Comparing Auto Insurance Quotes Online

February 7, 2011

Getting auto insurance quotes online can help you save money by giving you an idea of the best insurance rates that you qualify for.

Checking them out online means you have access to a fast quote that can help you compare a potential new rate to what you’re currently paying for your auto insurance premiums. 

If you hadn’t noticed there are lots of ads for auto insurance showing on TV and online these days.  Everytime we saw an ad on the Web we checked it out to see what information you’d need to get auto insurance quote online.  Here’s the information about you and your car that you’ll need to get a quote:

What You Need for an Online Auto Insurance Quote

You will have to provide personal information about you, your car, and your driving habits. Insurance companies offer quotes based on the type of driving risk they perceive you to be.

The information you provide will be enough for a quote, but it is important to realize that before you are actually issued an insurance policy, and a final price is locked in, your information will be verified. The more accurate you are when filling out information for a price quote, the more likely you are to get a premium quote that will match what you actually end up paying.

Some of the information you will need as you fill out your auto insurance quote form online includes:

Personal information including name, address, gender, marital status, and birth date: All of these factors help the company build a risk profile.

Social Security Number: This provides access to public records — and your credit report. Many auto insurance companies will use your credit history as a factor in setting your insurance premium.

Car details including make and model, year, miles driven each year, and the primary purpose of the car (commuting, business, pleasure): Auto insurance companies use this information to set rates. If your car has an anti-theft system, and safety features, you might end up with a lower rate.

Driving history: Basic information about when you first got your drivers license, how many claims you have had in the last three years, and how many violations (tickets, DUIs) you have had in the last three years is used to determine whether you are likely to cost the insurance company money.

All of this information is fed into a formula that can spit out a rate quote based on your risk profile. Some companies will provide you a quote immediately, while others will ask for your email address so your quote can be sent to you later. Others will ask for your phone number so that an agent can call you and talk to you about your quote.

Where to Find Auto Insurance Quotes Online

Pretty much every insurance company web sites will provide you with free quotes online. Additionally, there are aggregators that can provide you with comparisons – you enter your information only once, and then you receive a list of quotes.

Here’s a look at some of the sites we checked out that give you pretty quick insurance quotes:

Allstate

Allstate Quotes

21st Century

21st Century Quotes

GEICO 

GEICO Quotes

State Farm

State Farm Quotes

Travelers

Travelers Quotes

 

After getting your online quote, you can decide what to do next with your auto insurance.  Best case, you might find that you already have the best deal, which makes it easier for you.  If you’re current rates are pretty close to the quotes you get then you have to decide if the savings are worth making the switch. Of course if you find out that you’re paying more than what seems to be the market rate then it’s probably worth your time to investigate further and see how much you can save.

 

Miranda

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Miranda
Miranda writes about personal finance almost every day. An experienced freelance writer, she's covered your money online and in print from every angle and is always looking for new ones.

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Comments

8 Responses to Comparing Auto Insurance Quotes Online

  • Hal

    Insurance companies can also access your CLUE report from a central database which will tell them if you’ve made any claims in the past.

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