Things You Must Know Before Purchasing Sunrise, FL Auto Insurance Online

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Believe me, you’re not the only one.

With so many choices of insurance companies, it can be diffult for consumers to find the best insurer.

Finding affordable coverage in Sunrise is not rocket science. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to reduce your rates substantially using these techniques. Although Florida drivers do need to know how companies sell online and use this information to your advantage.

How to Get Sunrise Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes

To find the best auto insurance prices, there are several ways to compare rate quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. The recommended way to find competitive insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.

The recommended way to find the lowest comparison rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This form eliminates the need for repetitive form entry to each individual auto insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form gets you price quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices.

Another way to obtain and compare quotes online is to take the time to go to each company website and complete a new quote form. For sake of this example, let’s say you want to compare Allstate, Esurance and Progressive. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site and enter your information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.

For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Sunrise, click here.

The most time-consuming way to get comparison rates is driving around to insurance agents’ offices. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the trained guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, find lower rates online and still use a local agent and we’ll touch on that later.

Whichever way you use, compare exactly the same coverage information for each price quote. If the quotes have different deductibles you can’t possibly truly determine the lowest rate in Sunrise. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages can result in a big premium difference. Keep in mind that having more price comparisons will increase your chances of finding the best rates.

Learn How to Lower your Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that go into determining auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Listed below are some of the items used by your company to calculate rates.

• Traffic citations inflate rates – A bad driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Even one ticket can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. If you have serious violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find they need to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
• Do you have enough liability coverage? – Liability insurance is the coverage that protects you in the event that you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
• Are you male or female? – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes are in accidents at about the same rate, but men have costlier accidents. Men also receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are the most expensive to insure and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
• Don’t get talked into coverage you don’t need – There are a lot of extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Things like personal injury protection, accidental death and term life insurance may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.
• More miles equals more premium – The higher the mileage driven each year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies price each vehicle’s coverage based on their usage. Autos left parked in the garage qualify for better rates compared to those used for work or business. Make sure your auto insurance declarations sheet properly reflects the correct usage for each vehicle.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

Companies don’t necessarily list all their discounts very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the more common as well as the least known auto insurance savings.

• Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% since new cars are generally safer.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.
• Multi-policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company you may earn approximately 10% to 15%.
• Accident Waiver – Certain companies will forgive one accident without raising rates if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
• Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay less when compared with drivers who are more careless.
• Organization Discounts – Belonging to a civic or occupational organization may earn a discount when shopping for auto insurance.
• Service Members Pay Less – Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.

When should I talk to an agent?

When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s needs are different so your insurance should reflect that For instance, these questions may help highlight if your situation might need professional guidance.

• Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• How much liability do I need to cover my assets?
• Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
• Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
• Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Florida?
• Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Can’t I compare rates from local Sunrise agents?

Certain consumers just want to buy from a licensed agent and that is just fine! The best thing about comparing rates online is you can get lower rates but also keep your business local.

To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your information gets sent to participating agents in Sunrise who will compete for your coverage. There is no reason to drive around due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. Now that’s easy! You’ll get the best rates and a licensed agent to work with.

Deciding on an provider shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. These are valid questions to ask:

• If you have an accident, will your rates go up?
• How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
• Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
• Do they assist clients in filing claims?
• Are they full-time agents?
• What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
• Are claims handled at the agent’s location?

Compare rates from both independent and captive car insurance agents

When finding a good insurance agency, there are two different types of agents to choose from. Agents are classified as either independent or captive.

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive insurance agents can only write with one company such as State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They usually cannot give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agents are very knowledgeable on the products they sell which can be an advantage.

Listed below is a short list of captive agencies in Sunrise that can give you comparison quotes.

State Farm Insurance – 13790 NW 4th St # 103 – Sunrise, FL 33325 – (954) 846-9333
Allstate Insurance – 4976 NW 88th Ave – Sunrise, FL 33351 – (954) 749-0772

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

These agents are not required to write business for one company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move the coverage in-house and you won’t have to switch agencies.

When comparing rates, it’s recommended you include several independent insurance agents to ensure the widest selection of prices.

The following are Sunrise independent insurance agencies that are able to give price quotes.

State Auto Tag and Insurance – 10059 Sunset Strip – Sunrise, FL 33322 – (954) 572-9422
Wolf Insurance – 10133 NW 24th Pl # 410 – Sunrise, FL 33322 – (954) 748-7787
Southern Agency Inc – 4980 NW 88th Ave – Sunrise, FL 33351 – (954) 749-1706

To view a full list of Sunrise insurance agents, view this link.

Once you have acceptable answers to your questions and an acceptable price quote, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that will service your policy.

One last thing about your coverage

We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to reduce auto insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best price on auto insurance is with a small local company. Smaller companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

When you buy insurance online, it’s not a good idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. Too many times, an insured cut liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

More tips and info about auto insurance can be found at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. Florida consumers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, learn about insurance regulations, and find a variety of consumer forms.

Additional helpful sites include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this page on QuoteClickInsure.com.