5 Tips for Changing Car Insurance Companies

Changing car insurance providers is considered a nuisance for most people. It takes time to call agents and brokers. They always need information that you may not have as readily available as you would like. Switching car insurance does not have to be a painful experience if you approach it with the right attitude and preparation.

Gather up the needed information before beginning to make calls.

The information that is needed for a car insurance quote usually is not too difficult to collect. You need to know the make and year of your car or cars. The agent will ask for the ages of each driver that will be a regular driver. Think about your driving habits and write down the approximate number of miles that each car is driven during a year. Write down any accident or ticket that you or the other drivers have had during the last three years.

Determine which insurance companies and brokers that you will contact.

You need the name of the company or broker along with the phone number. It is a good idea to list these on a sheet of paper with a grid to record the various quotes as they are given. Most of the time, the agent will not quote the price on the spot but will call you back. Keep this sheet near the phone so you can fill in the information when it is received.

Pay attention to the differences between the insurance quotes.

The cost of insurance does not just include the premium price. You will need to know the amount of various deductibles. Make sure that you have the liability limits. Record whether you are buying comprehensive, towing, car rental, and other types of coverage. Some policies may be far less than the rest, but offer much less in terms of benefits. This may be what you want to save money, but in many cases, agents may just choose not to quote the options to shoot you a low premium amount.

Never allow you current insurance to lapse before purchasing a replacement policy.

Most car insurance companies will penalize you for not having a current policy in force. Many times this extends to the grace period offered by your current insurer. The new company will want to see that your current insurance is paid up to date. If you like to play the game of seeing how late you can pay car insurance without losing your coverage, it can cost you now. Shop for new insurance in the middle of a monthly premium period if you pay monthly.

Always shop for new car insurance when you can minimize the overlap in policies.

If you have a six month or annual premium, you will want to shop for new insurance during the last six weeks or so of the premium period. Make sure that you give cancellation notification in time for your old insurer to end your policy without having additional premiums due.