Where to Buy Cheap Auto Insurance
Cheap auto insurance. Does it exist? And if it exists, how exactly do I go about getting some?
There are two ways to go about buying car insurance. The dumb way and the smart way. Let’s talk about the dumb way first.
Dumb Mistake #1
Buying auto insurance from the same company your dad bought his from just because he was your dad.
It’s great to be sentimental about your dad. I’m sure he taught you many things when you were growing up. But the sad fact is that the average dad knows as much about buying auto insurance as the average housewife knows about reboring an engine. We’re not talking about the best way to mow your lawn here.
Dumb Mistake #2
Blindly going with the cheapest rate you find.
Hey, what’s wrong with that? Well, nothing is wrong with that, until it comes time to file a claim and get reimbursed. Then you suddenly find out what’s wrong with that when you find it extremely difficult to get money out of your so-called auto insurance company.
Anybody can put up an ad and collect premiums all day. Terrific business model. Even better when you rarely pay out on claims and then blow town when the heat gets turned up. I hear that Maui is nice this time of the year.
Dumb Mistake #3
Running all around town shopping for the best deal. Hitting 15 different agencies and asking them all the same questions, recording 27 different numbers in a spreadsheet, sorting it, and then “making an informed decision”.
Oh sure, this sound sensible. It’s probably what my high school chemistry teacher still does. The only problem with it is that it’s the hard way to go about accomplishing what should be an easy task and wastes a couple of weekends you would have better spent playing golf or snoozing on the couch.
You work hard all week, why kill yourself on the weekends too?
Smart Move #1
Decide first what coverage you need.
What are your state minimums for collision, liability, and medical? Are you comfortable with those or do you want a little extra cushion? Do a little basic research online. This should take you all of 20 minutes. Pull out your current policy (if you have one) and note what you are currently insured for. Did you listen to a sales pitch and go overboard with the coverage, way above state minimums? Is that the level of coverage that you want to continue paying for?
Smart Move #2
Deal only with long-standing, reputable companies.
As was mentioned before. A dirt cheap policy is worth nothing if you can’t collect on it. What’s that? You’ll sue? You’ll have to find them first.
Smart Move #3
OK, you’ve read this far, now here’s the secret. One-Stop Shopping.
How nice would it be to walk into a place that doesn’t just push insurance at you from one company, their own? How nice would it be to walk into a place and talk to a knowledgeable guy about the coverage you want, have him check all around with the best, most reliable insurance companies in the country for the best deal for you personally?
Not the deal his boss is leaning on him to shove down your throat because it makes them the most money. But the best deal for you, your car, and your circumstances.
And finally, how nice would it be if you could do all of this from your own home, without having to deal with a salesman coming over, at your own leisure, whenever you want?
For information on where you can go online to instantly get the lowest quotes from the top insurers in the nation, please visit my blog on Cheap Auto Insurance.
