How to Make Sure Auto Insurance Matches the Value of a Car

When you look to get auto insurance you'll receive only a basic appraisal from the insurance agent. With this basic appraisal, however, it's tough to determine if the insurance accurately matches the value of the car. You can take steps, however, to make sure that the insurance matches. Hiring an independent appraiser or visiting a auto appraisal website can help.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Use the Kelley Blue Book website in the same way you would use the Edmunds.com website (see Resources below). Kelley Blue Book features the same level of accurate car insurance appraisal as Edmunds.com.
2. Enter details about your car into either insurance quote engine. Required information includes make, model and year, as well as other details like the color and the mileage. The condition of the car is important if it's not new, so be ready to provide an accurate assessment (in terms of "Fair," "Like New" or "Good," for example).
3. Scroll through a list of provided quotes from insurance companies, or simply highlight the specific quote listed as the aggregate of all those calculated. The average of all of the quotes will serve as a good basis for when you are trying to find an insurance provider to go with.
4. Compare quotes from one company to the next using the "Comparisons" or "Compare" features. Both allow you to list several different car models and several different insurance quotes at the same time, making it easier to see who offers the best rates and services.
5. Visit Edmunds.com and access their insurance section (see Resources below). This is one of the ways you can find the best, most up-to-date information about standard car insurance rates for a particular model.

Tips & Warnings

• Always shop around when you're trying to find auto insurance that matches the value of the car. Some insurance companies are known to feature higher rates that others, depending on the services offered. Just make sure you're not going to overpay should you choose one agency over another.
• Make sure you fully disclose any details about your car that could affect your insurance. The value of your car can increase or decrease depending on the car's history (including upgrades or repairs). In addition, it is also illegal to omit repairs done to a car, or to hide any changes that have been made prior to insuring it.