4 Tips to Compare Auto Insurance Rates

There are 4 tips to compare auto insurance rates that will help you save money throughout the year. If you take the time necessary to research your options, you may find a better way to insure your vehicle, without compromising on quality.

Take advantage of our FREE search tool on this page and you can find fantastic car insurance rates immediately when you enter your ZIP!

With an overwhelming number of car insurance companies available, searching for comparable rates will take intelligence, patience, and diligence. It is not as easy as it used to be to find great car insurance rates, but it is possible.

When you start comparing rates, make sure you are honest with yourself about your history, needs and budget.

So many consumers today select their car insurance provider because of their promises to save them money and this is a great tactic. Everyone wants to save. Unfortunately, this is usually the primary focus and very few provide information regarding anything else. In reality, a great car insurance rate is something that everyone should have access to, but there should also be more included.

You need someone who can offer a great value for your money. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word value as an equal exchange of services or goods for money or the equivalent. In other words, you get what you pay for. Never settle for a low rate in exchange for sub-par service.

Have a Meeting with Yourself and Take Great Notes

Schedule a specific time during your week to meet with yourself. Bring a pad, pen, and calculator. If you have a copy of your current car insurance policy, make sure you have this too. Create an agenda so you stay on topic and try to keep to the time limit. Turn off the television or radio so you will not have any distractions.

Start writing down what you are looking for in a company and have realistic expectations. Everyone is different, which means your needs will not necessarily fit into a typical, cookie-cutter policy. The good news is if you dedicate this time for yourself before you start looking, you will find the number of car insurance companies that will really fit your lifestyle becomes smaller and smaller.

The more you personalize your search, the easier it becomes. This is why it is so important that you approach your research from your specific point of view. Think about what you will and will not accept, under any circumstances. Decide what constitutes a deal-breaker and what you are willing to overlook. If you are looking for a new company, ask yourself why you are leaving. Keep this in mind.

After you finish meeting with yourself, you can begin to incorporate other, reliable points of view.

This is an important step you are considering so it is highly recommended that you seek the perspective of others. Just make sure you trust their judgment.

Meet with Trustworthy Counselors

Once your meeting is over and you have your pad filled with notes, try to meet with a mentor, family, or friends whose opinions you trust. Just like you scheduled a meeting with yourself, see if they can schedule at least an hour out of their day to discuss your car insurance needs.

Ask people you meet with whom they work with and how they differ from the competition. Concentrate on the rates, but also, find out about the service they offer and if they honor their commitments. Question their loyalty to their car insurance provider and try to uncover why they remain faithful.

According to The Loyalty Guide, consumers are most likely to stay with a company if they feel they are trustworthy and have good customer experiences. Consumers like to have a psychological attachment based on the personal touches some car insurance companies really excel at providing to them.

Take everything your confidants have to say into consideration and weigh their comments against your personal meeting notes. Try to match up as many characteristics as possible. This should help you build a good list of car insurance providers for your research. From there, you can move along to the next step.

Obtain a Copy of Your Driving Record

This is a step most consumers fail to take and having this data can be an excellent negotiating tool. The car insurance companies will undoubtedly have your driving record right in front of them when you call for a quote, do you think you should give them the upper hand?

When it comes to your personal information, you should have access too. You can go to your local Motor Vehicle Commission and ask for your driving history abstract. They will know exactly what you need and for a small fee, provide you with a copy. Better still, you can go directly online and complete the form for your state. The information is provided immediately and you never have to leave home.

Every state has their own site and the first two letters, followed by MVC, usually identify it, for example, you can find the state of Arkansas’ website here. Once you have your records you should review everything. Take careful note of anything that looks suspicious. If your record is clean, it will be very short, no more than two or three pages.

As long as you have not committed any serious crimes behind the wheel, any tickets or violations are expunged after five years. This means that if you were a little reckless in your younger years, this information has already been removed. Having a copy gives you an advantage and should be kept in a secure location until you are ready to contact the car insurance companies a quote.

Check the Financial Status of Each Car Insurance Provider

If you want a car insurance company that will be around for a while, you need to make sure they are strong financially. If not, this means they may go under or possibly merge with a larger, more stable company. When this happens, changes are inevitable.

To verify the financial status of a car insurance company, a reliable resource is Standard and Poor’s because they list all of the current auto insurance providers and their earnings by quarter.

Going to this site helps you determine how well each company is performing.

A company with solid earnings shows positive movement in the proper direction. One that is not meeting their demands may be suffering many losses. This will ultimately play havoc on your policy; virtually every contract has a loophole and car insurance companies are no different. Should yours bail out or file a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, you may find yourself without car insurance coverage.

Now Begin Your Internet Search

Based on the four valuable tips you have discovered, you should have about three to five car insurance companies to compare. Now you can begin your search. Complete the same steps for each company for continuity purposes. Start with the first company on your list. Go to their website and look around. Do not complete the application first. Familiarize yourself with all of their offers, including discounts.

Read all of the terms and disclosure statements. Find out about the cancelation policy and anything else that applies to their service. Once you feel comfortable, complete the application. Within a few moments, you should receive a quote.

Next, contact the company via telephone and speak directly with a customer service specialist. More than likely, the information you filled out on the application will be accessible for the representative and they will prompt you for anything else they need. If you want to ask more questions, this is the time. Try to complete everything in one phone call.

They will most likely ask you if you want to begin the process, do not accept the terms yet. Take down everything they provide you, as well as their name and extension number, if applicable. Also, remember to note the date and time of the call, then move on to the next company. Remember, you are just comparison-shopping right now.

All of you hard work will be in vain if you simply take the first offer.

Stay One Step Ahead of the Competition

Always remember that you are not locked into an auto insurance policy. If you read the terms of your contract correctly, you should know that just as they can cancel your policy for certain reasons, you could too. Usually, the consumer has much more leeway when it comes to these conditions. If you find, after a certain time that they are no longer meeting your original expectations, you can cancel.

It is essential that your auto insurance provider make you feel like a valued customer and continue to look for ways to retain your business. It costs the car insurance industry millions of dollars through advertising and other tactics to gain new customers, but retention is a minor portion of their budget.

This means as long as they keep you happy, they can expect a long-term relationship with you. Should they fail to keep their word or make unexpected changes, they know they risk losing you. A smart car insurance company will not fail to succeed in these endeavors.

Do not hesitate to get the best car insurance rates by clicking here and entering your ZIP into the FREE tool now!