ValuePenguin Review: Auto Insurance Plans

Continued from above...

Where is the Best Place to Purchase Auto Insurance?

Whether you've just turned 16, or you're 99 years old and out driving on the roads, you need auto insurance. This protects you and everyone else by making sure that if an accident happens, it will be paid for and taken care of. Whether you get in a small fender bender or (heaven forbid) a devastating large-scale accident, your insurance will kick in and save you from potentially having to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Besides paying for damage done to your car and anyone else potentially involved in an issue on the road, auto insurance can cover things like theft, weather, keying, or natural disasters. It can help pay for medical bills, lost wages, or even a funeral if anyone is injured or killed. There are a range of other things your insurance can help with depending on the plan like a cracked windshield, which comes in handy since we've all been hit by a flying rock or two on the road.

There are usually different tiers of auto insurance plans that you can choose from that will determine how much is covered. You're probably familiar with a few big-name auto insurance companies that seem to dominate the marketplace with ads and commercials. But there are actually quite a few companies out there and some could save you a significant amount of money compared to their competitors.

You can usually get a quick online quote within minutes that will help you compare pricing between companies. There are even some services that will take your information and instantly help you compare quotes among a bunch of different companies without you having to visit them one at a time. Depending on your driving history, some of these services give you more accurate quotes than others, but it's always worth a try.

We've done a lot of the deep dive research regarding some of the top online websites that sell auto insurance and recommend keeping the following things in mind when you're shopping:

• Quote turnaround time. It's frustrating to spend time filling out personal information on a website and answering questions about your driving history only to find that instead of providing you with an online quote, you have to wait to talk to a representative on the phone. This can drag out the process and make it hard to easily compare quotes among companies.
• Information required. Most companies ask for basic information like your name and email address before getting started with questions about what you need in an insurance policy. However, some companies require a social security number or other private information before providing an online quote, and we would be wary of this. We like companies that just ask for what they need in order to provide you with pricing rather than try to get as much out of you.
• Reputation. Pay close attention to the Better Business Bureau rating and customer ratings of an insurance company. When you're in a situation where you need your insurance company to step in, it's usually not a fun one and you want to work with someone who will be helpful, responsive, and provide payouts quickly. When you pay for auto insurance, you should expect the company to deliver on their product, but unfortunately a lot of companies make this difficult. Look for a place that people are happy with and trust.

The experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched and ranked the most popular auto insurance sites you're likely to consider when shopping for coverage. We hope this information helps you have peace of mind as you head out on the road and feel taken care of when the time comes to use your policy!