There isn’t a single person who is fond of buying car insurance, especially when they know their premiums are too high.
Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that over 70% of drivers have remained with the same car insurance company for at least four years, and almost 40% of drivers have never shopped around. With the average car insurance premium being $2,160, Miami drivers can cut their rates by up to 55% a year just by shopping around, but most tend to underestimate how much money they would save if they switched.
Steps to finding more affordable Ford Freestyle insurance in Miami
If you want to save money, the best way to find affordable car insurance rates is to regularly compare quotes from providers who provide car insurance in Miami.
First, learn about car insurance and the things you can change to lower rates. Many factors that result in higher rates such as speeding tickets, accidents and a low credit score can be eliminated by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
Second, quote rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct and exclusive agents can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can provide price quotes for many different companies.
Third, compare the quotes to your current policy premium to see if a cheaper price is available in Miami. If you can save some money and make a switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same amount of coverage on every quote request and and to compare as many auto insurance providers as possible. This helps ensure a fair price comparison and a good representation of prices.
Due to the large number of companies and agents to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to locate the best insurance company.
Cutting your Miami auto insurance rates is pretty simple and can save money. The only requirement is to take time comparing rates from different insurance companies.
Comparing price quotes online is fast and free, and it makes it a waste of time to make phone calls or go to insurance agents’ offices. The fact that you can get quotes online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a complicated situation and need the extra assistance only provided by licensed Miami agents. It is possible with some companies compare online quotes and have a local agent actually service the policy.
The companies in the list below are our best choices to provide free quotes in Florida. To buy cheap auto insurance in Miami, we recommend you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Three reasons to not skimp on insurance
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Ford in Miami, buying insurance is a good idea for several reasons.
- Most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires a minimum amount of liability coverage in order to get the vehicle licensed. 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 have a loan on your Ford Freestyle, more than likely the lender will stipulate that you have physical damage coverage to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Ford at a significantly higher premium and force you to pay the higher premium.
- Insurance preserves not only your Ford Freestyle but also your assets. Insurance will pay for all forms of medical expenses for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your Ford gets damaged, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of insuring your car definitely exceed the cost, especially with large liability claims. On average, a vehicle owner in Miami overpays more than $825 a year so you should quote rates at every renewal to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Insurance policy coverages for a Ford Freestyle
Having a good grasp of your policy aids in choosing which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverages found on most insurance policies.
Coverage for collisions
Collision insurance will pay to fix damage to your Freestyle resulting from a collision with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage pays for claims like scraping a guard rail, damaging your car on a curb, driving through your garage door and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also raise the deductible on your Freestyle in order to get cheaper collision rates.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
This coverage gives you protection when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Ford Freestyle.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (10/20/10), their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Most of the time these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.
Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for expenses for prosthetic devices, chiropractic care, hospital visits, funeral costs and rehabilitation expenses. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible
Liability
Liability insurance protects you from damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 10/20/10 which stand for a $10,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $20,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $10,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Some companies may use one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage pays for things like court costs, loss of income, medical services and repair costs for stationary objects. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Florida state law requires minimum liability limits of 10/20/10 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.
The illustration below shows why buying minimum limits may not provide you with enough coverage.
Comprehensive insurance
Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like damage from flooding, damage from getting keyed, a broken windshield, hail damage and rock chips in glass. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.