| Many of us don't relish the idea of handing over | | | | Understanding the Business |
| personal information via the Internet. Even those of | | | | Getting an online insurance quote can be incredibly |
| us who are comfortable doing so aren't excited at | | | | helpful. It's a great way to test the market's waters |
| the prospect of ending up on a telemarketers list of | | | | and to do some smart comparison shopping. |
| phone numbers. Unfortunately, when you try to get | | | | However, the businesses operating the websites |
| an online car insurance quote, the websites you visit | | | | providing policy quotations aren't public service |
| will generally try to get a great deal of information | | | | projects--they're for-profit endeavors. Site owners |
| from you. Is there a way to secure a quote without | | | | receive payment from insurers when they provide |
| telling your life story? In order to answer that | | | | insurers with leads or when visitors receive a quote |
| question, it's important to understand two things. | | | | and purchase insurance. Absent a completed form, |
| First, you should understand why that information | | | | there's no opportunity for them to generate revenue. |
| might actually be necessary to provide you with the | | | | In that sense, providing at least some personal |
| most accurate possible quotation. Second, you should | | | | information is "the cost of doing business." If you're |
| consider how the sites that are willing to provide you | | | | unwilling to part with your contact information and |
| with an online quotation stay in business. | | | | other essentials, the site will be unable to offer you a |
| Getting an Accurate Quotation | | | | quotation and wouldn't be able to stay afloat if it did. |
| Insurance companies consider a number of different | | | | Can You Get a Quote without Divulging Personal |
| variables when setting insurance policy prices. We | | | | Information? |
| tend to think of the process in fairly simple terms. | | | | Occasionally, you may find a website that will provide |
| We assume that rates stem from obvious factors | | | | you with a ballpark figure of probable rates without |
| like the kind of car we drive, our age and the area in | | | | requesting any meaningful information from you. |
| which we live. While those are all important factors, | | | | However, these sites may accidentally provide you |
| there a number of less obvious considerations that | | | | with wildly inaccurate data and won't be nearly as |
| can influence rates. The insurance companies have | | | | helpful in your comparison shopping as the slightly |
| built actuarial tables that consider just about | | | | more invasive alternatives. In other words, you can |
| everything under the sun when setting rates. | | | | receive quotations without providing personal data, |
| Everything from your gender to your grades in | | | | but the information you receive will be questionable |
| school can become a factor in setting a policy's | | | | value. |
| expense. Insurance companies look at your driver's | | | | A Word of Warning |
| record, your employment situation and just about | | | | You should always use caution when providing a |
| anything else you can imagine in order to set rates. | | | | website with personal information. If you feel the |
| Much of the personal information you may be asked | | | | questionnaire used requires too much identifying data |
| to provide from a quotation website is integral to | | | | and/or that it may not be secure, look for another |
| determining your likely rate. The more information | | | | option. The convenience of an online insurance |
| these sites can obtain, the more likely they are to | | | | quotation isn't worth running the risk of identity theft. |
| provide you with an accurate assessment of a | | | | Keep key identifying information to yourself. |
| policy's price tag. | | | | |