<p>Reader Question:

I do almost all of my shopping and bill paying online, but there are some things that I’m unsure about doing online. If I shop for my car insurance online, am I still going to be getting accurate rate quotes? Is it better or worse than shopping around offline?

Amad

Hey, Amad.

Anything you do over the internet is automatically going to be a little riskier, but most of the time it won’t even be to the point where you need to avoid it. The great thing about the internet is that everything is at your fingers. There are plenty of sites you can go to and, in seconds after you put in your vehicle information, get rates from dozens of insurance companies to appear on your screen. Another great thing about the internet is that for everything that it is possible to have an opinion on, somebody out there will have one, and probably a message board or blog to talk about it on. Because of this, not only can you get accurate pricing online, but you can also easily search and find out what other people’s opinions and experiences are from a certain company before you decide to go with it.

Even beyond that, you can check which company has the best track record online by going to your state’s department of insurance website. If you go there, you’ll be able to see what kind and how many complaints have been made about a specific company. This is always great to keep in mind in addition to the price. You don’t want to go with a company that offers you dirt cheap rates but mishandles your claim when you need it.

All in all, Amad, online shopping for your car insurance is the best way to go. Shopping offline is slow and frustrating, and you have to rely on what people are willing to tell you. Online, you can compare what a company claims to offer to what they really have a history of offering.

Have a good one,

Fashun Guadarrama.