Buying a Car? Why You Should Call Your Independent Insurance Agent First

Buying a car has changed tremendously in the past decade. What used to involve weekends of visiting car dealers and taking test drives has been replaced largely with online research and by viewing reviews. In fact, by the time a car buyer gets to a car dealer, they may have already made up their mind. That is if they even GET to a car dealer. Some car shoppers are buying cars sight-unseen and having them delivered to their work or home.

People will research safety ratings, fuel efficiency, the annual cost of ownership, warranties and resale value. They will look into what others have paid for a car and work to get a great deal. This, of course, is all in an effort to make the best decision possible. What amazingly few shoppers do, however, is check on the impact a particular car will have on their insurance premiums before making their purchase.

This is like buying a house without knowing how much property taxes and utility costs are.

If you are concerned with the total costs of owning a car, what you should do is contact your independent insurance agent prior to committing to buying a specific car. Let the agent know the year, make and model of the car and the VIN number if possible. Make them aware of who the major driver of the car will be and where the car will be parked at night. The agent should be able to provide a car insurance quote reasonably quickly. You can then decide whether or not the loan amount combined with your insurance premium is affordable.

It may also be a good idea to provide your agent with two or three vehicle options you are considering. You can then compare insurance rates between the vehicles and determine if they are serious enough to impact your decision. The differences can be significant, especially when comparing buying new vs pre-owned.

Sure it’s important to compare the price of the car, fuel costs, and even financing rates. It is just as important to compare insurance rates and the time to do that is BEFORE you make a final decision. Just let your independent agent know the purpose of your call is to compare rates on vehicles you are considering purchasing. They may even be able to offer other tips that can help you save on your auto insurance premiums.