Choosing insurance is not an easy task regardless of whether it is home, car or life insurance. Before starting to hire one, you have to take into account a series of steps that will help you make the right decision so that you do not regret it after a few months. In the case of the car, it is of vital importance.
Your vehicle is a means of transport with which you can cause more than one physical and material damage, so knowing what coverage you need, your economic status, etc. will help you assess each of the options and choose it successfully. The ten steps that we offer you below draw a fixed line for you to follow and get the best possible option.
Step 1: Before anything else
when you look for a car insurance What you want is to be adequately covered in the event of an accident, but without paying a penny more. Yeah, and how do we get it?
Insurance represents significant money to save per year in these moments of crisis. How much? Well, surely a few hundred or even a few thousand euros of savings… Really? To give an example, one of our researchers used an online comparison of car insurance calculations for your specific profile and found the not inconsiderable difference of 743 euros of insurance per year between the most expensive and the cheapest company. . What is it worth?
Step 2: What coverage do I need?
To find the car insurance appropriate, you start by finding out “how much” coverage I need. Every person and situation is different. Do I need one with all risks without excess? There are many clients who base their decisions on the worst situations and perhaps this is the typical client of insurance companies Insurance companies “play” with statistics and know in each case how many average people are going to have an accident, suffer a robbery …
Experts recommend that if you have a large amount of assets you should have enough liability coverage to protect them. For example, I have €30,000 of bodily injury liability coverage, but I have €60,000 in assets… Lawyers could go against my estate in the case of an accident in which I am at fault and the other part of the bills medical costs exceed €30,000.
For establishing general recommendations for contracting civil liability… Do I have a comfortable financial situation? Could they go against my asset? If so, it is convenient to contract €30,000 in civil liability for injuries, €60,000 for all people injured in an accident and damage to third-party vehicles amounting to €25,000 (More than half of the cars are worth less than €25,000 ). Once again, however, let your financial situation be your guide. If you have no assets, don’t buy excess coverage.
Driving habits must also be taken into consideration. If you have a bad experience with an insurance company, if you have a hot foot on the gas or a difficult road to get home, perhaps you should consider wider coverage. also influence positive aspects such as a good history of accidents, a low death rate in accidents, robberies, etc. Make sure of aspects such as having a replacement car, it can be of vital importance in the event of a breakdown when you are on vacation or similar.
Step 3: Review of your Driver’s License and your current insurance policy
Do you have a card? And insurance policy? Have you had fines lately? Do you have points left? All this seriously influences the price of car insurance and its prior review is not trivial, perhaps you can recover some point in a few days and wait to quote the car insurance again… You must not forget that the enemy to beat is the price your current insurance Look for someone else that improves that figure.
Step 4: Request Competitive Quotes
We have already finished with the philosophy, as we said before, it is time to start buying. Do you have a free hour? Take it as one more job and have all your current insurance papers handy for the upcoming fight.
Internet first. There are many easy-to-use online insurance comparators that can give you a first touchstone on prices. Does this bore you? Think that only via online we can achieve savings of about four hundred euros.
When you get down to work you must take into account these points regarding the quotes
- There are some companies that do not give you a price in real time, they call you to give you the cost of the insurance, especially if they are Insurance Brokers or similar.
- Each quote will require between 5 and 10 minutes but it will be worth it. Sure!
Step 5: Quote registration, write it all down
In order not to miss out on all the information you are collecting, make an electronic document with notes or a sheet of paper divided into categories so you will avoid overworking. Do not forget to add the following points:
- Monthly and annual rates for the different types of coverage: since the annual price is not the same as the monthly price, do not forget to write down the amounts of the insurance in the same form of payment (the annual one is the most representative).
- discounts offered by insurance companies according to your profile. Are there additional discounts or gifts to take into account? Write them down!
Step 6: Now tap on the phone
Once you have exhausted all the online routes, it is time to pick up the phone, it is my turn to contact all those that do not have an online quote. Having a pen and paper in hand will help you once again to have all the documents at hand to make the job easier and faster for the person who is going to give me a quote over the phone. Do not forget to request a document (via email) with all the information provided by the telephone operator.
Step 7: Search for promotions
When you’re on the phone I mustn’t let my guard down with promotions. Ask your interlocutor. Is there any additional discount that you can offer me? Perhaps my history, my type of car, the extras that favor the low accident rate, etc.
Step 8: Selecting the right insurance company
You are closer to the final decision, only one detail is missing. The cheapest insurance company is the most suitable? Bad news, it’s time to read and investigate again because if you need your insurance company and they don’t know how to assist you in the event of an accident, you will have saved for nothing. Gather as much information as possible about the company that is beginning to attract your attention.
Here are some tips to guide your thinking and help you make a decision:
- In the General Directorate of Insurance Maybe they can offer you information about the company, if it serves its customers well, if it has many complaints…
- What do trusted car dealers and garages think about them.
- Do you have an insurance agent who recommends this company?
- Take a look at what the rating companies think about the financial strength of your chosen one.
Step 9: Review of the particular conditions before signing
You have already done your research and decided on the insurance company. Before signing you must read the coverage carefully, review the exclusions included in your policy before signing. Verify with special care a clause that is the keep your right to sue, in the words of an expert… “Find out if you are waiving your right to go to court and if there is an obligation to go to arbitration if there is a disagreement [entre tú y la compañía de seguros]».
It goes without saying that “It is much better if this right is not waived… It is easier for [las aseguradoras] They can take advantage of you.” If you find a clause to this effect, all is not necessarily lost. “At least in theory, a contract is a mutual agreement, so you should be able to cross the bargaining line.”
Step 10: Cancel your old policy
After taking out the new policy there are two more things to do. The first is to cancel insurance coverage with the current insurance company. Now, you are free to enjoy the money saved.
