Where to Get the Cheapest Online Car Insurance

Cheap car insurance online
The Internet has changed the auto insurance industry. Why? Because it is so easy now to find the cheapest rates online by simply going to insurance web sites and asking for free rate quotes. A few years ago, you would have had to make dozens of time-consuming phone calls or office visits to get the same information.

Many people who already have car insurance, and have been with the same company for years, assume they are paying the lowest rates. They would probably be wrong. Even if their rates were the lowest at one time, it's probably not true now because insurance companies change rates and discount policies frequently. It's easy to check by getting online quotes.

There are four different kinds of online auto insurance web sites: direct, agency, broker, and aggregators.

Direct sites are those operated by large auto insurance companies such as GEICO, Progressive, Hartford, Allstate, State Farm, and so on. When you get an online rate quote, you are only getting a quote from that one company.

Agency sites are operated by local insurance agents representing a single company, such as Allstate. These sites rarely show up in search results unless you search by a specific company name and city. The quote you receive will only be from the insurance company that the agent represents.

Broker sites are usually local independent insurance brokers who work with a number of different insurance companies. The sites are usually found in an Internet search when you search for insurance in a specific town or city, and may not offer online quotes. Quotes are via telephone or email and are not instantaneous.

Aggregator site are the most common of those seen on the Internet. These are companies who, like brokers, work with a number of large car insurance companies. When you complete an online quote request form on their site, they provide immediate rates from the companies they work with, who are competing with each other for your business. This is absolutely the easiest, fastest way to finding the cheapest car insurance rates online.

We recommend Netquote as one of the best providers of online car insurance quotes from multiple companies. They are a well respected Internet-based company and routinely save customers 20%-40%. Give them a try and get a quote. It's free and you are not obligated.

Give complete information for best insurance rates
To get the most accurate rates when you request online quotes, make sure you provide complete information about yourself and your car. Don't lie to an insurance company to get lower rates. When they find out, they will deny you coverage, and keep your money. If they ask for your social security number, provide it. It's safe and it gets you an accurate quote when they know who you are.

If you don't provide complete information, your rate quote will only be a "representative" rate and won't be the same as the actual rate you get when you buy your policy.

Keys to getting cheapest car insurance rates
There are things that affect your insurance cost that you can't control, such as your age, your gender, where you live, and where you drive. Other important factors over which you might have some control are the type of vehicle you drive, your credit score, and who drives your car.

Choose the right company with the best rates. As we've already said, the only want to find the cheapest rates is to get quotes from multiple companies.

Choosing the right type of car greatly your affects car insurance cost. Small, 2-door sporty cars have the highest rates — because they are most often involved in accidents. Larger sedans and SUVs generally have the lowest rates.

Your credit score can affect your car insurance cost with most insurance companies. A low credit score correlates to a higher than average insurance claim rate, according to industry studies. Therefore, you should make sure your credit history doesn't have mistakes and old negative information. Get your score at MyFICO®

Use discounts when available. Discounts vary by insurance company but can include multiple-car discounts, good-driving discounts, good-grade discounts for students, driving school discounts, safety equipment discounts, even discounts based on your job or college degree.

Buy only the insurance you need. State laws require that you have at least minimum liability coverage, but not collision or comprehensive. If your car is a few years old and you can afford to repair it or replace it after an accident, you might not need anything but liability insurance.

Set a high deductible, as much you can afford to pay if you have an accident. Raising your deductible can save significantly on your insurance cost. It might make the difference between cheap car insurance and unaffordable car insurance.

Avoid speeding tickets. Car insurance companies consider you a higher risk if you have speeding tickets, and raise your rates. Some studies have shown that the average increase in annual premiums is over $1000.

If you are 50 years old or older
If you drive and are 50 years old or older, you are probably a member of AARP. If not you should be; the cost is minimal and the benefits are many, too many to mention — including access to its outstanding auto insurance program, administered by The Hartford. The program and rates are specially designed for AARP members. For example, there are multi-car discounts, safe driving discounts, disappearing deductible, accident forgiveness, home/car policy discounts, air bag discounts, hassle-free claim service, and more — including a special discount for members who take an easy online defensive driving course. To take the course costs about $15 and can be completed in about six hours. Once you complete the course, you get the discount.

If you are over 50, we recommend the AARP auto insurance program. Request an online AARP insurance quote..

Summary
In summary, the easiest way to find the cheapest car insurance is to simply ask for rate quotes online. It's free and easy, and you will get multiple quotes from different companies to compare. You are not obligated to accept any of the quotes.

Click here to get a free insurance quote.

Additional information about auto insurance can be found in the following articles:

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