Car Insurance on the Web

Shopping for auto insurance is still a time-consuming process, but Web resources can help streamline the task somewhat. Here’s a plan of attack:

* Know what you need. Your current auto insurance documents will provide you with valuable information about the types of coverage you’re paying for now. Tutorials available at several sites, including the insurance marketplaces listed below, can help you determine whether your coverage needs to change.

* Start with the state Department of Insurance. The department’s premium survey is based on data that are a year old, and you can’t customize the results based on the cars you drive or your exact driving history (both of which can have a huge effect on what you pay). But you can get a general idea of which insurers might be the least and the most expensive for your situation. You can also check out the companies’ complaint histories and their market share information on the site, at https://www.insurance.ca.gov. Make a list of the companies that you want to contact for personalized rate quotes.

* Pick one (or more) of the insurance marketplaces. You have plenty to choose from. Intuit’s QuickenInsurance at https://www.insuremarket.com and Fidelity Investments’ Insurance.com at https://www.insurance.com offer tutorials and helpful tools as well as quotes; so does InsWeb at https://www.insweb.com.

* Check out Progressive’s site. Progressive at https://www.progressive.com not only gives you its own quote but provides comparison quotes from leading insurers, including State Farm and Allstate.

* Make a few phone calls. If you still have insurers on your list that didn’t provide quotes through the services above, you can contact them directly to ask for a quote. Some provide quote services on the Web sites; others will require that you call their toll-free phone numbers.