The best way we recommend to get budget car insurance rates is to do an annual price comparison from insurers who provide car insurance in Tampa.
Step 1: Read and learn about coverages and the factors you can control to lower rates. Many factors that result in higher rates such as at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and bad credit can be improved by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
Step 2: Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while agents who are independent can provide price quotes from many different companies.
Step 3: Compare the quotes to your current policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save some money and decide to switch, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
Step 4: Tell your current company to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to the new insurer. When you receive it, keep your new proof of insurance paperwork in your vehicle.
A key point to remember is to make sure you’re comparing similar deductibles and liability limits on each price quote and and to get quotes from as many carriers as you can. This ensures the most accurate price comparison and a better comparison of the market.
It’s a fact that insurance companies don’t want you comparing rates. Consumers who rate shop once a year are inclined to switch to a new company because there is a great chance of finding a lower-priced company. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that drivers who compared rates regularly saved as much as $3,450 over four years as compared to drivers who never shopped around.
If saving money on Saturn Astra insurance in Tampa is why you’re reading this, then having some knowledge of how to get price quotes and compare car insurance can help you be more efficient.
All major insurance companies give coverage price quotes direct online. Obtaining pricing for Saturn Astra insurance in Tampa is fairly simple as you simply type in your personal and coverage information into a form. Upon sending the form, the company’s rating system collects your credit score and driving record and provides a quote.
The ability to get online rates for Saturn Astra insurance in Tampa streamlines rate comparisons, and it is important to perform this step if you want to get lower-cost insurance pricing.
If you want to compare pricing, consider comparing rates from the companies shown below. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you input the limits and deductibles as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you are getting an apples-to-apples comparison for similar insurance coverage.
The companies shown below are ready to provide free quotes in Tampa, FL. If you want cheap auto insurance in Tampa, it’s a good idea that you visit several of them to get the cheapest price.
Save with these eight price cutting discounts
Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list every possible discount very well, so the below list has a few of the more well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts that you can inquire about if you buy Tampa car insurance online.
- Discounts for Cautious Drivers – Safe drivers could pay up to 40% less compared to accident prone drivers.
- Full Payment Discount – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
- Passive Restraints – Options like air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts up to 30%.
- Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies will give you a small discount for buying your policy on their website.
- Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit can result in better rates.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Tampa drivers who stay claim-free get the best insurance rates as compared to drivers who are more careless.
- Anti-theft System – Cars equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems are stolen with less frequency and earn discounts up to 10% off your Tampa car insurance quote.
- Smart Student Discounts – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
Policy discounts save money, but some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you won’t be that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will cut your overall bill.
For a list of insurance companies who offer discounts in Tampa, click here to view.
Why do I need car insurance?
Despite the fact that auto insurance is not cheap in Tampa, insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.
- Most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy specific limits of liability protection in order to license the vehicle. In Florida these limits are 10/20/10 which means you must have $10,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $20,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you bought your vehicle with a loan, it’s guaranteed your bank will stipulate that you have full coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Saturn at an extremely high rate and force you to pay for the much more expensive policy.
- Auto insurance preserves not only your Saturn but also your financial assets. Insurance will pay for medical transport and hospital expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. As part of your policy, liability insurance will also pay to defend you if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of having insurance are definitely more than the cost, especially for larger claims. Unknowingly, the average driver is overpaying more than $750 every year so it’s very important to do a rate comparison each time the policy renews to ensure rates are competitive.
Can’t I compare prices from local Tampa insurance agencies?
A lot of people would prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is just fine! One of the great benefits of getting free rate quotes online is the fact that drivers can get cheap rate quotes and still buy from a local agent. And supporting neighborhood insurance agencies is still important in Tampa.
After completing this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is sent to agents in your area that provide free Tampa car insurance quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to find an agent on your own because prices are sent immediately to your email address. You can get cheaper car insurance rates without having to waste a lot of time. If you have a need to compare prices from one company in particular, you just need to search and find their rate quote page and give them your coverage information.
Tampa auto insurance agents are either independent or exclusive
If you are searching for a reputable agency, there are a couple of different agency structures that you can select. Agents are categorized either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Independent Car Insurance Agents
These type of agents are not employed by any specific company and that gives them the ability to insure with lots of companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they find a lower price, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to switch agencies.
When searching for an agent, we recommend you get some free quotes from a couple of independent agencies to have the best price comparison. Most also have access to small mutual carriers which may provide better rates.
Listed below is a partial list of independent agencies in Tampa that can possibly get you rate quotes.
- Colucci Insurance
1441 E Fletcher Ave – Tampa, FL 33612 – (813) 972-1947 – View Map - Adcock-Adcock Insurance Agency
315 W Fletcher Ave – Tampa, FL 33612 – (813) 933-6691 – View Map - Duarte Insurance Agency, Inc.
5512 N Armenia Ave # A – Tampa, FL 33603 – (813) 874-3222 – View Map
Exclusive Car Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive are contracted to one company like Farmers Insurance, Allstate, or State Farm. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so they really need to provide good service. Exclusive insurance agents receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps them sell on service rather than price. A lot of people buy insurance from these agents partially due to the prominent brand name rather than low price.
The following is a short list of exclusive agencies in Tampa that are able to give comparison quotes.
- American Family Agencies
8501 N Florida Ave – Tampa, FL 33604 – (813) 930-0400 – View Map - State Farm: Jeff Ralph
11014 N Dale Mabry Hwy #501 – Tampa, FL 33618 – (813) 969-3331 – View Map - Doug MacDaid – State Farm Insurance Agent
8910 N Dale Mabry Hwy #3 – Tampa, FL 33614 – (813) 935-2937 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agency requires more thought than just a cheap price quote. Below are some questions you should ask.
- Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
Auto insurance 101
Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine appropriate coverage for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.
UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist) coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Since many Florida drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits (10/20/10 in Florida), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Normally these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.
Liability
Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see limits of 10/20/10 which stand for a limit of $10,000 per injured person, a limit of $20,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $10,000 paid for damaged property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.
Liability coverage protects against claims like medical expenses, medical services, legal defense fees, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as much as you can afford. Florida requires minimum liability limits of 10/20/10 but you should consider buying more coverage.
The illustration below demonstrates why minimum state limits may not be enough coverage.
Medical payments and PIP coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for immediate expenses like rehabilitation expenses, prosthetic devices and nursing services. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Comprehensive auto coverage
This will pay to fix damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like damage from getting keyed, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and hitting a bird. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision protection
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage pays for things like scraping a guard rail, driving through your garage door, backing into a parked car and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible on your Astra in order to get cheaper collision rates.