get insurance quotes directly from their websites. Obtaining pricing doesn't take much effort as you just type in your coverage information into the quote form. After the form is submitted, the system will obtain your driving record and credit report and generates pricing information. Being able to quote online makes it a lot easier to compare rates but the time it takes to visit many different websites and fill out multiple forms can be a bit repetitive. Unfortunately, it is important to compare as many rates as possible in order to find a lower rate.

There is a better way!

The preferred way to locate the lowest prices makes use of a single form that gets price quotes from many companies. It's a real time-saver, requires less work, and makes online quotes much more enjoyable and efficient. Once the form is submitted, it is rated and you can select any one of the resulting price quotes.

If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes and could lower your rates considerably.

In order to find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and enter your vehicle and coverage information. To compare your current rates, we recommend you duplicate deductibles and limits exactly as shown on your declarations page. This makes sure you will have rate quotes for the exact same coverage.

More discounts equal less premium

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but companies offer discounts to reduce the price significantly. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you complete an application, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically before they will apply. If you're not getting every credit you deserve, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Sign Online - Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.
  • College Student - Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
  • Discount for Life Insurance - Some companies give a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
  • Senior Citizens - If you're over the age of 55, you may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
  • Organization Discounts - Being a member of a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on car insurance.

It's important to note that most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you're out of luck. But any discount will bring down your premiums.

To choose companies who offer car insurance discounts in Texas, follow this link.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Consumers in Texas can't ignore all the ads for car insurance savings from companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing that you can save after switching your policy.

How does each company claim to save you money?

Different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured might be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. Any driver who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Consumers who do not match these standards will have to pay higher rates which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is "people who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that kind of money. This is how insurance companies can state the savings.

Because of the profiling, you need to get as many comparisons as possible. You cannot predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

It's not one size fits all

When buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a perfect coverage plan. Everyone's needs are different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine if you would benefit from professional advice.

  • Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
  • Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Jacksonville?
  • Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
  • Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?
  • What are the financial responsibility laws in Texas?
  • Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.

More information can be found on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance through this link. Visitors are able to get help finding coverage, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, view agent and company licensing information, and learn about insurance regulations.

Jacksonville car insurance comparison

And the best car insurance company is...

Lower-priced car insurance can be purchased both online in addition to many Jacksonville insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

As you restructure your insurance plan, it's very important that you do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate.