How to Quickly Find Auto Insurance in Florida

Because car insurance is mandatory in the state of Florida, it's a definite for everyone who drives and all those in their household of driving age (whether they drive or not, they have to be listed on the policy). Additionally, everyone's experience and record will affect your rates. So how do you go about getting the best rates, in the shortest time with all of these variables?

Gone are the days when you had to pick up the phonebook and dial 3 or 4 insurance agencies to find the right quote for your auto insurance. Whether you already have car insurance or you are seeking car insurance for the first time, the Internet can save you a lot of time and money when you look to buy.

Start by asking yourself one simple question: Do you have a car insurance policy that you will be renewing with the same company? If so, then you'll want to call or visit the website of your current company to get renewal rates. If you don't like what you see, then move on to other companies' offerings. If you don't have a current policy then begin with the first step: preparing before your search.

To get started and save yourself precious time, you'll want to gather pertinent information. Before you search, have your important documents ready:
a) Driver's license or ID card for all members of the household who will be on the policy as well as Social Security Numbers
b) Your automobile's important information such as year/make/model, VIN and extra safety features like airbags, alarms and anti-lock brakes.
c) Driver history for the last 5 years of accidents and citations.
d) Have a current policy? Get your papers in front of you for comparison and possible discounts.

A lot of large insurance companies have aggressive marketing campaigns to drive business to their sites. It may be tempting to try one after the other, but if the company's website doesn't feature a comparison of rates from other auto insurance companies, then you'll be losing time.

The key to saving time on gathering rates is to try a website that compares several companies' rates at one time. You may have heard about Progressive's unique policy of offering several rate quotes to visitors on their site, and this is exactly what you should be looking for. But Progressive is not the only company that offers several rates in comparison. Here are some other sites to note that offer the same information: www.insweb.com, www.insurance.com, www.esurance.com, www.insure.com, www.netquote.com, and www.carinsurance.com.

By typing the information once and letting the site research different company's rates based on the same information, not only is it more accurate, but you'll also save yourself quite a bit of time. The downside is that not every third-party company can be 100% accurate, so you'll want to pick the top 3 results and verify the information with the companies directly to make sure. In addition, if you give hazy information, or are lacking, your rate may change when they check driving records and/or credit scores. All in all, this is your best bet to save time (and probably money) when searching for auto insurance as a resident in Florida.

This method makes a huge difference in the time it takes to get an auto insurance quote in Florida and perhaps anywhere in the country. At this rate, instead of waiting on hold with an agency's representative for 15-30 minutes at a time, three or more times over (as things were even a few years ago), you can cut your auto insurance search down to less than 30 minutes, total. Progressive's website says their search takes about eight minutes average. Similarly, other sites offer about 10-15 minute estimates. What a difference a little innovative searching can make. You can now accomplish your Florida auto insurance quote during a lunch break and still have time left over to eat!