These days, it seems that you can buy anything online, even car insurance. In fact, more and more people are choosing to get their car insurance online, manage payments online, make claims online, and even get their insurance cards online.
But how do you get started with getting a car insurance quote online? In this article, we’ll walk you through some basic tips on how to get car insurance online.
Know What Kind of Car Insurance You Need
The first step toward finding cheap car insurance online is to understand what kind of car insurance you need. You can do an “apples-to-apples” comparison of online quotes, and that will help you avoid surprises later on caused by the realization that you don’t have the right car insurance coverage for your situation.
Almost every state requires drivers to have auto liability insurance, though the exact coverage varies from state to state. Liability insurance pays for medical bills and property damage of other drivers and passengers if you’re at fault for a car accident.
If you’ve ever been caught driving without car insurance or if you’ve been charged with a DUI violation, then you may need to file an SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility. If you’re required to file an SR-22, it’s important to be upfront about it when you’re shopping around for car insurance online. Only your car insurance company can file an SR-22 form on your behalf, so the insurance company will find out eventually. And not every car insurance company is willing to file SR-22s, so you’ll only want to compare online car insurance quotes from companies who offer insurance policies with an SR-22.
Finally, if you’re financing or leasing a car, then chances are that you’ll need collision and comprehensive insurance coverage as well. Though these types of car insurance coverages aren’t required by law, most leasing and financing companies contractually require you to carry a minimum amount of collision and comprehensive insurance coverage. When you pay off your auto loan, then you can always shop around for updated online insurance quotes without collision or comprehensive coverage.
Make Sure the Insurance Company Is Legal in Your State
The great thing about getting cheap car insurance quotes online is that you don’t have to worry about driving from office to office or spending hours on the phone. But you also need to make sure that the insurance company can do business in your state. There’s nothing worse than being promised a great online introductory quote, only to find that the insurance company isn’t licensed to do business where you live.
Give as Much (Honest) Information as Possible
The more information the insurance company has about you, the more accurate a quote they can provide. Don’t be afraid to disclose information about where you live, your birthdate, and your driving record.
If you fill out multiple online insurance quote forms, make sure you’re providing the same information so that it’s easier to compare quotes.
And whatever you do, don’t lie to your car insurance company. Remember that insurance companies will eventually have access to all of your information. If they find out that you lied on your insurance application, they may increase your premium, refuse to process a claim, or simply cancel your policy.
Get Quotes from Multiple Insurers
The biggest advantage of buying discount car insurance online is that you have access to car insurance quotes from many companies to help you make the best decision for you. And as the wisdom goes, you should never settle on your first offer. So, even when you get a great quote from your first choice of insurance company, don’t be afraid to look for online quotes from other insurance companies. After all, if the first quote is so great, maybe there’s an even better one around the corner.
Another thing to keep in mind before you buy affordable car insurance online is to consider companies beyond the ones that you know. Just because an insurance company is big and national doesn’t mean that it always provides the cheapest insurance options. In fact, there are small, local car insurance companies in every state that aim to provide affordable car insurance for local drivers.
How can you make sure your online car insurance search includes all the available options? The best way is to work with an insurance company that puts together online car insurance quotes for you based on your location, driving record, and other personal information.
Insurance companies like Freeway Insurance can make sure you don’t miss an opportunity to get affordable car insurance online by looking through all the car insurers in your area, big and small. It also means that you save time by filling out a quote form just once instead of filling out separate quote forms for each insurer.
As you shop around for multiple car insurance quotes online, remember to keep track of when the quote expires. Some insurance companies provide quotes good for 48 hours, while others might honor a quote for a few weeks. Each insurance company should let you know their policy.
It’s Easy to Get Affordable Car Insurance Online
It’s never been easier to get car insurance online. Almost every insurance company today provides online quotes that you can compare to find the cheapest car insurance option available. And insurance companies like Freeway Insurance can help you even more in your online insurance search. We do all the heavy lifting by putting together multiple car insurance quotes from insurers in your area, saving you time and helping you make the best decision. Get started with an online quote for affordable car insurance today. Or, you can always speak directly to one of our insurance experts by visiting us or calling us at (800) 777-5620.