My Quick Car Insurance Quotes

Quick car insurance quotes is what we want. Shopping around for car insurance is a good way to save hundreds of dollars. Who doesn't want to save money? Apparently a lot of drivers, because many don't claim their savings.

There are probably about a hundred other things I'd rather do than fill in forms with my zip code, address, and car model. Going to the dentist to get a tooth pulled is one. OK, so I exaggerate a bit - but the idea of getting quotes doesn't top the list of fun things to do. The incentive of savings hundreds is what drove me forward.

Car insurers have caught on to this desire for speed:

It started with Geico Car Insurance. "15 minutes can save you 15% or more."

Following soon afterwards was Progressive Car Insurance. They claim about 6 minutes.

Then Esurance Car Insurance claim they are the fastest quotes on the NET. So that means they are less the 6 minutes; maybe only 5 minutes.

As an impatient consumer I like this kind of competition.

So the internet has saved the day, right? Well, not exactly.

The truth is quick car insurance quotes are not always so quick and easy. When I tried to speed through the insurance quoting process it took me a lot longer than advertised. It was more like more like 30 minutes if I actually timed it. It also involved a couple of false starts. Seriously, I exaggerate not.

I had to ask myself a few questions:

"Am I a slow poke at filling out car insurance forms?" and

"What is everybody else doing to fly through this online quoting process?"

As it turns out, there is a key to quick quotes. It's the one thing to do before you start that will cut so much time from the process it's ridiculous. You don't need to feel like a slow poke.

Here is the key ...

Dig out your existing car insurance declarations page.

It is a summary sheet from your insurance company all about your current car insurance. This summary sheet has a lot of the information you need to fill out the online insurance quote forms.

Can't remember what model year your car is? No worries, it's on the declarations page. Don't know the VIN number. Simple, just look on your declarations page. Congratulations, you just became a speedy car insurance form filler outer. (Sorry, it's the best title I could come up with).

Whew, I'm not a slow poke after all. What a relief.

Your declarations page is the key to quick car insurance quotes.

Nine types of car insurance can make up a policy that you buy from a car insurance provider. During a car insurance quote you'll be asked to make decisions about them. To help make quick car insurance quotes are reality, these nine types of insurance are explained in simple English.

During my first online car insurance quote, I was unsettled by all the questions to answer. I had no confidence that I was making the right insurance decisions. To be honest, I wasn't even sure what each insurance type covered.

Learning about insurance makes a big difference. Now after researching insurance it is much less unnerving to receive quotes. In fact it is almost easy.

Nine types of car insurance coverage explained in a simple format:

Car insurance type
Covers ...
Pays for ...
Damages caused by ...

1. Bodily Injury Liability
Covers others
Pays for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, your legal fees
Damages caused by you

2. Property Damage Liability
Covers others
Pays for car repairs and other property damage
Damages caused by you

3. Uninsured Motorist Coverage or Under-insured Motorist Coverage
Covers you
Pays for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering
Damages cause by others

4. Collison Coverage
Covers you
Pays for car repairs
Damages caused by you or others

5. Comprehensive Coverage
Covers you
Pays for car repairs
Damages caused by natural disaster, vandalism, theft

6. Medical Payments
Covers you
Pays for medical expenses
Damages caused by you or others

7. Personal Injury Protection
Covers you
Pays for medical expenses, lost wages, replacement services, survivor losses
Damages caused by you or others

8. Rental Reimbursement Coverage
Covers you
Pays for rental car
Damages caused by you or others

9. Roadside Assistance Coverage
Covers you
Pays for towing
Damages caused by you or others

Please note that the explanations provided here are simplified and generalized to help make quick car insurance quotes become a reality. Coverage types and terms vary from state to state. For specifics about your car insurance coverage and what it pays for please refer to your car insurance policy. 

Vying for your online automobile insurance quote are hundreds of sites on the world wide web. A search on Google with key word car insurance quotes shows many of them. Some of these web sites are operated by very reputable car insurance companies or agencies. Others are not.

