Smart shoppers know that auto insurance companies don’t want you quoting rates from other companies. Insureds who get comparison quotes once a year are inclined to switch companies because there is a high probability of finding a lower rate. A study discovered that drivers who shopped around every year saved approximately $3,400 over four years as compared to drivers who never shopped around.
If finding the cheapest price on insurance is the reason you’re here, then having an understanding of how to quote prices and compare insurance rates can make it easier for you to save money.
Really, the only way to get low-cost Lexus GS 200t insurance is to compare prices at least once a year from insurance carriers who can sell car insurance in Jacksonville.
First, try to learn about how companies price auto insurance and the things you can change to keep rates low. Many things that cause high rates such as traffic violations, accidents, and an unfavorable credit rating can be amended by making minor changes to your lifestyle. Keep reading for more information to help reduce premium rates and find more discounts that you may not know about.
Second, get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive and direct companies can provide rates from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes from many different companies. Get quotes now
Third, compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy and see if you can save money. If you can save some money and buy the policy, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
Fourth, provide adequate notice to your current company of your intention to cancel your current auto insurance policy and submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to the new company. Once coverage is bound, store the certificate verifying proof of insurance with the vehicle registration.
The most important part of shopping around is to make sure you’re comparing similar deductibles and liability limits on each quote request and and to get price estimates from as many auto insurance providers as possible. Doing this ensures a fair rate comparison and maximum price selection.
You Can Change Your Insurance Prices
Multiple criteria are considered when pricing auto insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, but some are less obvious such as your marital status or your vehicle rating.
- Annual mileage and car insurance rates – The higher the mileage driven in a year the higher your rate. Almost all companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that do not get driven very much receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your insurance declarations sheet is rated on how each vehicle is driven. Having the wrong rating on your GS 200t is throwing money out the window.
- Your spouse saves you money – Having a significant other helps lower the price on your policy. It usually means you are more responsible and insurance companies like that drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
- Your employer and insurance rates – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for insurance? Jobs such as military generals, air traffic controllers, and miners generally pay higher rates than the rest of us attributed to intense work requirements and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, professions such as farmers, engineers and retirees get better rates.
- Fast cars cost more to insure – The make and model of the car you need insurance for makes a big difference in determining your rates. The lowest premiums tend to be for low performance passenger cars, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
- Too many insurance claims will drive premiums up – Auto insurance companies in Florida award the lowest premiums to insureds who are not frequent claim filers. If you file a lot of claims you can pretty much guarantee either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance is intended for claims that pose a financial burden.
- Age of drivers impacts prices – Mature drivers are more responsible, are lower risk to insure, and are safer drivers. Teen drivers are statistically proven to be inattentive behind the wheel so insurance rates are higher.
- Car features that lower premiums – Purchasing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart car theft.
- Companies want multiple policies – Most larger insurers apply discounts to clients who buy several policies from them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount applied, consumers should still compare other Jacksonville GS 200t insurance rates to ensure the best deal.
When comparison shopping, there are several ways to obtain and compare prices from car insurance companies in your area. By far the easiest way to comparison shop is to jump online and get quotes.
Keep in mind that making a lot of price comparisons helps locate more affordable rates. Not every company provides price estimates online, so you should also compare prices from the smaller companies as well.
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide free quotes in Florida. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you compare several of them in order to find the most competitive rates.
Why you need insurance for your Lexus GS 200t
Despite the potentially high cost of Lexus GS 200t insurance, insuring your vehicle may not be optional for several reasons.
First, most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require a specific level of liability insurance coverage if you don’t want to risk a ticket. 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.
Second, if you bought your car with a loan, it’s most likely the lender will require that you have comprehensive coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Lexus at a more expensive rate and force you to reimburse them for the expensive policy.
Third, car insurance protects not only your car but also your financial assets. Insurance will pay for medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. Liability insurance will also pay to defend you if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of buying car insurance outweigh the cost, especially for larger claims. Unknowingly, the average driver is overpaying more than $700 annually so compare quotes from several companies at least once a year to ensure rates are inline.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Some insurers don’t always publicize all possible discounts very clearly, so we took the time to find a few of the more well known and the more hidden discounts that you may qualify for.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you could save nearly 15% which can help you find inexpensive Lexus GS 200t insurance in Jacksonville.
