What Information Do I Need to Get Car Insurance Quotes?

Most motorists have a strong feeling about getting alternative auto insurance quotes one way or another. People who know they can save hundreds of dollars by shopping for the best deals cannot stop checking for better rates at each renewal and switch if they need to. Once you know how easy it is and potential savings you cannot let a carrier charge you an arm and a leg for something you can buy from any of the other hundred companies.

Companies will need a few details in order to give accurate quotes. Knowing what is needed speeds up the process and provides insight to how premium calculations work. Some motorists may feel that they need to provide intrusive and privacy concerning information to get automobile insurance quotes. This is true with a few companies and most others ask certain details but don’t insist. If the applicant isn’t willing to provide personally identifying details like Driver License, Vehicle Identification and Social Security Numbers, they ask other questions instead or make those answers optional.

Some providers or agents may ask your SSN to check driving and credit records and give you a firm price. However, most insurers don’t need sensitive personal information like social security or license number just to give you a quote. They assume that you will answer them accurately to the best of your knowledge. So, you can stop if you aren’t willing to provide what they asked and find another platform that doesn’t need it. 

They don’t actually need to carry out full-blown checks on you just to give you a price. Carrying out those checks costs them money and it is pointless if you give out thousands of quotes with marginal take up. They can and they would carry out all those checks (including credit check) once someone actually wants to buy a policy. In the meantime, they assume that the applicants have provided accurate information.

Most of the auto insurance proposal forms require a few details about driving experiences, claims, tickets, the way the vehicle is used, credit score, zip code, other listed drivers and the vehicle so that quotes are accurate. It may seem like an exhaustive list but it doesn’t take long to complete a proposal form or purchase a policy. Let’s break them down below.

Your Contact Details: Usually most introductions start with names and perhaps giving contact details. They need the address to determine where the car is kept at night. They already know how risky every zip code is and how much to charge if you live in a high crime neighborhood. Social Security Number may be asked as well, depending on the company and if they want to do the credit check before offering a firm car insurance quote.

Your Driving History: You need to answer how long have you had the license, have you had any accidents in the last three years and are there any traffic violation tickets on record. These don’t need much explanation as underwriters always consider how risky you are and adjust the premium accordingly. Often they will require Driver License Numbers of all the drivers, although it may be optional to enter this information.

Other Listed Drivers: You need to answer the same questions for every other driver living in the household and the ones you want to include in the policy. Usually, every licensed person at the address must be included and you can include other drivers who don’t live with you.

Your Current Status: You may not think much of it but automobile insurers care if you own a home, married and have any medical condition. These things do affect rates along with age and gender. Job title is probably required too to check if you qualify for any special job related discounts.

Details of Your Vehicle: Usual questions are make, model, age, value, where it is parked at night, does it have salvaged title or has it ever been modified. You will also need to provide yearly mileage and how you use it. Is it only for social use or do you commute with it? They may ask about the commute distance too. They will usually ask for the Vehicle Identification Number.

Type of Coverage Required: You need to decide how much coverage you want because you need to tell if you are looking for a basic liability or full coverage and what extras you want included. You may want to check the current policy declaration page and make adjustments as you see fit.

Other Questions: They will probably want to know about the current company and renewal date. They like to know the competition and when they can have a shot at it.

Every little detail is important and can help you get cheaper car insurance rates. They may also increase prices but you need to provide accurate information to the best of your knowledge. Essentially the declarations become part of the policy contract. For an even more exhaustive list of details required, please check our homepage. You can also check prices with carriers on our panel.

The more details you provide the more accurate the vehicle insurance quotes are. For example, providing all SSN, DLN and VIN will allow you to get a firm quote that will not change once given. Otherwise, you may find that the price has changed slightly when you decide to buy it, depending on how accurate your information was.