Avoid These Mistakes When Buying Auto Insurance

Avoid These Mistakes When Buying Auto Insurance

Most drivers, especially the new ones, view auto insurance as more of a bad thing than a good thing or a benefit. But the truth is that car or auto insurance is more of a benefit than a burden. It is also a legal requirement that any car owner simply can’t afford not to have.

In most States, individuals caught driving without adequate auto insurance run the risk of having their vehicles impounded immediately. In addition to this, such individuals may also be forced to pay heavy fines or have their driving licenses revoked.

The good news is that getting auto insurance is not as difficult as some new drivers believe. Some beginners may make a few common mistakes when choosing their first policies. Mistakes can be very costly but can appear trivial at first. Investing in a policy is a long-term commitment. When the entire process is not weighed carefully, the buyer can easily end up purchasing and paying a lot of money for a completely useless policy.

Here is a compilation of mistakes to avoid when buying auto insurance, whether you are a new driver or not:

1. Failing to shop around

Every auto insurance company has its own parameters. This simply means that it’s possible for two providers to offer the same coverage but at different prices. It’s therefore wise to try and get as many quotes as possible before finally settling for a provider. This might take some time but at the end of the day, you will be sure that what you have chosen will be provided for the best price possible. In spite of this, don’t let price be the only way to appraise a provider. While it’s important to identify the cheapest providers, cheap is not always the best, and in most cases, cheap eventually turns out to be more expensive.

2. Going with the minimum in a bid to save

As you are probably aware of, drivers are required by law to have at least a minimum coverage, which is usually known as compulsory insurance. While it is true that compulsory auto insurance calls for a lower premium, it can easily turn expensive in case of an accident. For example, if you hit a person’s car and unfortunately, the damages you cause exceed your minimum coverage, the owner of the car you hit has the right to sue you in a bid to recover the difference. In most States, minimum coverage for property damage and for bodily injury ranges from $10,000 to $50,000 per individual per accident.

3. Lying on your auto insurance application

Sometimes, distorting the truth just a little might seem like a clever way to get the best prices, but distorting the truth will definitely come back to haunt you at some point. Reputable auto insurance providers always have a way of identifying a lie and if they have reason to believe that you have given them false information, they have a right to cancel your policy, to decline to pay a claim or to even report you to the police.

4. Not asking for discounts

In most cases, a policy comes with a discount of one type or another and it is always wise to ask if you are entitled to any. Some of the common discounts that come with auto insurance policies include the following:

• Paying up an entire policy in a single installment or in full
• Using EFT to make monthly payments
• Combining auto insurance with other types of insurance, such as home insurance
• Using one policy to insure multiple cars
• Student discount
• Safe driver discount
• Using EFT to make monthly payments
• Low mileage discount

What we have looked at are just some of the various mistakes most car owners make when shopping for auto insurance. There are more mistakes that can easily turn up, but the good news is that with some good research. You can find effective coverage at a good price. Even a little research and a bit of company comparison can save you a lot. Check online to research companies or even talk to friends, relatives, and other acquaintances and see who they recommend.