- Home Ownership Discount – Being a homeowner can save a few bucks since home ownership requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Multi-line Discount – Larger insurance companies have lower prices if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Forcing all vehicle occupants to buckle up may be able to save a few bucks on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government could qualify for a slight premium decrease but check with your company.
A little disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Large car insurance companies and the discounts they provide include:
- Farmers Insurance may include discounts for good student, early shopping, alternative fuel, homeowner, and pay in full.
- State Farm has discounts for multiple policy, defensive driving training, good driver, student away at school, safe vehicle, and good student.
- Liberty Mutual may offer discounts for multi-policy, preferred payment discount, newly married, safety features, and hybrid vehicle.
- MetLife discounts include good student, multi-policy, defensive driver, good driver, claim-free, and accident-free.
- Progressive includes discounts for multi-vehicle, online quote discount, good student, online signing, homeowner, and multi-policy.
Before you buy a policy, ask each insurance company to apply every possible discount. Discounts may not be available in Jacksonville.
Get rate quotes but still have a local Jacksonville insurance agent
Many drivers still prefer to talk to an insurance agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is you may find the lowest rates but also keep your business local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents in Jacksonville who will return price quotes to get your business. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to even leave your home as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. Get lower rates without a big time investment. If for some reason you want to compare prices from a specific insurance provider, feel free to search and find their rate quote page to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing the best provider is decision based upon more than just a cheap quote. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- What insurance companies do they work with in Jacksonville?
- How many years of experience in personal auto insurance do they have?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- Will the quote change when the policy is issued?
- How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
If you want to use a good Jacksonville insurance agent, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agencies and how they are distinctly different. Insurance policy providers can either be exclusive agents or independent agents.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents of this type can usually just insure with one company such as Allstate and State Farm. They usually cannot provide other company’s prices so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are usually quite knowledgeable on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Many people buy from the same agent for years primarily because of the brand and strong financial ratings.
Shown below are Jacksonville exclusive agents who may provide you with rate quotes.
- Chris Nickas – State Farm Insurance Agent
9542 Argyle Forest Blvd #12 – Jacksonville, FL 32222 – (904) 854-4700 – View Map - Margie Harner – State Farm Insurance Agent
4540 Southside Blvd #1102 – Jacksonville, FL 32216 – (904) 296-2500 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: James R. Stamper
3450 Dunn Ave Ste 104 – Jacksonville, FL 32218 – (904) 765-2919 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agencies
These type of agents are not employed by any specific company and that gives them the ability to insure with a variety of different insurance companies and find the cheapest insurance rates. If they find a lower price, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part. If you need cheaper insurance rates, you absolutely need to contact independent agents to have the best price comparison. Most independent agents also contract with smaller mutual companies which may provide better rates.
Shown below are independent insurance agencies in Jacksonville that are able to give price quote information.
- Giella Insurance Agency
7855 Argyle Forest Blvd #502 – Jacksonville, FL 32244 – (904) 783-3388 – View Map - Erwin Insurance Agency-Beach
5243 Beach Blvd – Jacksonville, FL 32207 – (904) 391-1003 – View Map - All Lines Insurance Agency
4828 Blanding Blvd Suite 1 – Jacksonville, FL 32210 – (904) 376-7200 – View Map
You may need specialized car insurance coverage
Always keep in mind that when comparing coverage online or from an agent, there is no best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different and your car insurance should be unique as well.
For instance, these questions may help you determine whether or not you could use an agent’s help.
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- Are my company tools covered if they get stolen?
- Should I buy only the required Florida minimum liability coverage?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
- Will filing a claim cost me more?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
More effort can pay off
More affordable car insurance in Jacksonville is definitely available online as well as from insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies may not offer price quotes online and many times these smaller companies sell through independent insurance agencies.
As you restructure your insurance plan, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where an insured dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
We just covered some good ideas how you can reduce Lexus GS 200t insurance rates online in Jacksonville. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower auto insurance rates on certain market segments compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.
More information is available below:
- What does Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Cover? (Allstate)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for 4×4 Vehicles in Jacksonville? (FAQ)
- How Much is Jacksonville Car Insurance for a Jeep Grand Cherokee? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for Unemployed Drivers in Jacksonville? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for Low Credit Scores in Jacksonville? (FAQ)
- How Much are Jacksonville Auto Insurance Quotes for a Chevrolet Traverse? (FAQ)
- Distracted Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Neck Injury FAQ (iihs.org)
- Air Bags: Potential Dangers to Your Children (Insurance Information Institute)