Finding car insurance online is one easy task, but finding it at affordable rates is another story. Saving money by finding inexpensive auto insurance is a priority in this day and age of a slow economy, and just about every driver wants to participate. Sadly, it’s a common thought that the “affordability” isn’t available and is more of a kept secret among friends. This is as much of a misconception as is believing the world is flat. There are plenty of opportunities for drivers to get their auto insurance at affordable rates; you just have to know how to do it.
Step by step guides to finding inexpensive rates are helpful, so that’s what we’ll provide to drivers today. While some of these steps may be easily thought of, others may be missed due to their simple nature. Below is our guide to help drivers find affordable car insurance during their quest.
Cheapest Company
This one is more of a trick question, because there isn’t just one car insurance company that offers cheap rates. The fact is, while companies may have somewhat comparable prices to one another, they offer different prices to different drivers based on their driving history and other personal information that is given to the insurer. This is why one customer should not expect to get the same low rates (or even high ones) as another customer. The low rates of another person can be used as a general guideline, but what really should be compared is the price currently being paid now to what could be paid in the future with a low rate offer.
Driving Record
A driving record dictates a large percentage of the final premium price. The number of traffic tickets and accidents on a person’s record has a direct affect on what the person will pay for auto insurance. It’s quite simple, really. A person who has more than just one or two traffic incidents on record will pay more than someone who doesn’t have any. Generally speaking, when involved in any type of traffic incident, the driver was choosing to ignore the law or wasn’t paying attention to their surroundings, and the end result was an accident or a ticket. This carelessness is frowned upon by insurers, and they will reward drivers who prove to be more careful with a clean driving record.
Personal Statistics
These personal statistics, or specific information about the driver needing insurance, also plays a part in determining the policy price. There’s really not much a person can do to change certain things about them, but it’s helpful to be aware of this factor when searching for affordable automobile insurance companies. First is the driver’s gender; males typically pay more for insurance than females do because statistically they are involved in more traffic incidents. Age also plays a huge role with insurance price. The younger the driver, the more inexperienced they are and costly they are to insure. Affordable car insurance for teens does exist, but only when the teen has demonstrated responsibility by obeying laws and earning good grades. Another factoid is married drivers pay less for auto insurance than their single peers. It is thought that married folks exercise more caution while driving with their loved ones present than a single person who would usually be alone in the vehicle. Most of the information that makes a driver who they are will be factored into their policy price.
How to Complete a Rate Comparison
Now that you know about “cheapest companies” and how personal information dictates the price of automobile insurance, it is time to give instruction on how to complete a rate comparison. Comparing the rates that are offered by different companies will help consumers more quickly choose a policy. Most car insurance companies offer the same types of policies with relatively the same coverage options. However, many of them do not offer the same pricing. It’s true that the pricing may vary by only a few dollars, but you’ll be happier if to know you’ve chosen the absolute lowest price available, or a price that offers you better coverage than what you are currently carrying for a more affordable price.
First, it is important to give us your zip code so we might provide you with quotes from your local companies. Although most major companies are found nationwide, this will prevent giving information on a company that is not found in your area. Another reason a zip code is needed is to evaluate the crime rate of the town, because a higher crime rate will indicate a better chance of the car being stolen, which will lead to higher rates.
Second, you will need to complete a short questionnaire that will provide more details about yourself. In “Personal Statistics” we discussed this information will determine how much you pay for insurance. The answers to this questionnaire will need to be accurate and honest. If they are not, then the quotes you receive will also not be accurate and this will come into play when you go to purchase the policy.
Unlike many of our competitors, we do not require any social security numbers or driver’s license numbers to attain these quotes. We know the importance of protecting one’s identity, so we simply don’t need you to give us these numbers. We can give out these insurance estimates based on the information that is entered into the questionnaire. Although we don’t need those numbers for quotes, we will need them at the time of purchase to verify the personal information that was given. At this point in the process, if any information on the questionnaire does not match your driving history, your quotes and price will increase to match the new risk to insure you.
The most affordable car insurance is what you’ll find after you clean up your driving record and compare rates from a number of companies. It’s not impossible to get cheap prices if you put in the effort to get it. We can help you by providing a list of insurers and their prices so you can quickly make the best choice.
