Auto insurance is a requirement for anyone who drives a motor vehicle in the United States. Whether the insurance you need is basic liability or fully comprehensive car insurance will vary based on personal preferences, but getting competitive auto insurance rates will help you determine who is offering the most value for your dollar.
Getting competitive car insurance rates online
When trying to get competitive rates these days, it is important to understand what auto insurance companies take into consideration when giving quotes. They take into consideration factors such as: the age of all individuals driving the vehicle, accidents, incidents like tickets, the make and model of your vehicle, the type of coverage you prefer and the number of individuals operating the car. Some companies might have other considerations as well, but any further considerations vary by company and state laws.
Personal considerations to keep in mind
Before looking for auto insurance companies and rates, determining the appropriate type of coverage for your situation is vital to getting a competitive car insurance quote. If you don’t know whether you want comprehensive coverage, additional collision insurance, or specialist insurance, it’s impossible to find a good price because you won’t even know what you’re looking for. Instead, have some idea of what you want in an insurance policy and then look to get a competitive rate.
Get a pen and paper ready to write some insurance coverage information notes
Take out a pen and paper and write down the type of coverage you want for your vehicle. If you don’t understand the difference between comprehensive insurance vs. collision insurance or what third party insurance is, you should review those terms so that you have an adequate understanding of what you need. For example, if you want coverage only for medical in case another driver does not have insurance, write down full medical coverage.
Write down the exact amount of coverage that you feel comfortable with
Take the time to write down the total dollar amount of coverage you prefer, such as $50,000 for medical coverage in case of a car crash, and the terms you want. If you don’t have an adequate idea of what a reasonable total would be, you can check your state auto insurance requirements to see what the limits are (each state has a set amount of coverage that you need usually listed like three slot machine numbers like 25/100/50. Each number represents a dollar amount in thousands, so the first number in the example would represent $25,000 worth of insurance for bodily injury insurance.
Find qualified auto insurance companies
The next step in the process involves finding car insurance companies that are qualified to provide service. Beware of any fake car insurance companies that you may find on the internet and do your best to avoid them. If you do your comparison here at the top of the page with your Zip Code, you will only get the most reliable results for free car insurance estimates in your area and you won’t have to worry about any shady insurers.
Get comprehensive car insurance quotes online for free
Upon determining what you want in auto insurance, finding out the costs of different insurance companies is the only way to obtain competitive car insurance rates. The internet has made shopping for auto insurance significantly easier than it was in the past. Not only will an online comparison save you time, but it will show you who really provides the best deals.
When prompted to get an insurance quote on the net, here’s what to do:
Fill in the requested data on the page. Most companies will ask a few questions to determine an appropriate quote. For example, the company might ask for a vehicle make, model and year. Enter in your information as honestly as possible. Quotes provided are estimates based on the data given online and if you aren’t honest when filing out the forms, you won’t get an accurate quote (which can cause all kinds of problems).
Is it possible to get car insurance quotes over the phone?
The super old school method of getting quotes is by making a phone call to either a car insurance broker or to a trusted auto insurance company. The process is actually a little bit more complicated since you are going through a third party. You also won’t know whether your results are skewed because you relied on someone else to get your quote for you. It is highly recommended to get your quotes on the internet first and then ask questions to providers if you have additional concerns.
If you do end up getting your entire quote via a phone call, just know that you will be required to provide the same type of information as you would online such as: driving history, the vehicle make/model, the number of drivers, and the type of coverage needed for the vehicle. Calling over the phone is very appealing to insurance companies because they know that they can try to lure you in by telling you their discounts. However, it is recommended to never commit over the phone until you have thoroughly reviewed your options.
Although insurance brokers aren’t necessary, they may help some
Working with car insurance brokers are another way in which people find competitive car insurance rates. The most appealing aspect of working with a broker is that he/she will do the research for you and will provide you with the best rates based on what you are looking for in a policy. With that said, brokers may be expensive for some people. By using a broker, just know that you are basically paying for convenience and a professional to do your research for you. To find a broker, you can do a quick search online or look them up in your local business listings.
How to end up with the most competitive car insurance rates
After you have done all of the comparison work and figured out which company is clearly offering the best overall deal (including savings), you can go ahead and buy coverage. You should never rush the process of buying your insurance if your goal is to end up with the most competitive rate on the market. Most people (an estimated 75% of Americans) are overpaying for their auto insurance; hopefully you are among the 25% that are getting a competitive price!
