Reader’s Question:

I’m 47 years old, I live in California, and I’ve decided to get a new car. Lately, I’ve been thinking about shifting to an online auto insurance provider but I’m afraid I don’t know enough about it. I’m not even sure if it is safe. Can you give me useful information?

Jack

Los Angeles, CA

Well, Jack of California, instead of talking to an agent as you would in a person-to-person transaction, you would be filling out a tick box on the Internet if you choose to purchase online auto insurance coverage. This is for the online insurance company to gather relevant financial and personal information that would enable them to give you a quote. Just start by typing “online auto insurance” or some other specific key words in any search engine. Most websites you will find in this search are easy enough to explore.

As with all kinds of online transactions, though, you must be careful. Not all websites use personal information responsibly. I suggest you go with the online auto insurance company that already has a good reputation.

What are the advantages? Well, convenience tops the list. But other than the fact that you can get one in the comfort of your own home, there are also a lot of auto insurance providers online. Hence, you have more choices on the Internet. Also, online auto insurance companies can give you rates that don’t include the cost of having an agent or “middleman.” As such, they tend to be cheaper by 20 to 30%.

So, instead of making many appointments and phone calls just to find an auto insurance policy that fits your needs, try those available online. You can get free quotes. You can compare rates, services, and make inquiries with greater ease. A lot of people nowadays have done that with satisfactory results, so there is no need to worry.