Sadly, most Florida auto insurance customers have remained with the same auto insurance company for four years or more, and approximately 38% of consumers have never even shopped around for cheaper coverage. American insurance shoppers could save nearly $860 a year, but they won’t spend time to find cheaper auto insurance rates.
It takes a little time, but the best way to get low-cost auto insurance rates is to start doing a yearly price comparison from different companies in Jacksonville.
- First, try to understand coverages and the things you can change to keep rates in check. Many policy risk factors that cause rate increases like accidents, traffic violations, and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be rectified by paying attention to minor details.
- Second, request price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes for a wide range of companies. Start a quote
- Third, compare the new rate quotes to your current policy premium to determine if switching companies saves money. If you can save some money and decide to switch, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Fourth, provide proper notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit a signed application and payment to the new company. Once the application is submitted, put the certificate verifying proof of insurance with your registration paperwork.
The critical component of shopping around is to compare the same amount of coverage on each quote and and to get quotes from as many different insurance providers as possible. This provides a fair rate comparison and a thorough price selection.
When comparison shopping, having more price comparisons will increase your chances of finding a lower rate than you’re paying now. Some companies don’t provide price estimates online, so it’s recommended that you also compare price estimates from them, too.
The companies shown below offer free quotes in Jacksonville, FL. If multiple companies are shown, it’s highly recommended you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Insurance data for a Ford Explorer Sport Trac
The rate information shown next outlines different insurance prices for Ford Explorer Sport Trac models. Learning more about how auto insurance premiums are established is important for making decisions on which coverage to buy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Sport Trac XLT 2WD | $312 | $532 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,410 | $118 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited 2WD | $358 | $532 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,456 | $121 |
| Explorer Sport Trac XLT 4WD | $358 | $532 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,456 | $121 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited 4WD | $406 | $648 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,620 | $135 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited AWD | $406 | $648 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,620 | $135 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and Florida minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, and homeowner. Price estimates do not factor in zip code location which can influence coverage rates significantly.
Insurance deductibles
When buying insurance, a common question is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The following tables may aid in understanding the difference in cost of buying low and high comp and collision deductibles. The first rate estimation uses a $100 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second price table uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Sport Trac XLT 2WD | $312 | $532 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,435 | $120 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited 2WD | $358 | $532 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,481 | $123 |
| Explorer Sport Trac XLT 4WD | $358 | $532 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,481 | $123 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited 4WD | $406 | $648 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,645 | $137 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited AWD | $406 | $648 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,645 | $137 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Sport Trac XLT 2WD | $174 | $280 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,020 | $85 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited 2WD | $200 | $280 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,046 | $87 |
| Explorer Sport Trac XLT 4WD | $200 | $280 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,046 | $87 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited 4WD | $224 | $342 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,132 | $94 |
| Explorer Sport Trac Limited AWD | $224 | $342 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,132 | $94 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Florida minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Rates do not factor in Jacksonville location which can revise prices noticeably.
Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $100 deductible costs roughly $39 more each month or $468 for a full year than buying the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $900 more if you turn in a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go at least 23 months between claim filings, you would probably be better off if you choose the higher deductible. The table below illustrates an example of how you can do this calculation yourself.
| Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $128 |
| Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $89 |
| Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $39 |
| Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $100): | $900 |
| Divide difference by monthly savings: | $900 / $39 |
| Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 23 months |
One important note is that a higher deductible level means you will have to pay more when you have to file a claim. It will be required that you have some available funds in the event you need to pay the higher deductible.
Poor driving habits will raise your insurance rates
The illustration below illustrates how violations and at-fault fender-benders influence Ford Explorer Sport Trac annual premium costs for different ages of insureds. The premiums assume a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $250 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Cheap Jacksonville auto insurance rates with discounts
Auto insurance companies do not advertise their entire list of discounts very well, so the following list contains both the well known and the harder-to-find discounts that you may qualify for.
- Low Miles Discount – Fewer annual miles on your Ford could be rewarded with lower rates due to less chance of an accident.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Drivers who insure more than one vehicle on the same auto insurance policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
- Defensive Driver – Successfully completing a safe driver class may get you a small discount if you qualify.
- Drive Safe and Save – Accident-free drivers can pay as much as 50% less as compared to drivers with claims.
- Savings for New Vehicles – Putting insurance coverage on a new Explorer Sport Trac can get you a discount because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member could qualify you for better rates.
