Tightwads Tips for Saving on Santa Rosa Beach Auto Insurance

Expensive auto insurance can empty your bank account and put a big crunch on your finances. Comparison shopping is free and is an excellent way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket. You have so many to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to have a selection, lots of choices makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to price shop coverage on a regular basis because prices are constantly changing. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Starting now, ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.

Take advantage of discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked for prior to getting the savings. If you're not getting every credit you deserve, you're paying more than you need to.

Sign Online - Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying your policy over the internet.
College Student - Any of your kids who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
Memberships - Participating in a qualifying organization could trigger savings on auto insurance.
Military Discounts - Having a family member in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20% or more.
Drive Less and Save - Fewer annual miles can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.

As a disclaimer on discounts, many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, auto insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down your overall premium however.

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

Which Auto Insurance is Cheapest in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida?

Finding cheaper auto insurance prices can be surprisingly simple. Just take the time comparing rates provided by online insurance companies. This can be done in several different ways.

The best way consumers can make multiple comparisons is to use a rate comparison form (click to open form in new window). This form eliminates the need for separate quotation requests for each company. One form submission will get you rate comparisons from auto insurance companies with the best prices.
A more difficult way to compare rate quotes requires you to visit each individual company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, let's say you want comparison quotes from , and . You would have to visit each site and enter your policy data, and that's why the first method is more popular. To view a list of companies in Santa Rosa Beach, click here.
The hardest way to get comparison rates is driving to local Santa Rosa Beach insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the trained guidance of a licensed agent. Drivers can obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent. We'll cover that shortly.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just ensure you are comparing identical coverage information on every quote you get. If you compare unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best in Santa Rosa Beach.

Learn How to Buy Auto Insurance Cheaper

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with better auto insurance rates.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" that factor into rates.

Being married can save on auto insurance - Having a spouse can get you a discount on your auto insurance policy. It usually means you are more responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Mature drivers pay less - Teen drivers in Florida are known to be more careless when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. If you've ever had to add a youthful driver onto your auto insurance can really hurt. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
Liability coverage protects you - Liability coverage is the protection if ever a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
High crash test scores lower rates - Safer cars tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.
Careful drivers pay lower rates - Just one moving violation may increase your cost forty percent or more. Drivers with clean records tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have flagrant citations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may need to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to keep their license.
Policy add-ons can waste money - There are a ton of add-on coverages that you can buy on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for roadside assistance, towing coverage and membership fees may be wasting your money. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Florida consumers can't get away from ads for car insurance savings from companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim about savings after switching your policy.

How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

Different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and drives newer vehicles. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential customers who don't qualify for these standards will have to pay a higher premium which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully claim big savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must compare as many rates as you can. It's impossible to know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

In the end, you save

Cheap auto insurance can be bought online in addition to many Santa Rosa Beach insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. A few companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

When trying to cut insurance costs, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price.

Additional information can be found on the website for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Click here for link. Florida consumers can get help finding coverage, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, find out which companies have the most complaints, and find disaster information.