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The number one reason for a shocking change in the premiums charged for a policy after it’s issued and the quote a customer received is missing or incorrect information provided at the time of the quote. When shopping for auto insurance it’s important to compare apples to apples and not apples to oranges. Coverage limits, deductibles and policy terms are often an area consumers don’t realize affect the rates of the premium as much as they do.
When looking for the lowest cost premiums for your auto insurance it may be best to compare your current policy coverage limits and deductibles even if you intend to change them with the new insurance policy. By comparing what you currently, have with any new quotes you can clearly see which company’s rates may be higher or lower. If you intend to change any of the coverage limits or deductibles, you might want to get two quotes, one to compare what you have now and one to compare the changed limits and/or deductibles.
With the Internet and the fact that information in many cases may be instant, inaccurate insurance quotes are less likely, but they happen often enough. You can have fewer surprises and a more accurate auto insurance quote if you remember to have the following information ready:
- A copy of your current or prior insurance policy including the coverage limits and deductibles. Many insurance companies charge a higher rate if a person hasn’t had continuous auto insurance coverage for the past year.
- Your exact address and the address of where your car is parked at night. Sometimes they may or may not be the same address if they are not it is up to you to inform the insurance company when they offer you a quote.
- The year, make, model, and full vehicle identification number (VIN) of the car you are getting the quote for. There can be huge differences in the value and performance of some cars even within the same make and models. Some Ford Mustangs are more powerful and expensive then others, you want your quote to be for the Mustang you own.
- What is the driving use of the car? Is the car driven to and from work, for pleasure or business use, and what is estimated miles the car is driven each year? If more then one car and more then one drive–who drives which car primarily and what is the use of each car.
- Your Drivers license number. Insurance companies will look at your driving history and record for tickets and accidents. Some violations are counted longer then others and affect your insurance rates differently from one insurance company to another. If you remember having a violation in the past, you may want to take the time to obtain a current copy of your driving record when you shop for auto insurance quotes.
- Your social security number. Many insurance companies will look at your credit history, with or without your permission, and determine an insurance credit score based on their methods of evaluating credit. Providing your social security number at the time of a quote may avoid any problems with the insurance company locating the correct credit history reports.
- The names and drivers license numbers for any other drivers in your household to be named on your policy. If there are other drivers in your household who will not be named as drivers on your policy, you may be asked to provide a copy of their separate auto insurance policy.
If you follow these steps at the time you ask for an auto insurance quote it may save you the stress of opening a shocking insurance premium bill after the policy is underwritten and issued at a higher premium then you expected.
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- Liability Coverage
- Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist
- Medical Insurance & Personal Injury Protection
- Optional Coverage-Collision
- Optional Coverage-Comprehensive
- Optional Coverage-GAP
- Additional Auto Insurance Coverage
Glossary of Insurance Terms:
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