To get inexpensive car insurance, it is very important that you shop around when you are looking for a new policy. Rates from different insurance companies can vary by hundreds of dollars. Although insurance comparison sites like insurance.com allow you to compare rates from different companies, they might not give you the lowest rate because the company which offers the low rate might not pay the insurance comparison site any commission, according to an Edmunds article. Despite this, comparison sites do give you a good idea of the range of rates you can get. However, they should not be your final stop.
Sites like these may not give you the lowest rate available from insurance companies because they do not take into account all the discounts you can get, of which there are many, as seen in Auto Insurance Discounters: You Are Your Own Discounters!. You can only get these discounts by contacting the insurance company directly, whether that be through their own website or through a phone number.
Furthermore, price isn’t everything. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) website, which can be found naic.org, has a link to your state’s insurance website. In it you can find the complaint ratio of your local insurance companies as well as a comparison chart which gives you an idea of how insurance prices vary in your area. Try calling your local auto body shops to see which insurers they would recommend, as they deal with them on a regular basis.
Once you get a quote online it is a good idea to go to your local independent car insurance agent to see if they can’t beat the price. Generally, an agent is independent if their business name is one which you’ve never heard of before. If a name like Geico is in their business name, they can only get you quotes from that one company. Independent agents can provide rates from many companies and tailor to your needs better than one insurance company can.
When looking for inexpensive car insurance, shopping around will get you good deals. You can do that by calling around several insurance companies, going to an insurance comparison site and then making sure that the prices you see are indeed the lowest, and/or making an appointment with your local independent car insurance agent.
Whenever you get a quote, be it online or through an agent, here are some of the discounts you can ask about:
Are you a safe driver? If so, you can get a discount.
Do you have a job for which discounts are applicable?
Are you affiliated with AAA?
Do you have good credit?
Do you really need your collision and/or comprehensive insurance?