|
Introduction:
Once I asked a room full of people if they enjoy shopping, most of the
room responded positively and in one lady's case, she even became excited at just the mention of the word shopping.
Next
I asked how many of them enjoy shopping for insurance. Their expressions quickly changed from one that was positive to one
that looked very similar to what you would expect to see on the face of a dental patient who just heard the dentist start
his drill. The expression on their faces quickly illustrated how most people feel about shopping for insurance.
Currently
about seven out of ten people probably pay hundreds of dollars more then necessary for auto, home, health, life as well as
many other types of insurance simply because:
(1) People don’t have time
to call every local agent or insurance company trying to find the cheapest premium and (2) even if they did have the
time most people hate the process.
Finding the best insurance rate
available to you does not have to be a difficult task or even that time consuming.
Wouldn’t
it be great if you could look into a crystal ball and know for sure which company or insurance agency had the best insurance
rate before ever leaving your home to buy insurance?
Instead
of calling agent after agent or company after company you just simply walk into his or her office and say here’s what
I want, please write it?
Unfortunately
there are no crystal balls for insurance consumers but there are some practical and easy steps that you can take to save time
and to greatly increase your chances of getting a better insurance rate.
Practical Step 1:
Take Advantage of Modern Day
Technology
As an insurance agent I get asked by close friends and family all the time, “how
do I get the best insurance rates?” Each time my answer is the same: "Shop and compare." The only way to know if you're
getting the best insurance rate for your particular situation is to comparison shop, and one of the easiest ways to do that
is to take advantage of the vast amount of resources available on the internet.
There are a number of free sites where you can get quotes from A rated or better companies.
It only takes a couple of minutes to fill out a simple on line quotes request that can result in receiving quotes from top
companies making it less tedious to compare rates.
Since there is no obligation to purchase the quote this is too valuable of a resource
not to take advantage of it.
For your convenience I have provided the following links below to some of the more popular
and reliable on-line free rating services for most types of insurance for consumers living in the United Sates and the UK.
|
Click The Following Links to View
The More Popular On-line Companies and Quoting Services
|
Also you can take advantage of directories like http://www.InsuranceEasy.org that lists the same free services plus offer consumer guides and other links geared to assist insurance consumers.
Practical Step 2:
Get As Many Quotes As Possible!
The number one reason that 70% of insurance consumers
pay 30% to 40% too much for insurance is simply because they don't put forth real effort. Even with the internet making it
easy to shop for insurance too many consumers limit their chances of receiving the best rates by only filling out one or two
quote requests.
IMPORTANT: Each free quoting service have their own agreement with companies and agents. It is extremely
important that you fill out a quote request from each free service. For each service or company that you request quotes from
by filling out and submitting a quote request through, you are greatly increasing the chances of getting the best rate available
to you.
Practical Step #3:
Provide Correct Information.
Remember quotes are based on the information that
you provide on the quote request form. Incorrect information can result in the final rate being higher than quoted. This can
be prevented by simply providing correct information.
I have provided "Census Forms" to help you collect the information
needed to request quotes for different types of insurance. Forms are located in the column to the right below the list
of other articles.
Practical Step 4:
Take Time To Compare the Quotes
Once
you start receiving quotes carefully compare each quote. It’s important
not just to compare rates; although low rates are important to every consumer there are other factors that you need to consider
when applying for insurance. Thing such as: the company’s financial rating,
coverage’s, the company’s reputation for paying claims and servicing their customers, etc.
I
have included a “Quote Comparison Form” in the column to the right listed under forms. By clicking on the “Quote Comparison Form” link and printing off this form you will be able to make the decision that bet for you.
Practical Step 5:
Know Insurance Terminology.
Most of the Departments of Insurance sites for most states provide consumer publications
that explain insurance terminology as used in their state.
Also many of these site provide other consumer information that can be very useful
to insurance consumers.
Final Thoughts:
Shopping
for insurance doesn’t have to be some gruesome task. As an author it is
so satisfying to hear from so many past readers of this article, who on the average were able to save 30% to 40% on everything
from car insurance to health insurance by applying the above practical steps.
Please
email the author and let him know how much you were able to save by applying the steps mentioned in this article. Also if you are pleased with the results that you get as a result of this article,
please take time to help others save money by referring them to this article.
|
