Cheap Auto Insurance

You have probably realized by now that finding cheap auto insurance is possible, but you may not really understand the very best way to go about it. The following is thus a step by step guide to finding the cheapest auto insurance possible for your situation.

Start finding cheap auto insurance right now by entering your zip code above. Compare auto insurance quotes from all the major insurance companies today!

This will take you through the process from start to finish so that you can find a great rate or at least one that you can live with. The essential process at work as you look for policies is comparison. The more in depth information you are able to get about insurance rates the more you will be able to compare what companies offer in the way of insurance.

Assess your Needs

The first step in finding cheap auto insurance is to get a clear idea of your insurance needs. This will involve a number of different considerations. One is the number of cars or drivers you need to insure. Are you insuring one vehicle? 2 or more? Getting fleet insurance for a business? Do you want to insure, say, your teenage son to drive your car as well? Do you think a basic policy with collision insurance is sufficient or do you live in an accident prone area where you feel larger amounts of collision or third party liability insurance may be required? All of these things will affect the type of policy you get and the rates you pay, so you should consider them at the outset.

Review your Existing or Most Recent Policy

If you already have an insurance policy, or perhaps one that has just expired, you will want to review this. Try to see where savings might be possible on the next policy. It will also give you a good overview of the policy inclusions and exclusions you have had in the past so that you can make a decision as to whether to repeat the same type of coverage. The important information is usually found on the declarations page which is generally the first page of the policy. It’s a good idea to have this in front of you as you look for insurance on the internet and by phone.

Get Your Information In Place

You will also want other information in front of you as you insurance shop. This is basic information that you will need to enter into online forms or tell agents to get quotes. You will need the names, addresses, driver’s licensenumbers, and social security numbers of anybody that will be included on a policy. This may be you or anyone else you plan to insure. The declarations page of your current or last policy should also be in front of you. Finally, you want the vehicle’s title or a piece of paper with the make, model, and year on it.

Visit Internet Comparison Sites

Once you have all the information together you are ready to begin the actual shopping phase. The best place to do this in terms of ease, efficiency, and ability to compare quotes is on the internet. There are dedicated sites especially designed to help people looking for cheap auto insurance compare quotes. These sites often have the user enter basic information such as that mentioned above and other specifics about their insurance situation and then perform searches for affordable auto insurance companies that are recommended.

Often these sites also have general information about finding cheap insurance and about the auto insurance industry as a whole. You may want to peruse this information as well to get a better sense of general orientation and being well informed.

Enter Search Criteria

Using the information that you have gathered together as well as your assessment of what type of insurance policies you are looking for and your general overview of the issues involved, enter the search criteria into the form, and allow it to generate some results. You may want to write these results down on a piece of paper or take them down in a notepad program so that you have more than just the screen as reference.

Visit Resulting Sites and Get Quotes

Now you can click links and begin visiting the sites that are recommended. Some websites may also offer on site functionality for generating basic quotes. But in general it is a good idea to visit a company website so as to get the best sense of contact and first hand information.

Once you are on the websites you can often have quotes generated electronically. This is becoming a more and more common feature of insurance websites. You will be asked to enter further information about the specifics of the vehicles and drivers you would like to insure and basic quotes will be generated for you.

Try out a Number of Different Policy Scenarios

In getting quotes generated, you may want to try out a number of different insurance policy scenarios. Try including one type of coverage or another so that you get a sense of what the possibilities are. You can write down the results on your piece of paper so that you don’t get an overabundance of quotes and become confused.

Compare Quotes

Once you have gone through this process with two or three companies you can begin comparing quotes. Look not only at the basic premiums but the down payments, the deductibles, and the way payments are broken up over time. Get a sense of which companies are the cheapest overall and suit your needs the best.

Contact Companies by Phone

The next step is to contact companies by telephone or wait for an agent to contact you. This is important because usually quotes generated online are only of a somewhat generic sort. In order to really get a feel for whether an insurance company really offers cheap auto insurance it is often best to talk to a representative in person. They can fine tune your quote and you will also get a sense of how easy it is to do business with them.

Negotiate and Ask Representatives about Discounts

Once you have an insurance representative on the line, you can begin fine tuning your policy. You can even bring in some bargaining here. If you already have some quotes from other providers you can tell the agent about them and ask if they will match or beat these rates.

The other big thing to ask about when you call is discounts. There are many factors such as your age, safety features installed in your vehicle, defensive driving courses you may have taken, the distance you drive to work, and even a good academic record that can all be used as grounds for discounts. These factors are seen by insurance companies as reducing the risk of insuring you so they can offer you better rates. This is one of the most important strategies for finding cheap insurance.

Fine Tune and Recompare Quotes

Once you have fine tuned the quotes from a number of companies with representatives you should recompare them. Make another assessment of which of the companies you have investigated offers the best rates overall.

Make a Decision

Once you have gone through this process enough times that you feel you have gotten a good representative sample of what is available in terms of insurance, make a decision and purchase a policy!

Summary

The above are a basic set of steps you can use in finding a cheap auto insurance policy. The key is to become informed about the industry, know what your options are, and then compare and recompare. Finding cheap auto insurance is greatly facilitated by insurance based websites that are geared toward helping customers find the best insurance at the most affordable rates.