If you didn’t start looking for auto insurance for 2023 in January, you need to know. Everything having anything to do with new cars is changing, and that includes the insurance to protect them. We have three solid reasons you’ll want to begin searching now for better coverage and rates.
Car insurance options
Both new insurance companies coming onto the scene, and established ones can offer different coverage and prices from the previous year. These insurers won’t seek you out, you need to search for rates and coverage on your own. And some insurers offer certain coverage that others don’t, which may be better for you.
Personal changes could benefit you
Life happens. Changes in your life from more children, divorce, or a different job, are just a few of the changes we’re referring to. These changes can offer you different coverage that may help to lower your rates.
Each person has a different threshold for risk. And what one may consider less concerning, another puts at a higher risk. Coverage for those areas you’re looking for better or less protection has different rates. So by comparing each portion of an insurance plan, you can add each section up and then see what comes out less expensive.
Insurers have higher rates for those who don’t compare
Most insured drivers accept that their insurance company will increase rates each year. And they’re usually right. And for those, insurers incorporate something called “price optimization,” according to Motley Fool.
While it encompasses several metrics, one of the main ones is if the policyholder shops around or not. If you’re one that doesn’t compare rates from several companies, your insurance company will charge you higher rates. So rather than a reward for loyalty, you get the opposite.
And there are many new packages insurance companies put together to attract new customers. They won’t tell you about them, but you’re still eligible for them in most cases. You might even want to look to see what some of those packages are, as they are surely cheaper rates.
Buying car insurance online
With online shopping, it is fairly quick and easy to get a range of rates from different companies. And there are some companies, like Geico and Progressive, that will let you complete the purchase online. But some companies, like Allstate and State Farm, will give you a quote online, but you must contact an agent to complete the purchase.
According to WalletHub, you can save from five percent to 20 percent in the first year by buying online without an agent. And you can save anywhere from two percent to 15 percent every year after. Doing it online saves insurance companies the documentation that is required by an agent and also eliminates giving them commissions.
Just make sure that you are completely honest about the information you give insurance companies. If it finds some of the info untrue, it will cancel your policy.
Based in New York, Stephen Freeman is a Senior Editor at Trending Insurance News. Previously he has worked for Forbes and The Huffington Post. Steven is a graduate of Risk Management at the University of New York.