Sometimes, you want car insurance as quickly as possible while still choosing one that’s affordable. Instant car insurance can be a little more expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. One of the best ways to get cheap, instant car insurance is to buy it online.
What Should I Look for in Cheap Car Insurance?
While cheap and quick may be your priorities for insurance, you also want to get the best insurance you can. While looking at car insurance companies, keep these factors in mind:
Customer Support
Ideally, you won’t have to spend a lot of time talking to your insurance company’s customer support, because that usually means you aren’t having any issues or accidents. When you need that customer service, however, it”s extremely important that they’re responsive and helpful. Research the company’s customer service to make sure you choose a business that will help you when you need it.
Company Reliability
It’s important to make sure you sign up with a reputable company whose cheap online car insurance isn’t too good to be true. The Better Business Bureau is a great resource for confirming that the insurance company is reliable and pays out claims.
Customer Satisfaction
If you’re comparing a few reliable companies with similar rates and aren’t sure which to choose, look at customer reviews. The insurance company may host reviews on their site, but you can also check social media or search the company’s name to see what you find. Read both good and bad reviews, so you can understand the pros and cons of each company from the customer’s point of view.
How Long Does It Take To Get Car Insurance Online?
Depending on your history with the insurance company, you can get insurance online in just a few minutes. However, there are some situations where it may be difficult or impossible to get instant car insurance. Before starting the process, consider if any of these situations apply to you:
- Address: If you’ve recently moved or don’t have a permanent address, insurers may have some difficulty verifying your address, which can increase the time it takes to get a quote.
- Accidents: When you have a lot of accidents and citations on your driving record, insurance companies may consider you a liability, which can make it difficult to obtain insurance.
- Car type: The kind of car you have can affect your ability to get quick insurance. For example, if you have a rare or classic car, the insurance company’s database might not include it.
- Missing information: If the insurance company doesn’t have all the data they need, like the car’s date of purchase or details on your past insurance coverage, you may need to wait longer for a quote.
What Do I Need To Get An Online Car Insurance Quote?
Having your information ready can help you get an insurance quote quickly. Here’s the information and documentation you’re likely to need for this process:
- Driver’s license number
- Car information, including make, model, and vehicle identification number (VIN)
- Driver information, including name, occupation, date of birth, permanent address, and marital status
- Recent driving history
- The car’s mileage
- The car’s date of purchase
- Registered owner’s name
- Details of other car insurance coverage you’ve had
- Credit score
Where Can I Get Cheap Instant Car Insurance?
According to ValuePenguin, these insurance companies that also offer quick insurance options have some of the cheapest average rates in the country:
- USAA: $36 per month
- State Farm: $44 per month
- American Family: $53 per month
- GEICO: $56 per month
- Progressive: $74 per month
- Allstate: $76 per month
Note that USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families.
How Can I Make My Car Insurance Rate Cheaper?
There are several factors that insurance companies consider when deciding on your car insurance rate. Here are a few ways you can keep your rate low:
Maintain a Good Driving Record
A great way to keep your car insurance rate low is to maintain an excellent driving record. When you have a lot of accidents or citations, you may have some difficulty finding insurance or, if you already have insurance, your company could raise your rates. This may not be the case if another driver caused the accident. If an insurance company can see from your record that you’re a safe driver with a well-maintained car, then they’re more likely to offer you a lower rate.
Research Discounts
Many insurance companies offer discounts on car insurance. You might actually get a discount just for getting your car insurance online or using a paperless payment option. Here are a few other examples of discounts to check for when comparing insurance companies:
- Military discount
- Student discount
- Senior discount
- Energy efficient car discount
- Low mileage discount
- Discount for advanced safety features
- Discount for completing a safe driving program
- Discount for being a member of a professional or alumni organization
Combine Cars, Drivers, and Policies
Many insurance companies offer discounts if you bundle your vehicles, drivers, and policies. For vehicles, this means that if you insure more than one car with the same company, you might be able to get a discount. You can often get a discount if there’s more than one driver on your policy, although other factors, like the driver’s accident record, could affect this discount. A lot of companies that insure cars also offer other types of insurance, such as home insurance, and they may provide a discount if you have more than one type of insurance with them.
Consider Your Car Choice
There are a few ways your choice of car can impact your insurance rate. A large factor is the safety of your car. A car with a lot of safety features is likely to be cheaper to insure than a car focused on speed and power. Insurance companies may also consider how expensive it would be to repair your car if something happened to it. For example, if your car has high-quality tech or luxury features, those can raise your insurance rate. If you’re buying a new car, make sure to research the average insurance rates first.
Now that you know what factors to consider when getting cheap, instant car insurance, you can make an informed financial decision. Implementing certain strategies, such as researching companies and looking for discounts, can help you get an amazing deal with a reputable company.
At FIXD, our mission is to make car ownership as simple, easy, and affordable as possible. Our research team utilizes the latest automotive data and insights to create tools and resources that help drivers get peace of mind and save money over the life of their car.
