Comparing car insurance quotes line by line

Start from what you have now

Your current declarations page is the template for every quote. It lists the drivers, the cars, each coverage with its limit or deductible, and the premium for the term. If you don't have it, ask your insurer or download it from your account; our guide to reading a declarations page explains each line.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) suggests having three things at hand when you ask for quotes: the current policy, the driver's license of everyone who will drive, and each car's registration. With those, quotes come back on the same facts. Note also the date your current policy renews: shopping three to four weeks before it gives you time to compare without a rush, and our guide on when to shop lists the moments, such as a move or a new driver, when prices are most likely to have shifted.

The lines that must match

If a quote comes back with lower limits or a higher deductible than you asked for, the NAIC's advice is to contact the company and ask for a revised estimate. Adjusting the figure yourself rarely works, because coverages are priced together and discounts apply to the total. Watch for differences that don't show up in the headline numbers: whether uninsured motorist coverage is stacked across cars, whether glass claims carry a deductible, and whether the rental coverage has a daily cap you could live with.

Ask for one "what if" version

Once the matching quotes are in, ask the two cheapest companies for a second version with the changes you are weighing. Shopping is the cheapest moment to learn what a change costs, because the agent or the online form is already pricing your car and record.

• Higher liability limits. State minimums can be far below the cost of a serious crash. Ask what moving from the minimum to limits such as 100/300/100 adds to the total.
• A higher deductible. Ask for the same quote with a $1,000 deductible instead of $500, then run both through the deductible break-even calculator.
• Telematics. Ask what enrollment discount the insurer gives and whether the price can go up after the tracking period.
• Dropped add-ons. Rental reimbursement or roadside help you already get elsewhere can come off the bill.

Keep the what-if versions in their own column of the worksheet, so you don't compare a changed quote with an unchanged one.

Compare the total, not the monthly figure

Quotes are presented in different ways: six-month or twelve-month terms, paid in full or monthly, with or without installment fees. Convert every quote to the same term, paid the same way. A twelve-month quote of $2,040 and a six-month quote of $1,080 are $170 and $180 a month; the difference is small, but the twelve-month price holds for twice as long.

Installment fees and paid-in-full discounts change the order of quotes more often than drivers expect. Put each plan through the monthly vs. pay-in-full calculator before deciding, and read paying in full vs. monthly for when monthly still makes sense.

Check the company before you pay

• License. Confirm with your state insurance department that the company, and the agent if there is one, is licensed in your state.
• Complaints. The NAIC's Consumer Insurance Search shows each insurer's complaint record and a complaint index comparing it with others of its size. Your state department may publish its own complaint ratios.
• The claim experience. Ask people you know how the company handled a claim. The NAIC notes that the lowest quote may not always be the best choice.
• Discounts applied. Ask which discounts are already in the price and which you could still add, such as a defensive driving course or automatic payments.

A comparison in five steps

1. 1 Copy your declarations page into the worksheet above as the first column.
2. 2 Ask for three or more quotes with exactly those limits and deductibles, plus one version with the changes you are considering, such as higher liability limits or a higher deductible.
3. 3 Fix mismatches by asking each company for a revised quote.
4. 4 Convert to the same term and payment method, fees included.
5. 5 Check license and complaints, then set the start date of the new policy before cancelling the old one, as our guide to switching without a gap explains.

Questions drivers ask