How To Get Car Insurance Only 5 Step

When shopping for a new car, you must spend your time weighing your options in an effort to locate the best vehicle at an affordable price. The process of buying auto insurance should be the same. Unfortunately, many car owners neglect to complete this essential step, resulting in additional costs.

How to Get Car Insurance

1. Compile your driver and vehicle details

You will need the following details to initiate your auto insurance purchase:

• General details such as your name, address and birthday for each driver listed on the insurance

• Information about each driver in the policy license

• Information including vehicle year, make, and model as well as VIN and current odometer reading

• All drivers listed on the policy's driving record, including any at-fault collisions, moving violations and any defensive driving lessons taken

• All drivers listed on the policy's driving record, including any at-fault collisions, moving violations and any defensive driving lessons taken

2. Calculate the amount of car insurance you need

The first step is to find out how much auto insurance you need before purchasing coverage. If you purchase insufficient coverage, you risk being dangerously underinsured. However, if you purchase too much, you will be paid too much.

Here are some common coverage types to think about.

Auto liability insurance

Liability vehicle insurance covers property damage and injury to other people in the event you are at fault in a car accident, including their medical bills and automobile repair costs. It also pays legal fees if someone sues you as a result of the accident.

Most states (except New Hampshire and Virginia) mandate that you maintain minimum liability coverage for your vehicle. For example, all New York motorists are required to carry a minimum liability limit of 25/50/10, which translates to:

• $25,000 for bodily injury to a person ($50,000 for death)

• $50,000 for two or more people suffering bodily harm ($100,000 for one death)

• $10,000 for property damage

The problem, though, is that most states just require bare minimum liability insurance terms. You would be responsible for the balance above $50,000, for example, if you purchased the minimum amount in New York and were in a car accident that resulted in multiple injuries and more than $50,000 in medical expenses.

A reasonable rule of thumb is to purchase enough liability insurance to cover what you might lose in a lawsuit.

Uninsured Driver Protection

Although it is required, not all drivers purchase liability insurance. Additionally, some drivers may not have enough liability insurance to cover a costly car accident. So what if a driver who is either underinsured or uninsured hits you?

Your medical bills and other expenses, such as lost earnings, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering, are covered by your uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance (UM) and underinsured motorist insurance (UIM).

Some states require UM. Other states offer optional UM coverage (you can decline coverage in writing). If you have access to UM coverage, it's a good idea to have it even if it's not mandatory in your state.

Comprehensive and collision insurance

If you want to cover the cost of auto repairs on your own vehicle, you should purchase collision and comprehensive insurance. Although they are sometimes sold together, these coverage options address two distinct categories of issues:

• Collision insurance can help pay for necessary auto repairs if the accident involves rear-ending another vehicle or a pole. Instead of using your own collision policy, you can file a claim against the liability insurance of the person who hit you and repaired your car.

• Comprehensive insurance helps cover car repair costs for problems like falling objects, collisions with animals, fire, flood, hail, vandalism and theft. It also compensates the value of your car if it is stolen.

Your lender or leasing company will probably demand that you carry both collision and comprehensive insurance if you have a car loan or lease.

Protection against personal injury

Regardless of the cause of the collision, personal injury protection (PIP) will cover your medical fees and other expenses if you and your passengers are injured in a car accident. PIP is mandated in 15 states under "no-fault" insurance regulations. In four states and the District of Columbia, PIP is not required.

PIP often includes:

• Medical expenses

• Lose wages if an accident injury prevents you from working

• Rehabilitation costs

• Substitute services, such as childcare and housework, that you are unable to do because of the injury

• Funeral expenses

Health insurance coverage

This type of insurance, sometimes called "MedPay," covers medical expenses for you and your passengers regardless of the cause of the car accident. The typical selling price range for MedPay is between $1,000 and $5,000. MedPay is not available in all states.

Optional coverage type

To make sure you're fully protected, you may want to purchase additional coverage in addition to the usual auto insurance options:

• Insurance for payment of rent. Rental reimbursement insurance covers any additional transportation costs you may incur, such as a rental car or subway ride, if your car becomes inoperable due to a problem covered by your policy.

• gap protection. If your car is totaled due to a problem covered by your insurance policy and you have a loan or lease, gap insurance pays the difference between what's owed on your loan and the depreciated value of the car (such as a car accident or fire).

• Insurance for roadside assistance. The cost of a tow truck, jump start, or locksmith is covered by roadside assistance insurance if your vehicle breaks down or gets a flat on the side of the road.

3. Compare automobile insurance rates

Comparing automobile insurance quotes from several insurance providers is the next step in deciding how much coverage you need. Don't overlook this important step as car insurance costs can vary significantly from insurer to insurer for the same coverage.

Get free quotes here:

• Online If you want to buy from the comfort of your sofa, you can locate free auto insurance by visiting an insurer's website or using a comparison website that allows you to evaluate different policies simultaneously.

• An agent for insurance. If you want to do this, you can talk to an insurance representative. Instead of talking to a captive agent who only sells policies for a specific business, it's better to talk to an independent agent who sells policies from a variety of insurance companies.

To get an insurance quote you will need the following details on hand:

• Identification Data This information includes the zip code, driver's license number, age, and driving history of each driver in your home (where you garage your car).

• Vehicle specific. In addition to the brand and model of your automobile, it's a good idea to know things like safety and anti-theft features because they can get you discounts.

4. Get a car insurance policy

After deciding on the company and coverage you want, it's time to submit an auto insurance application.

If you pay the entire term in advance, some insurers will give you a discount of up to 10%. You can often choose monthly installments if you don't want to pay everything up front. If you use automatic withdrawal, you may be eligible for a small discount.

When you have a policy, the insurance provider will mail, fax, or email you proof of insurance. A mobile app from multiple insurers allows you to download your insurance documentation. With the exception of New Mexico, most states now accept digital proof of auto insurance.

If you're buying a new or used automobile, most jurisdictions require proof of insurance before you can register the vehicle and drive off the dealership lot.

5. Close your old insurance

If you previously had insurance for your current vehicle before canceling the previous policy, make sure your new coverage is in effect. For the remaining months of the previous insurance, you should get a refund.

Make sure you have proof that your insurance has been terminated.

If you cancel your auto insurance before the new coverage takes effect, your car will remain uninsured, which can have serious legal and financial repercussions if your car gets into an accident. In this case, you will be responsible for covering all out-of-pocket costs and damages and the risk of getting a ticket for driving an uninsured vehicle. A lapse in coverage could result in higher rates for your new policy, so expect to spend more.