What is the importance of doing some comparison shopping for my car insurance here in Florida?

Hailey

Gulf Breeze-Harold, FL

Just like any other thing that you want to purchase, it would be a sensible move to compare auto insurance quotes prior to signing up with a particular auto insurance provider in Florida. The reason behind this is that there could be a huge variation in auto insurance premiums from one insurer to another, and you could actually save a lot of money by making comparisons. So the choice is ultimately yours if you want to waste money by not doing some comparison shopping. But certainly, you wouldn’t like to get on the phone and call up insurance carriers one by one.

Luckily, there are a lot of online websites that would let you do some comparison among auto insurance premiums from a lot of carriers. You may either visit a particular auto insurance carrier’s website or use a comparison quotes sites wherein you would just put in your information once and you would come up with several auto insurance quotes from various carriers. However, there is something that you need to be careful about when you are comparison shopping. One auto insurance carrier may give you the lowest quote that is relatively lower than all other quotes. Don’t immediately choose the cheapest premium and you have to go over the policy and read everything including the fine print.

I’m from Sunrise, Florida and I wanted to ask if it’s true that not everyone gets the same auto insurance premiums? Then what are the factors affecting my car insurance rates? Thanks!

Nguyen

Sunrise, FL

Insurance companies look into a number of different things when deciding what type of insurance rates they should offer you. Some of these variables are based on age and gender groups, where you live and your driving history as well, so not all people get to have the same insurance rate. Here are eight (8) other factors you may be interested to know that can affect how your car insurance rates are computed.

1. Your type of vehicle and its popularity among car thieves.
2. The safety features of your car – whether it came built-in or after-market.
3. Estimated annual vehicle mileage you accumulate.
4. Age of your vehicle and ease of repair or replacement for any damages, pre-existing or otherwise.
5. Number of claims for natural disasters where you’re located.
6. Your car model and manufacturer safety rating.
7. The total actual value of your vehicle
8. The national average for injury liability claims and expenses filed in your area or for your type of vehicle.

How To Balance Things Out
Now that you have a good idea on how your car insurance provider there in Sunrise, Florida determines your auto insurance premiums, you’ll be glad to know that there are as much ways to lower your premiums as there are factors affecting it. Look into getting defensive driving lessons, installing additional safety and security mechanisms in your vehicle and discuss additional discounts for multiple vehicle insurance if you have two or more vehicles you would like to put under the same policy.

I would have to file SR22 with my auto insurance company because of my DUI conviction here in Boca Ciega, Florida. Will my current auto insurance coverage increase rates with a DUI or SR22?

Fynn

Boca Ciega, FL

Normally, you would see an increase in your auto insurance premiums because of having a DUI conviction in Boca Ciega, Florida. Having driven a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol puts you now into a high risk class of motorists.

The actual amount that an insurance premium increase because of having a DUI and/or needing an SR22 coverage would depend upon the company that you are dealing with and their rating system. You could also lose your discounts that you already had previously on the auto insurance policy which helped to lower your rates, such as a safe driver discount.

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and some state insurance regulators give information on the average insurance increase for a DUI conviction. If you need a new auto insurance company to give you coverage after your DUI, feel free to get an online rate quote from this website to check the best option that you have for your auto insurance.