The car insurance quote checklist

Before you request quotes

• Your current declarations page — this has your existing coverages and limits
• Year, make, model, and VIN for each vehicle
• Approximate annual mileage per vehicle
• Names, dates of birth, and licence numbers for every driver
• Accidents, claims, and violations in recent years
• Your current deductibles
• The garaging address for each vehicle

Decide these before you're on the phone

If you decide these under sales pressure, you'll decide them badly. Work them out in advance.

• What liability limits you actually want — not just the minimum
• What deductible you could comfortably pay tomorrow
• Whether you need collision and comprehensive on each vehicle
• Whether rental reimbursement matters to your household
• Whether you want uninsured motorist coverage

After the quotes arrive

Line them up and confirm each row matches. If any differ, the price comparison isn't valid yet.

• Identical bodily injury and property damage liability limits
• Collision and comprehensive both present, at matching deductibles
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage matching
• Medical payments or PIP matching
• Same optional coverages included or excluded
• Same drivers, same vehicles, same mileage, same address
• Whether any fees for monthly installments are included

Before you switch

• Confirm the new policy's effective date leaves no gap
• Get the new policy in force before cancelling the old one
• Ask whether any cancellation fee applies to the old policy
• Update your lender or lessor if one is listed on the policy