How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Car Insurance in Silver Springs

I can't think of anyone who looks forward to paying for car insurance, particularly when they are paying too much. Insurance companies such as GEICO and Progressive continually bombard you with advertising and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

It's important to get comparison quotes periodically due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best deal a couple years back you will most likely find a better rate today. So forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because I'm going to teach you the only way to save on car insurance.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise all their discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find car insurance savings. If you aren't receiving every discount you qualify for, you are throwing money away.

Save with a New Car - Insuring a new car is cheaper since new cars are generally safer.
Good Student - Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
Federal Employees - Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% with select insurance companies.
Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
Drivers Ed for Students - Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to complete a driver education course if it's offered in school.

It's important to note that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Every insured's situation is different and a cookie cutter policy won't apply. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you might need an agent's assistance.

Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Should I buy only the required Florida minimum liability coverage?
Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
Should I put collision coverage on all my vehicles?
Should I buy additional glass protection?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It's fast, doesn't cost anything and may give you better protection.

How can Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?

Consumers in Florida get pounded daily by advertisements for cheaper car insurance from companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to say the same thing that you can save after switching your policy.

How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured might be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who are not a match for the requirements will have to pay more money which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can advertise the way they do. Because of the profiling, you should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Additional Florida consumer information

Additional detailed information is available at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. Visitors are able to read enforcement actions against agents and companies, file complaints about a company, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and read industry bulletins.

A tidy conclusion

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price.

We just presented a lot of tips how to reduce car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. Consumers could even find that the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. Regional companies often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as .