Media post: 4 Auto Insurance Tips For First-Time Car Owners
Most people associate owning a car with endless possibilities and freedom. However, it comes with some financial responsibilities like having auto insurance. When you’re looking to buy insurance for your car, you’ll need to undertake some preparations to get a policy with good coverage at an affordable price.
Availing A Car Insurance
Understanding insurance coverages and quotes can be confusing, so getting some tips on how to choose and shop for car insurance can go a long way in helping you find coverages offering the best protection.
If you’re looking to buy auto insurance as a first-time owner, here are some tips you’ll find extremely helpful:
- Have All The Information Insurers Need
Before you start soliciting quotes from insurance providers, you need to be aware of the information they’ll need. In most instances, insurance companies will require you to provide details about the person who’ll be driving the vehicle, your preferred insurance coverage, and relevant information about the vehicle you’re seeking to insure.
Often, driver information includes their name, license number, where the license was issued, and the date of birth. Some companies want to know the history of the driver, particularly with license suspensions or any accidents they’ve been involved in previously. Insurers may also be interested in knowing when a driver completed his or her safe driving course.
When it comes to issuing insurance, insurers are likely to ask about previous coverage, including their expiry dates and carriers. For vehicles, insurance companies will be interested in knowing the car’s model and year of manufacture. They also want to know when the car was bought, its registered owner, its mileage, and where it’s parked or stored.
- Understand Your State’s Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements
Most states in the US require drivers to have liability insurance coverage for property damage and bodily injury. However, liability limits vary from one state to another, and if you’re located in South Central like Oklahoma, reading this article will give you an idea of how much auto insurance coverage you’ll need.
Since these limits vary and may even change with time, knowing the minimum auto insurance requirements is critical to determine whether those requirements are sufficient to offer you adequate financial protection or not.
In some instances, state requirements aren’t enough, so you’ll need to find coverage offering you the protection you need. Doing so would ensure you don’t incur high costs in the event you cause an accident and have to cover for your repairs, severe injuries, or replacements in your car.
- Know What Auto Insurance Coverage You Need
Auto-insurance coverage varies depending on where you live, how old you are, the type of car you own, your credit score, your car’s mileage, and others. Besides liability coverage, insurance companies give additional benefits depending on the coverage one decides to purchase. These include personal injury covering all occupants of a car who get injured in an accident.
Collision insurance is another coverage first-time car owners could consider as it covers you when you’re responsible for causing damages to your car in an accident. Another coverage you might consider is the uninsured or underinsured motorist cover, which could take care of damages resulting from accidents with motorists either uninsured or underinsured. It also covers car owners who find themselves in hit-and-run accidents.
Comprehensive insurance coverage is the other auto insurance option you might consider getting. This caters to a wide range of damages, which may or may not result from collisions. They include theft, fire, falling objects, and even vandalism. Before you get auto insurance for your car, be clear on which coverage you’ll need.
- Get An Auto Insurance Quote
After getting your information ready, it’s time to solicit quotes by visiting an insurance agent or completing short applications online. Often, these applications just require you to use the information stipulated above. Insurance companies use your details along with the vehicle information to calculate the annual insurance fee they’d expect you to pay for the auto insurance coverage.
To ensure you get an accurate quote, take time to evaluate all options available, including any add-ons you may want to have on your coverage. Since coverage packages vary from one insurer to another, you could research different providers and submit multiple quote requests with the same information. That’ll make it easier for you to compare costs for auto insurance.
Once you’ve submitted your quote requests, insurance agents will contact you to discuss your coverage and finalize your premium. Most insurance firms also give customers the option of discussing their coverage directly on phone.
Last Words
Having auto insurance is a must for every car owner, regardless of where you live. However, the process of getting coverage for a car can be challenging, especially when you’re doing it for the first time. If you’re a first-time car owner, use these tips to get auto insurance coverage catering to your needs.
