If you’re going through the process of getting car insurance quotes, you may be a little worried about what to expect. What’s going to be involved in the quoting process? Will there be a lot of fancy “insurance-speak” words thrown your way? Is getting auto insurance going to turn into a stressful thing? (Hopefully not!) We know insurance isn’t a “favorite thing” for a lot of people, but we’re here to help. To let you know what to expect when you get quotes from a car insurance agent, we’ve put together a list of 5 questions to be ready for.
Be ready for these questions when you’re getting car insurance.
1. What is your legal name?
Maybe you never, ever go by your legal name and barely respond to it when you hear it. You might go by something completely different than what’s legally considered to be your name – your nickname, your middle name, a name you chose for yourself. That’s all well and good. You should be called what you want to be called. But when you’re getting car insurance quotes, you’re going to have to provide your legal name.
2. Your date of birth.
A lot of the time when you’re filling out surveys or forms, you might be asked how old you are, and you might be asked to check the box of the appropriate range of numbers (20-25, 26-30, etc.) Insurance needs to be a bit more specific than that, so the car insurance agent will need your exact date of birth. (Be forewarned, young drivers tend to get higher car insurance rates because they’re less experienced behind the wheel and they can be more prone to taking risks. But don’t worry – if you’re a young driver and you get good grades, you could be eligible to get a Good Student Discount.)
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3. Are you currently insured?
The car insurance agent may also ask whether you’re currently insured. This isn’t a trick question – they’re not trying to trip you up, and they’re not looking for one answer or the other. They just want to know about the coverage you might already have so they can best assist you. Remember, a good car insurance agent is there to help you. They’re not trying to trip you up or anything – they just want to help you get the coverage that’s right for you.
4. What’s your address?
Wait a minute – you’re getting car insurance quotes, not home insurance quotes. Why does the agent need your address? (Well, they need to know the address so they can mail you things as needed, for starters.) But also your location/where you live can affect your car insurance premium.
Pro tip: You might want to consider bundling your home and auto insurance.
5. What’s the year, make, and model of the vehicle?
The car insurance agent will also need to know the year, make, and model of the vehicle. They need to know what kind of car you’re going to be driving so they can get you accurate quotes for car insurance. Insuring a six-year-old SUV that’s safe and reliable is different than insuring a brand-new sports car, after all.
So, those are five important questions you have to be ready to answer. But to get ready for getting car insurance, you’ve also got to speak the language.
7 car insurance words you should know.
Here are a few “insurance-speak” words you should know when you go through the quoting process:
Declaration page – The declaration page gives an overview of your policy. It includes information like the coverages you choose, the limits for each coverage, the price of each coverage, what vehicles are covered, and so on.
Deductible – Your deductible is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim. You have your section of the claim and the insurance company has theirs. Let’s say you have a $1,600 claim and you’d chosen a $500 deductible. You cough up the $500, the insurance company pays $1,100.
Limit of coverage – This is the maximum amount that insurance will pay towards a covered loss. Your state has required “minimum limits” of insurance that tell you how much insurance you need to legally drive. (You may want to set higher limits of coverage than your state’s minimums, though.)
Named insured – The primary person the policy is for.
Primary use – What you use the car for most of the time (commuting, pleasure, farm, etc.)
Premium – How much you pay for your car insurance.
Principal driver – The person who drives the insured vehicle most frequently.
Our team of insurance professionals can help you get great auto insurance at a great rate. We can help you navigate the world of car insurance so you can hit the road with peace of mind. Get started with your quotes by filling out our online form, give us a call, or message us on LiveChat.