The process of making changes to your auto insurance policy varies depending on which company you may have.
If you purchased your policy through an auto insurance broker in person, the usual procedure is to go into your broker’s office. The broker then does one of the following to endorse the policy:
If you are making a change to your policy that generates additional premium, you may have to leave a premium deposit. Some brokers will additionally charge what is referred to as an endorsement fee which is charged as a fee for the broker’s assistance. Broker endorsement fees usually do not include any payment towards your policy premium.
Be sure to ask when your changes will be in effect. If you do not receive instant proof of insurance, your changes most likely will not be in effect until the endorsement request is processed by the insurance company. That can take up to 30 days depending on your carrier.
Some changes are requested by the broker to the General Agent which works as a middle man between the broker and the insurance company. A General Agent manages policy maintenance including issuance and customer service. If a General Agent is backed up, your change may take some time to complete. Don’t let this scare you. Most brokers now days with online technology can process endorsements immediately and issue instant proof of insurance.
If you purchased your policy directly with an insurance company, you possibly can make changes by phone, by fax, or in person. Most direct companies will transmit your changes immediately since there is no middle man required between the insured and the carrier.
If you purchased your policy online, chances are that you can request your policy changes without having to visit an office location. Commonly you can make your changes online in “real time” which means your changes are processed instantly.
Purchasing an auto insurance policy online comes with many benefits. From initially comparing rates online, to purchasing the policy, to making changes, buying online will usually save a lot of time and money.
To compare online auto insurance quotes from multiple companies, visit OnlineAutoInsurance.com. With one simple process, you can compare multiple rates instantly.