Q: How can I be confident with my online auto insurance quote?

This is a good question to ask. During an online quote a lot of personal information is provided to the web site such as name, address, driving record, and in some cases social security number. This is not the type of information you want to give to just any web site. It has to be one that you can trust.

I cut short my first experience with an online auto insurance quote. After I realized all the personal information that was requested I just couldn't continue. My quick car insurance quotes were no longer quick. I lacked confidence in the site.  

A: Review for signs of a reputable web site.

Before typing in the forms of a car insurance web site, there are several signs of a reputable web site to look for. After reviewing for these signs, you can feel more secure about sharing personal information.

1. Company Name and Address
2. Licensed to Quote in Your State or Province
3. Excellent or Superior Financial Strength
4. History of Low Complaints
5. High Web Site Traffic
6. Third Party Verification
7. Available Customer Service
8. Privacy Policy

Fortunately there are several very reputable sites that work hard to earn your trust. The best, like Geico, Progressive, and Esurance, have already been reviewed here. Want to build confidence as needed for quick car insurance quotes? Go ahead and read my reviews. It's a smart beginning to an online automobile insurance quote.

Whether you spell their name Geico or Gieco, the word is getting out about how easy it is to save 15% or more. Between the gecko and cavemen mascots, I think every driver in the U.S. is now familiar with this company. The awareness is resulting in a lot of drivers getting quick car insurance quotes and switching over. As the fastest growing major car insurance company, Geico is now the fourth largest private car insurer in the United States.

Corporate Address:
Government Employees Insurance Company
5260 Western Avenue
Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Company Type:
Auto Insurance Company

Slogan:
You could save 15%

Lincensed To Quote:
All U.S. States

Financial Stability A.M. Best Rating:
A++ Superior Financial Strength

Complaint Ratio (# of Complaints/# drivers)*100:
Very Low Complaint Ratio

Alexa Web Site Traffic Ranking and Reach:
Top 20000

Third Party Verification:
VeriSign Secured

Customer Service:
Available 24/7 by call center or email

Privacy Policy:
YES

Are Quick Car Insurance Quotes A Reality At Geico?
YES

Progressive is a fun site to get instant comparison quotes. It's not that they offer estimates from leading car insurance companies along with quotes of their own, or that they are the third largest car insurance company. I like their quick car insurance quotes because they automatically calculate your savings relative to your current insurance.

Corporate Address:
The Progressive Corporation
6300 Wilson Mills Road
Mayfield Village, OH 44143

Company Type:
Auto Insurance Company

Slogan:
It's about you. And it's about time.

Licensed to Quote:
All U.S. States
Comparison quotes not available in MA

Financial Stability A.M. Best Rating:
A+ Superior Financial Strength

Complaint Ratio (# of Complaints/# drivers)*100:
Very Low Complaint Ratio

Alexa Web Site Traffic Ranking and Reach:
Top 40,000 Ranking

Third Party Verification:
VeriSign Secured

Customer Service:
Available 24/7 by call center or email

Privacy Policy:
YES

Are quick car insurance quotes a reality at Progressive?
YES

Esurance does more than provide quick car insurance quotes and easy way to comparison shop. Their award winning web site makes it convenient to learn about car insurance before you buy and also easy to manage your policy afterwards. They are also committed to the environment. I like their motto: "save some green". At Esurance it's about saving money and preserving the world for our children and grandchildren.

Corporate Address:
Esurance
650 Davis Street
San Francisco, CA 94111

Company Type:
Auto Insurance Company

Slogan:
Quote. Buy. Print.

Licensed To Quote:
Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.

Financial Stability A.M. Best Rating:
A- Excellent Financial Strength

Complaint Ratio (# of Complaints/# drivers)*100:
Very Low Complaint Ratio

Alexa Web Site Traffic Ranking and Reach:
Top 60,000 Ranking

Third Party Verification:
VeriSign Secured
BBB Online Reliability Program

Customer Service:
Available 24/7 by call center or email

Privacy Policy:
YES

Are quick car insurance quotes a reality at Esurance?
YES