Consumer Tested Strategies for Buying the Cheapest Lakeland Florida Car Insurance

Finding the most affordable Lakeland car insurance online is impossible for consumers not familiar with price shopping online. Because there are so many insurers available, how can you have a chance to compare every one to find the best available rates?

It’s a good idea to compare prices every six months since insurance rates change quite often. Despite the fact that you may have had the best price a few years ago you can probably find a better price now. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the fastest way to find great coverage at a great price.

If you have a policy now or need new coverage, you will benefit by learning to find the best rates while maximizing coverage. Locating affordable coverage in Lakeland is not that difficult. Florida vehicle owners just need to understand how to compare rates over the internet.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you can get discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you quote, but a few must be asked about before they will apply. If you’re not getting every credit available, you are throwing money away.

• Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
• Auto/Life Discount – Select insurance companies reward you with a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
• Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a driver safety course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
• Distant Student – Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
• New Vehicle Savings – Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
• Accident Forgiveness – A handful of insurance companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
• Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
• E-sign – Certain companies will give a small break simply for signing over the internet.
• Seat Belt Usage – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save up to 15% off the personal injury premium cost.

Consumers should know that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck. But any discount will help reduce the cost of coverage.

For a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Florida, click this link.

There’s no such thing as the perfect policy

When it comes to choosing coverage, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s needs are different.

Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine whether you may require specific advice.

• Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
• What can I do if my company denied a claim?
• What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
• What are the financial responsibility laws in Florida?
• How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?
• Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
• Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
• Do no-fault laws apply in Florida?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form. It is quick, free and can help protect your family.

Can you really save that much by switching?

Consumers can’t get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all make an identical promise that you can save if you move your policy.

How does each company make the same claim? It’s all in the numbers.

All companies can use profiling for the driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a driver they prefer might be profiled as a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer who fits that profile receives the best rates and therefore will save a lot of money.

Drivers who don’t qualify for the “perfect” profile will be quoted higher prices which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently make the claims of big savings.

This emphasizes why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More information can be read on the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website found here. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, get help finding coverage, and learn about insurance regulations.

Shop smart and save

People leave their current company for a number of reasons such as extreme rates for teen drivers, poor customer service, an unsatisfactory settlement offer and even delays in responding to claim requests. Regardless of your reason, finding a new car insurance company can be pretty painless.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how you can save on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a small local company.

As you prepare to switch companies, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate.