5 Proven Ways to Slash Car Insurance Cost in Clearwater

Are you overwhelmed by the sheer number of car insurance companies in Clearwater? Lot’s of other consumers are too. Drivers have so many choices that it can quickly become a challenge to find better rates.

It’s a great practice to compare prices every six months since insurance rates change frequently. If you had the best price a couple years back you may be paying too much now. So just ignore everything you know about car insurance because it’s time to teach you how to use online quotes to remove unneeded coverages and save money.

If you have car insurance now, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. This article will instruct you on the best way to quote coverages and some tricks to saving. But Florida consumers must comprehend the methods companies use to determine prices and use this information to your advantage.

Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in Clearwater, Florida

Most major insurance companies give prices for coverage on the web. Getting online quotes doesn’t take much effort as you simply type in your coverage preferences as requested by the quote form. Once entered, their rating system pulls your driving and credit reports and generates pricing information based on these factors.

This simplifies rate comparisons, but the process of having to visit many different websites and type in the same information gets old quite quickly. Unfortunately, it is important to have as many quotes as possible in order to get the lowest possible prices on car insurance.

The easiest way to find better car insurance pricing uses one simple form to obtain quotes from several companies at one time. It’s a real time-saver, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes online shopping much simpler. Immediately after submitting the form, it is rated and you can choose any of the quotes that you receive. If the quotes result in lower rates, you simply finish the application and buy the policy. The entire process only takes a few minutes and can result in significant savings.

To get comparison pricing now, simply click here to open in new window and enter your information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you complete the form with the insurance coverages identical to your current policy. Using the same limits helps guarantee you will have rate quotes based on the exact same insurance coverage.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Car insurance providers like Allstate and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all make the same claim about savings if you switch to their company. But how can every company say the same thing? It’s all in the numbers.

All the different companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of customer they prefer to insure. For example, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 40 and 55, owns a home, and has a short commute. Any driver who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who fall outside these standards will have to pay higher premiums which leads to business not being written. The ads state “customers that switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save money. That’s why companies can make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, drivers must get as many comparisons as possible. It’s impossible to know which company will give you the biggest savings.

More discounts equal less premium

Companies don’t always advertise all their discounts very well, so the following is a list of some of the best known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

• Homeowners Discount – Owning a home in Clearwater may trigger a car insurance policy discount because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
• Payment Method – By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles can qualify you for better rates on cars that stay parked.
• One Accident Forgiven – Certain companies permit an accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims prior to the accident.
• Save over 55 – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for better car insurance rates.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
• Early Signing – Select companies give a discount for switching to them before your current expiration date. This can save 10% or more.

A little note about advertised discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way.

For a list of insurance companies with discount car insurance rates in Florida, click here to view.

It’s not one size fits all

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover if you will benefit from professional help.

• Should I buy only the required Florida minimum liability coverage?
• I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
• What are the best liability limits?
• How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?
• Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
• Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
• How much liability coverage do I need in Florida?

If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

More tips and info about car insurance is located at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. Consumers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, read industry bulletins, find disaster information, and learn about insurance regulations.

More quotes mean more savings

Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high prices, lack of trust in their agent or denial of a claim. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new insurance company is not as hard as you think.

We covered a lot of ways to compare car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even discover the lowest rates come from an unexpected company.

When buying insurance coverage, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where someone dropped collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.