Getting Cheap Tampa Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, you're not alone.

There is such a variety of to pick from, and although it's nice to be able to choose, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates.

It's important to get comparison quotes every six months since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the lowest price on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate the only way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

Finding affordable coverage in Tampa is not that difficult. If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to cut costs considerably using this information. Although Florida vehicle owners do need to know how companies price online insurance because it can help you find the best coverage.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining auto insurance rates. Knowing what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with big savings.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces that factor into rates.

Marriage brings a discount - Having a wife or husband can actually save you money when buying auto insurance. It usually means you are more responsible and statistics show being married results in fewer claims.
Do you know your deductibles? - Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are collision with another vehicle, vandalism, or theft. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The more the insured has to pay upfront, the less your auto insurance will be.
Clean credit earns discounts - Credit score is a big factor in calculating your auto insurance rates. If your credit is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. Consumers who have good credit tend to be less risk to insure than drivers who have poor credit.
Please use or commuting - The more miles you rack up on your car in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. The majority of insurers price each vehicle's coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Vehicles not used for work or commuting receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your auto insurance policy shows how each vehicle is driven, because improper ratings can cost you money.
Allowing your policy to lapse raises rates - Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse is a fast way to increase your auto insurance rates. Not only will rates go up, but not being able to provide proof of insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.Then you may be required to file a SR-22 with the Florida motor vehicle department.
Your job and insurance rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as judges, architects and financial analysts are shown to have higher average rates due to high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, occupations like actors, engineers and homemakers pay the least.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes in Tampa, Florida

There are several ways to compare auto insurance prices but one way is easier and takes less work. You can spend your afternoon discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in Tampa, or you could use online quoting to get prices fast.

Most of the larger companies participate in a marketplace that allows shoppers to send in one quote, and each company then gives them pricing for coverage. This eliminates the need for quotation requests to each individual auto insurance company. To submit your quote information now, click here to open in new window.

One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is you cannot specify which providers you want pricing from. If you prefer to choose specific insurance companies to compare rates, we put together a list of companies who write auto insurance in Florida. Click here for list of insurance companies in Florida.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you are comparing identical coverage limits and deductibles with every price quote. If you use different liability limits you can't possibly find the best deal in Tampa. Just a small difference in coverages could mean much higher rates. Just remember that having more price comparisons helps you find the best rates.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't necessarily list all their discounts very clearly, so we researched some of the best known and also the lesser-known auto insurance savings.

Sign Online - A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying your policy over the internet.
Multi-car Discount - Buying insurance for more than one vehicle with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
Anti-lock Brake Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and will save you 10% or more.
New Vehicle Savings - Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Use Seat Belts - Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts could save 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
No Claims - Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won't be that lucky.

To choose companies offering auto insurance discounts in Florida, follow this link.

Is there truth in advertising?

Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all seem to say the same thing about savings if you switch your policy. How does each company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as between 25 and 40, has no driving citations, and has great credit. A propective insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save when switching.

Potential customers who don't measure up to these standards will have to pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That's the way companies can truthfully advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Even more information is located at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. Florida drivers can get help finding coverage, report car insurance fraud, find out industry alerts, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.

Other informative sites include this site for Florida auto insurance information and see this list of insurance agents in Tampa.

Affordable insurance is out there

The cheapest auto insurance can be found on the web in addition to many Tampa insurance agents, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. There are still a few companies who do not provide online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, someone sacrificed liability coverage limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at the best price.