- No Claims – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims get the best auto insurance rates when compared to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
- 55 and Retired – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens may receive lower premium rates.
- One Accident Forgiven – This one isn’t a discount, but companies like GEICO, Allstate and Liberty Mutual will forgive one accident without getting socked with a rate hike as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
We need to note that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates it’s possible to get free car insurance, you won’t be that lucky.
The information below shows the difference between Ford Explorer Sport Trac insurance prices with and without some available policy discounts. The rates are based on a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, Florida state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-car, and marriage discounts applied.
Larger auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are shown below.
- Progressive offers discounts including online quote discount, multi-vehicle, online signing, homeowner, and good student.
- The Hartford may offer discounts for vehicle fuel type, air bag, driver training, defensive driver, and good student.
- Mercury Insurance offers premium reductions for professional/association, good student, annual mileage, multi-car, age of vehicle, and ease of repair.
- GEICO includes discounts for seat belt use, emergency military deployment, federal employee, five-year accident-free, membership and employees, driver training, and military active duty.
- AAA may include discounts for good driver, good student, AAA membership discount, education and occupation, multi-policy, and multi-car.
- State Farm has savings for multiple autos, good student, passive restraint, anti-theft, safe vehicle, and accident-free.
It’s a good idea to ask each company how you can save money. Discounts might not be available to policyholders in Jacksonville. To see a list of insurers with the best discounts in Jacksonville, click here to view.
Three main reasons to buy auto insurance
Even though it can be expensive, paying for auto insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.
- Almost all states have minimum liability requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific level of liability insurance 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 took out a loan on your Ford Explorer Sport Trac, more than likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you have comprehensive coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the lender will be forced to insure your Ford at a more expensive rate and force you to pay much more than you were paying before.
- Auto insurance protects not only your vehicle but also your financial assets. It will also provide coverage for many types of medical costs incurred in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay for a defense attorney if you cause an accident and are sued. If your Ford gets damaged, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance definitely exceed the price paid, especially with large liability claims. But the average American driver is overpaying over $750 every year so you should quote rates each time the policy renews to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Compare rate quotes but buy from a local neighborhood Jacksonville car insurance agent
Many people just want to visit with an insurance agent and doing so can bring peace of mind A nice benefit of comparing insurance online is the fact that you can find cheap insurance rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), the quote information is instantly submitted to local insurance agents in Jacksonville that can provide free Jacksonville auto insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t even need to even leave your home due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox. You’ll get the best rates AND an agent nearby. If you want to get a comparison quote from a particular provider, you just need to navigate to their website and complete a quote there.
Choosing an provider is decision based upon more than just a cheap price. Any agent in Jacksonville should have no problem answering these questions:
- What company do they have the most business with?
- Will you work with the agent or an assistant?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in Jacksonville?
- Is insurance their full-time profession?
If you want to use a reputable agency, there are two types of agencies that you can choose from. Insurance agents can be classified as either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Exclusive Agencies
These type of agents are contracted to one company and examples are AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. These agents are unable to place coverage with different providers so always compare other rates. Exclusive agencies receive extensive training on the products they sell which aids in selling service over price. Consumers sometimes choose to use a exclusive agent mostly because of the prominent brand name rather than low price.
Listed below are Jacksonville exclusive agencies 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 - Otis Johnson – State Farm Insurance Agent
1629 Race Track Rd Unit 104 – Jacksonville, FL 32259 – (904) 287-1523 – View Map - Allstate
13947 Beach Blvd #206 – Jacksonville, FL 32224 – (904) 992-0002 – View Map
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agents often have many company appointments so they can write business with a variety of different insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If premiums increase, your agent can just switch to a different company and that require little work on your part. When shopping rates, you need to get insurance quotes from at least one independent agent for maximum quote selection. Most can insure with companies you’ve never heard of which can be an advantage.
Listed below is a list of independent agencies in Jacksonville that are able to give comparison quotes.
- Jim White Insurance Agency
1840 Dunn Ave #6 – Jacksonville, FL 32218 – (904) 751-2222 – View Map - Mizell Insurance Agency
11893 New Kings Rd – Jacksonville, FL 32219 – (904) 764-3336 – View Map - Rumlin Insurance Agency
5600 New Kings Rd #4 – Jacksonville, FL 32209 – (904) 770-4456 – View Map