Where Can I Receive the Best Auto Insurance Quotes Free?

When you’re in the market for auto insurance, the last thing you want to do is waste a lot of time and effort finding the right policy. You also don’t want to commit yourself just to find out how much you will be charged from a company that doesn’t fit your needs.

We’ve got FREE auto insurance quotes here – just put your ZIP in the box!

What you need are quotes from different companies so you can compare them before you commit. You can get these quotes directly from the companies or though search sites like this one.

Contact Companies Directly

You can always call the insurance company directly and ask for a quote. Or you can go to their website and get the same thing. Though they may present a strong sales pitch, they will provide a free quote for you and your family without any obligation on your part.

Before calling or going online it’s helpful to have some pieces of information handy, as the agent or representative from the insurance company will ask for them. Have the names, driver’s license numbers, and birthdates available.

Also have the VIN for all cars which will be covered on the policy. These are usually listed on your current policy. If you can calculate how many miles you normally put on the car each year, that will also help them give you a more accurate quote.

Insurance companies will also want to know if the vehicle is kept in a garage when it isn’t being driven. It will also benefit you if you can have a list of all the safety and anti-theft devices.

Comparison Sites

While visiting company websites is a perfectly legitimate way to get quotes, it can still take a lot of time to contact several companies and give them the same information, even with the Internet. Besides, you’ll probably only remember to check with big name companies whose commercials are most often seen.

The best place to find free quotes for auto insurance in the quickest manner is to use a website like this one. We take the hassle out of getting multiple quotes.

When you use our website, we contact the insurance companies for you. Within minutes you’ll have several quotes from many different companies – local ones as well as the larger, better known companies – within minutes. And you only have to type in your information once, rather than for each company.

Check Their Ratings

No matter who you get the quotes from, it’s a good idea to do some research on them.

Price isn’t the only thing to look at when looking for auto insurance. You’ll also want to have a company who will treat you fairly and pay claims promptly.

The first place you can look to get an idea of the trustworthiness of an insurance company is to visit the department of insurance for your state online. Each state has to license companies that sell insurance in their state. In addition to finding a list of these companies on the website, you can also find out how many complaints have been made against them recently.

For example, if you live in New York State, you can visit the Department of Financial Services.

You can also look at the ratings of independent organizations, like J.D. Powers and Associates. Known for their car ratings, they also rank insurance companies according to customer satisfaction surveys.

Another independent site is Standard and Poor’s.

Don’t forget word-of-mouth recommendations. Repair and body shops are great sources of information. They know which companies are easy to work with and which ones aren’t.

Make Sure the Coverages Are the Same

When you compare quotes, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. In other words, make sure the quotes are for the same amounts and types of coverage.

Some of the most common types of coverage are explained below.

Liability insurance is the most crucial part of the insurance policy. It is the part mandated by the state to pay for the other driver’s damages when you cause an accident. It is broken up into three parts, usually represented by three numbers, such as 20/50/15.

The first two numbers refer to the amount of money the insurance company will pay for medical bills for people in the other car. The first number is the maximum it will pay per person and the second is the maximum it will pay per accident.

The third number is the property damage liability amount. This is the part that pays for the other driver’s car to be fixed. Each state sets its own minimum required level for each part.

The problem is that, in some states, this number is extremely low.

If you plow into a $50,000 luxury car, then $15,000 in property damage liability isn’t going to go very far.

You’ll be required, by the courts if need be, to pay for the remaining amount.

This is why experts recommend a higher level than most states require. A 100/300/50 level is considered the recommended amount. However, some insurance companies will want to quote you the state minimum because it is a cheaper price to lure you in. To make it easier on yourself, determine how much insurance you want and ask for quotes for that amount only.

Optional Types of Coverage

Don’t forget the optional parts of the policy. Of course, in some states uninsured motorist and PIP are not optional. But if you live in a state where they are, be sure you know whether a quote includes them or not. If you know you want them, be sure to ask they are included.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist covers you if the person who hits you:

• Doesn’t have any insurance
• Doesn’t have enough insurance to cover the damages
• Leaves the scene without giving insurance information

You can decline this coverage if your state doesn’t require it. If you have collision coverage, it will likely cover it in this scenario. Just be aware that collision claims usually cause a rate hike, while uninsured motorists generally don’t since the accident wasn’t your fault.

PIP, short for personal injury protection, covers your medical bills and those of your passengers. It doesn’t matter who is at fault for PIP to kick in. Many states require this as well, mainly no-fault states.

Don’t forget comprehensive and collision. If you have car loans, you’ll have to have comp and collision at least until the loan is paid off.

As you can see, there are many parts to a policy. If one company gives you a quote for just the state minimum liability while another includes uninsured motorist, PIP, and a higher level of liability, the first company will seem much cheaper. But it won’t be a fair picture of which company best provides for your needs.

Get Quotes on Homeowners Insurance

While you are getting quotes for your auto insurance, ask for a quote on your homeowners insurance at the same time. If you don’t own your home, find out if they offer renters insurance. Renters insurance is very inexpensive since it just covers your belongings and not the structure.

By getting your homeowners – or renters – insurance from the same company, you get a substantial discount, says the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

The company wants your business, and to tempt you to get all your insurance from them, they will give you a discount if you have more than one type of policy with them.

The beauty of this particular discount is that it applies to both the auto insurance and the homeowners. The combination of discounts can end up saving you hundreds of dollars. If the company also sells life insurance and you are in the market for life insurance or already have a policy with them, you should get an even bigger discount for having all three with them.

Discounts

In addition to having a multi-policy discount, ask if they have applied all possible discounts to the quote. There are many, many discounts that insurance companies offer. They can make a substantial dent in the cost of your premium.

Some common discounts are:

• Multi car – having more than one car on the policy. Usually the more vehicles the better the discount. If you have a boat, RV, or motorcycle, ask if they can cover this as well. If they can, you should be able to save even more.
• Safe driver – If you haven’t had an accident in the last five years or a ticket within the last three to five years, find out if you are eligible for some sort of discount for being a good driver.
• Good student – high school and college students under the age of 25 can usually get a discount if their grades are above a certain level, usually at least a B average.
• Safe driving course – If you’ve taken a defensive driving course in the last year, have the information handy so it can be credited to you.
• Mature driver – Some companies give discounts to older drivers. The age for this varies, but is commonly 55.
• Low mileage – if your car is not driven much, maybe because you mostly rely on public transportation, you could get a discount.

This is only a sampling. There are many others that can help you save money on your insurance. Just be sure that you take advantage of them before you decide which auto insurance quote to go with.

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