How to Pick the Right Car Insurance

by AJ Pettersen · 4 comments

Car insurance

My wife and I were recently married and are in the process of joining all of our finances. Last week we started our own cell phone plan, and now we’re looking at getting car insurance together. There are a number of factors affecting our decision.

Car insurance providers come in many different shapes and sizes; some offer a more personalized experience, while others offer a large range of options. My wife and I need to take into account our current lifestyle and vehicles in order to find a plan that suits us.

Location

Many people love dealing with a personal agent when it comes to insurance. They select someone from their area whom they trust and enjoy working with. My wife and I are in a unique situation. We currently live a long ways from where we plan on living in the future, so a local agent isn’t a real option. We need to find a provider that offers coverage no matter where we are in the country.

We understand this will cause us to lose the personalized feel of a local agent, but we need to find something that fits our situation. We’re looking for a company that could provide assistance to us throughout the country.

Options

Some insurance companies offer only a few different plans, while others offer customizable plans with a number of different options. If getting the right things included in your plan is of utmost importance, you may want to select a company that offers complete customization. My wife and I are looking for a company that fits this description.

With two older cars, we aren’t looking to get the most comprehensive car insurance available. Because they aren’t worth a lot, our cars don’t need collision insurance. A simple liability plan with some other perks should fit us nicely.

One of the perks we’d like is the ability to easily pay our bills online. Many providers offer online capabilities that make car insurance much more accessible.

Having roadside assistance would be nice, as well. Coming from a cold weather state, we know how often old cars have trouble. Having a free tow available could help us out in a bind. It would also be nice to have when we’re traveling throughout the country due to our transient lifestyle.

Price

For us, price is the most important factor. We’re looking for a low price because we don’t want to spend a lot on two cars of lower value. Comparison shopping online between a number of different providers is our first step. Whoever can provide us with the best rate and the right plan will be the one we select.

How to Choose

Where you live, the options you want, and the price of the plan are a few important factors to consider when shopping for car insurance. Customer service is another important thing to consider. If you’re getting comprehensive insurance, you want to know your problems will be taken care of efficiently if they arise.

What’s most important to you when shopping for car insurance?

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  • CP says:

    Comparison shopping is key! And when it comes to car insurance, it can pay to re-shop regularly. Insurers change their ‘secret formula’ to setting rates frequently, so savings can be found every year! Nice job!

  • James says:

    I don’t know why anyone would work with a local agent these days. They all take a commission and it ends up being much more expensive. When finding an auto insurance provider, I think the first thing you should do is go online and compare prices. Most likely, you are going to find the cheapest rates from one of the big companies like Allstate, State Farm, GEICO, etc.

  • Property Marbella says:

    I look at the overall cost over 5 years, as many cars insurance companies offer discounts only for the first year. Prices and service are the most important to me.

  • Long says:

    Price and service are the most important factors for me. I find that if you can get insurance through an affiliation, you will get the best service. I get my insurance products through USAA and am more than happy with their service.

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