Are you getting ready to purchase a new auto insurance policy for your vehicle? You'll likely be faced with many options to choose from. Here are a few important things to think about that will help ensure you're making the right buying decisions:

Discount Opportunities

It's a good idea to find out whether the insurance company you decide to work with offers any discount opportunities to take advantage of as time goes on. There are some opportunities you might qualify for now, such as discounts for being a service member. But other options may become available over time depending on your own actions.

For this reason, you need to know about those discount opportunities ahead of time so you can work toward qualifying for them when the time comes. Some opportunities you may be able to take advantage of in the future include:

  • safe driver discounts

  • defensive driving perks

  • low mileage usage savings

Ask your insurance broker for a complete list of discount options that their company offers so you don't miss out on any money savings throughout the coming years.

Add-On Service Options

You may be able to take advantage of various add-on service options to enhance your auto insurance coverage, so ask about these options up front before buying your policy. It might be possible to cancel other services you happen to already be paying for and consolidate all of the services into one auto insurance bill. Look for add-ons such as:

  • roadside assistance

  • oil change and brake service

  • accident injury insurance

Make sure to compare actual coverage in addition to price when considering whether to stick with the other services you're already paying for or to add those services on to your auto insurance plan.

The Claims Submission Process

You should also have a good idea of how the claims submission process works when purchasing your auto insurance policy to ensure that you will know exactly what to do, even if you end up getting in an accident right after the insurance goes into effect. Thanks to the advances of technology that people enjoy today, you should have access to multiple claim submission options. Here are a few to ask about:

  • email communication

  • website form submission

  • fax notification

Of course, you should still be able to simply call and make a claim if you need to. After finding out what submission options will be available to you, find out how each option actually works to eliminate confusion and frustration when filing a claim in the future.

Share