By taking the time to shop for and compare auto insurance quotes, you can find the best policy that is right for you, and many times you can lower the cost of your auto insurance coverage.

For many drivers, auto insurance is something that’s quite uninviting, though they consider it to be a necessary expense. When asked if they’d pay for auto insurance if it wasn’t required by law, a few people admit that if they didn’t have to pay for auto insurance they’d save themselves the money.

The fact is if the correct insurance is purchase, in unexpected circumstances it can be very beneficial to have paid those insurance premiums every month. Auto insurance can provide financial protection and help prevent severe financial hardship in the event of an unexpected accident.

Shopping around and getting auto insurance quotes from several companies can allow you to compare the companies, their policies, and the cost of their premiums.In order to effectively do this though, you need to have all the information required to make a real comparison between one set of auto insurance quotes and another.

This information can help you make sure that it is a good company from which you are getting your desired coverage and at the lowest rate.

So what should you do to make sure that you get the most accurate auto insurance quotes available? Here are some suggestions from experts:

1.Ensure that you have made a comparison of similar policies.

Auto insurance quotes take into account the types of coverage you select, the amount of deductibles you’re willing to pay and a number of other factors when figuring your premium. Make sure that each quote you request is for the same options on your policy so that you can accurately compare a number of quotes.

2.Give the same amount of information to each agent whom you have approached for auto insurance quotes.

Whether you’re comparing quotes online through a web interface or over the telephone, the amount that you’re quoted will be affected by where you live, how far you drive to work each day, how old you are, who else may drive your car, as well as a number of other factors.

The more information you can give when you ask for a quote, better will be the chances of the insurance agent to come up with an accurate estimate. Also, equally true will be the opposite of it – the less information you give, the more general the quote will be. A higher rate is likely to be quoted by an agent if there is any question.

3.  Ask about special discounts for safety features as well as safe driver points.

When you’re gathering quotes for auto insurance, be sure to ask directly about safety feature discounts and safe driver discounts that may apply in your situation.  Then you can be sure that they are included in your quotes.

4.  Understand the differences in insurance terminology.

How is collision coverage distinct from comprehensive coverage?  How can raising your deductible lower your insurance premiums? What will replacement transportation or glass coverage cost, and is it worth it for you? Researching the answers to these questions and knowing which options are included in your auto insurance quotes will make it far easier to decide which is the best policy for you.

Back in the days before computers, auto insurance was personal and subjective. The insurance agent actually talked to the man he knew in the main office, called in a few favors, and got their best customers the best rates. Male drivers under 25 were charged a lot. Young females, being perceived as less risk, were charged much less.

Now, in the computer age, auto insurance companies have large databases of accident and claims records. By number-crunching these records they can tell what type of person is more likely to be a good driver and what type of person is more likely to be an accident risk. This ‘Black Box’ technology gives them insights into the background and behavior of the people who they think should pay more for their auto insurance. For example, people who carry minimum limits of liability are actually a greater risk than those who carry at least 50/100 ($50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident). And statistics have shown that those with bad credit scores are more likely to be involved in accidents.

In Texas, the minimum liability limit on auto insurance is 20/40. Yep. $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident.  Not much is it? And if that weren’t bad enough, the minimum property damage is $15,000. Guess who makes up the difference if you’re in an accident that’s your fault?

In most states, auto insurance is regulated by the state. But that is only the beginning. The state uses tables of ‘loss ratios’, exposure, and other conjuring words, to justify what the auto insurance companies want you to pay. Every once in a while, just to throw you off, they will even announce a state-wide REDUCTION in auto rates. When they do, hold onto your wallet!

After the state sets the base rate, the individual companies negotiate with them to adjust their particular rates, claiming either a better or worse loss ratio than average. So, after the elections are over, the legislature allows exceptions, amendments, and endorsements to jack them back up to something the auto insurance companies can make a ton of money from.

And there’s more. Most states allow individual companies to set their own rules to determine who gets charged what. So, one auto insurance company rates a particular driver one way, while another company rates the same driver differently. Each company sets those underwriting rules.

So how are auto insurance rates determined? First, the state usually gets involved. Then companies toss the dice between staying competitive and making as much profit as they can for their stockholders. And finally, now that the ‘Black Box’ is here, auto insurance companies are taking a closer look at every driver. Career, credit score, past record, even the city you live in helps ‘drive’ the rates. They have even found that those who select low limits of liability are greater risks than those who select higher limits. So, by raising your liability limits, you may actually lower your auto insurance rate.

For some, the new ‘Black Box’ technology reduces rates by as much as 20% over those companies not using it. The bad news is, since credit scoring does play a part in ALL auto insurance rating, the worse your credit score, the higher your auto insurance will go. No more ‘discounts’, no more ‘loyal customer’ credits, and the like. You will be rated right down to your underwear, placed in a group of drivers almost identical to you, and charged accordingly.