How to Get Car Insurance for the First Time: 3 Steps to Take
There’s nothing like the thrill of owning your first car! You feel the world is your oyster and you’re free to go wherever you like, right?
While the idea of driving into the sunset, rooftop down, and music blaring into the speakers is certainly doable, there are a few things you need to do first. Besides checking your tires and making sure your vehicle is in good driving condition, you also have to think about car insurance.
It may be a bit boring to think about safety, but a trip well-planned is always about making sure nothing bad happens. And if something does happen, you have to be prepared for it. So, before you can step on the gas, you will want to find a reliable car insurance policy that also has good coverage.
Since this is your first rodeo in the world of car insurance, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Identify Your Needs
Start by gathering the documents you’ll need to get your first car insurance policy, such as:
Your driver's license
Personal data (date of birth, address, occupation, marital status, education level)
Driving and insurance history (if any)
Vehicle information (model, year, modifications, and more)
Type of insurance (commercial car insurance or private vehicle insurance)
Once you have everything, it’s time to think about the type of coverage you’ll need. As a first-time driver, it’s best to get a policy that protects your net worth. Anything over that, and you will pay more for features you don’t really need.
Also, check with your state and identify the type of coverage that is mandatory. This way, when a provider makes an offer, you’ll know what can be crossed off.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for commercial car insurance, which might be helpful for businesses having a company vehicle, identify the coverage you require. While personal car insurance might do the trick, insurance on a vehicle used for business purposes might not provide sufficient coverage, leaving the company responsible for losses due to accidents.
Commercial car insurance is a must for businesses owning vehicles because it covers injuries sustained by the driver. Often, it includes third-party damages that occur in an accident. It’s a win-win situation. You can learn more about commercial auto insurance with CoverWallet.
2. Get Quotes from a Number of Different Car Insurance Providers
Just like with everything, it helps to shop around a little before deciding on a provider. Luckily, it’s easy to do that online nowadays, due to platforms like CheapInsurance.com where you can find and compare various car insurance providers.
Still, if you’re a first-time driver, know that car insurance won’t be as low as it can get. This is because many insurance providers consider experience as a factor in deciding the overall cost of the insurance (inexperienced drivers are more likely to cause or be involved in an accident).
However, different companies have different factors so you will still get a good variety of prices from which to make your choice.
3. Work on Your Driver Profile
Auto insurance companies build a profile for each driver in order to assess how responsible they are in traffic. As we already mentioned, experience and age are two important ones, but there are other factors you can work on.
For instance, companies will use credit scores to see if you are a reliable citizen. If your credit score is low, you have to expect higher premiums because your profile will pin you down with a higher risk factor.
So, if you don’t want to pay a fortune on car insurance, you should work on improving your credit score. Not to mention that this will be extremely helpful in the future when you’ll need your credit score for more important projects like buying a house.
Another thing you can do to bring down car insurance premiums is to apply for all the available discounts. Many companies offer various cost cuts for specific groups of clients, so make sure to ask the insurance agent about their offer (even if you’re just looking to compare quotes).
Wrap Up
In conclusion, getting your first car insurance is proof you are on the path to adulthood and that you are responsible enough to own and drive a car. And, don’t forget, once everything is in order, you’ll finally be able to enjoy those weekend getaways without anyone intervening in your plans!
