How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Car Insurance in Mary Esther

No one likes having to buy car insurance, particularly when their premiums are too high. Drivers have so many to pick from, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare rates.

It's important to compare prices occasionally due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest price a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because we're going to demonstrate one of the best ways to get good coverage at a lower rate.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies offering auto insurance don't always advertise all their discounts very clearly, so we researched both the well known as well as the least known car insurance savings. If you're not getting every credit you qualify for, you're paying more than you need to.

Accident Forgiveness - Certain companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums as long as you don't have any claims for a certain period of time.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
College Student - Children who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
Discount for Life Insurance - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
Multiple Vehicles - Having multiple vehicles on the same car insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous.

To see a list of companies who offer car insurance discounts in Florida, follow this link.

Automobile Insurance Quotes in Mary Esther, FL

Most companies like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive provide price estimates directly from their websites. Obtaining pricing is quite simple as you just type in your coverage preferences into the quote form. Once you submit the form, the system will obtain credit information and your driving record and returns a price based on these factors. This streamlines rate comparisons, but having to visit many different websites and fill out multiple forms can be a bit repetitive. Unfortunately, it is important to perform this step if you want to find a lower rate.

Quote rates the easy way

The preferred way to get multiple rate quotes makes use of a single form that gets price quotes from several different companies. It's a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes online quotes a little more enjoyable. After your information is entered, it gets priced and you can select any one of the price quotes you receive. If a lower price is quoted, it's easy to complete the application and purchase coverage. The whole process just takes a couple of minutes and you'll know if lower rates are available.

In order to find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and input your coverage information. If you have coverage now, it's recommended that you enter the limits and deductibles identical to your current policy. This makes sure you will have a fair comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that help determine the rates you pay for car insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with better car insurance rates.

Men pay higher rates - Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Men and women cause accidents in similar numbers, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are most likely to cause an accident and therefore have the most expensive car insurance rates.
How many coverages with the same company - Many companies will give a discount to insureds who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you're getting this discount you still need to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money.
Mature drivers pay less - Youthful drivers in Florida are known to be more careless behind the wheel so they pay higher car insurance rates. If you've ever had to add a teen driver onto a policy can really hurt. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel.
Big city or small town - Living in a small town can be a good thing when talking about car insurance. City drivers have much more traffic and longer commute times. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident as well as less vandalism and auto theft.

It's not one size fits all

When choosing the best car insurance coverage for your 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 might point out if you would benefit from professional advice.

Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Florida?
Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
Am I covered by my employer's commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
Should I buy additional glass protection?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don't have a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Consumers in Florida can't get away from ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing about savings after switching your coverage to them.

How does each company claim to save you money?

Different companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For instance, a desirable insured might be a mature driver, owns a home, and has excellent credit. Any driver who fits that profile will get very good rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential customers who do not match these standards will have to pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That is how companies can truthfully make those claims. Because of the profiling, drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. You cannot predict which company will have the lowest rates.

A tidy conclusion

Cheap car insurance can be bought both online as well as from independent agents in Mary Esther, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some companies don't offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

While you're price shopping online, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, an insured cut liability coverage limits only to discover later they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford.

Even more information is located at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, read consumer alerts, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and view agent and company licensing information.

Additional helpful sites include this site for Florida car insurance information and see this list of insurance agents in Mary Esther.