How to Get Cheap Palmetto Car Insurance

Are you intimidated by the wide range of car insurance companies in Palmetto? Many other consumers are too. Drivers have so many choices that it can turn into a lot of work to find the perfect company for you.

It's important to do rate comparisons every six months because rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the best rates last year you may be paying too much now. There is a lot of bad information regarding car insurance on the internet, so we're going to give you some great ways to slash your car insurance rates.

How to Compare Car Insurance in Palmetto, Florida

Most major insurance companies like State Farm and Allstate allow you to get pricing on their websites. The process is pretty easy as you simply enter the coverages you want into the quote form. Behind the scenes, their rating system will obtain credit information and your driving record and returns a price quote based on these factors.

Quoting online makes comparing rates easy, but the time required to go to several different sites and complete many quote forms is not the best way to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, it is important to perform this step in order to find a lower rate.

A less time-consuming method to lower your rates utilizes a single form that analyzes rates from a lot of companies. It's a real time-saver, eliminates form submissions, and makes online shopping much more enjoyable. After sending your information, it is rated and you can choose any one of the returned quotes. If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. The entire process can be completed in less than 10 minutes and may save quite a bit of money.

If you want to find out how much you're overpaying now, click here and complete the simple form. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you input the insurance coverages as shown on your current policy. This way, you will be getting comparison quotes based on similar coverages.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Palmetto

It's important that you understand the different types of things that go into determining your car insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Listed below are some of the items companies use to determine your rates.

How's your driving record? - Your driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Even one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers who get serious violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
Do you know your deductibles? - Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, damage from fire, and burglary. Deductibles for physical damage are the amount of money you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The more expense you're willing to pay, the less your car insurance will be.
Are you male or female? - Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Both sexes cause accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage. Men also receive more costly citations such as reckless driving. Young males tend to get in the most accidents and thus pay the highest rates.
Your credit rating is important - Your credit score is a huge factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Therefore, if your credit rating is lower than you'd like, you could be paying less to insure your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with poor credit.
Safer cars cost less to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. Safer cars result in less severe injuries and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates.
Lower rates with optional equipment - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart car theft.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies offering auto insurance don't always advertise every available discount very clearly, so the following is a list of some of the more common and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If you're not getting every credit possible, you're just leaving money on the table.

Discount for Good Grades - Getting good grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. The good student discount can last until age 25.
Homeowners Discount - Being a homeowner can help you save on car insurance because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.
No Charge for an Accident - Certain companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates if you are claim-free for a set time period.
Anti-lock Brake System - Vehicles with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Early Signing - Select companies give a discount for switching to them before your current policy expires. This can save 10% or more.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn't work that way.

For a list of providers offering car insurance discounts in Florida, click here to view.

Additional detailed information can be read at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. Consumers can file complaints about a company, report car insurance fraud, and learn about insurance regulations.

In the end, you save

We just showed you some good ideas how you can lower your car insurance rates. The key thing to remember is the more you quote, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. You may even discover the most savings is with a smaller regional carrier.

Affordable car insurance is available from both online companies and with local Palmetto insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best selection. There are still a few companies who do not offer online quoting and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, never reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where someone sacrificed full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.