Car insurance is one of the necessary
evils of modern life. If you pay a substantial amount of money each month
to the insurance company, and you have not
had an accident or made a claim in years, then the insurance premiums you've been
forking over all these years will finally pay off when you do suddenly find
yourself involved in a collision.
The coming of the Internet has raised the bar in the level of competition between
insurance companies. This is because you can now sit at home in your bathrobe
and compare rates and coverage between companies, they are under more
pressure to offer competitive deals. So why not leverage the Internet's
potential to help you save time, save money, and find the best auto
insurance coverage?
But first, let's be
clear about the fact that auto insurance is required by law in most
states―i.e.,it's not optional. If you drive a car, you must have auto
insurance. So you need to find out what the law requires in your
jurisdiction when it comes to how much auto insurance coverage you need
to maintain. Print out your state's requirements, and save that
information for the next step.
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What Can Influence Your Rates
Because insurance prices are all based on
statistics, the prices each of us pays differs wildly. Things like the
driver's age, years of driving experience, what neighborhood the car is
usually parked in overnight, the make and model of the car, what kind of
safety features the car has, and whether or not you have antitheft
devices installed―all of these variables will factor into the price
you'll pay for the particular level of coverage you choose.
Before
you get too far into shopping for insurance, you might want to order a
copy of your driving record. In much the same way that your credit
rating determines what kind of interest rate you'll get when you are
applying for financing, your driving record will influence your
insurance rate.
When you get your
driving record, take a look at it to make sure that it is current and
accurate. You would not want an error on your driving record to keep you
from getting the best rate possible.
What Coverage Do You Need?
Your state sets forth the minimum
liability coverage you must maintain, as mentioned above but these are
just the legal minimums and might not give you the coverage you need.
You'll have to decide what you want to buy beyond these minimums. Keep
in mind that you are looking to find the balance between having adequate
coverage and overpaying.
According to Consumer Reports,
a general guideline for adequate bodily injury liability limits is
$100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, plus $100,000 for
property damage. These amounts are what your insurer will pay to someone
you are in an accident with. For uninsured motorist coverage, you
should get the same amount as for bodily injury liability, as this
covers your medical costs when someone who is not insured hits you.
Other Types of Coverage
You can always complement your policy
with specific protections (for a higher premium, of course). For
example, many motorists get comprehensive and collision coverage.
Comprehensive pays out when your car is damaged or lost due to causes
other than an accident, such as vandalism, theft, or weather. Collision
coverage will pay to repair your own car if you hit something.
These
options typically come with your choice of deductible, usually $250 to
$1,000. This is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance
kicks in; the higher the deductible, the lower the premium you'll pay
for this type of coverage.
Additional
options include rental reimbursement coverage, which pays for a rental
car while your car is in the shop being repaired. Roadside assistance
coverage will pay to have your vehicle towed. Keep in mind that if you
already have an auto club membership, you do not need this additional
coverage.
Get the Best Rate
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) recommends that you ask your potential insurer about the following discounts:
- Good driving record: Many auto insurers offer discounts to drivers who have not made a claim, haven't been in an accident, or haven't received a traffic ticket in three years.
- Good grades: Young drivers can get discounts for maintaining a B average or better in school.
- Driver's education: Some insurance companies offer a discount for drivers who complete a driver's education or driver's safety course.
- Multiple policies: Some insurance companies offer discounts if you have two or more policies with them.
- Safety equipment: Equipment such as antilock brakes and antitheft devices can get you a discount.
- Longtime policy holder: If you have kept your policy with an insurer for several years, ask about a discounted premium.
- Higher deductibles: A higher deductible usually means lower premiums.
Gather Quotes
Once you know what kind of coverage your
state requires, you will need the following information in front of you
in order to get an accurate quote for auto insurance:
- The age and sex of the driver(s), the number of drivers in your household, and their driver's license numbers.
- A description of your car: the make, model, year, and vehicle identification number (VIN).
- The type of coverage and limits you want.
- Where you park your car overnight.
Check References
Now that you have a few comparable quotes
and you know which company offers the lowest price for the policy you
want, you still need to check out the company itself to find out whether
it's reliable.
You can check with
your state's department of insurance, which should allow you to compare
premiums for insurance companies in your state. You can also check on
the financial stability of a company and look up the number of consumer
complaints it has accumulated.
Review Your Policy
Before you sign, be sure to carefully
review your new policy to make sure it includes all the coverage you
want. Your policy will need to comply with your state's legal
requirements as well as any additional requirements of the company that
finances your auto loan.
Proof of Insurance
Most states that require you to have auto
insurance also require that you always have proof of your insurance
policy in your car or in your wallet at all times. If you are stopped by
the police and you are not able to show proof of auto insurance
coverage, you could incur serious fines.
Most
insurers will issue a handy insurance ID card―one for each vehicle you
have insured. Keep this card in your car's glove box along with the
registration, and you'll never have to worry about forgetting it. You
might even need to provide proof of insurance when you register your
car; you can use the insurance ID card for this.
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