by B. L. Babb

Created on: November 06, 2008   Last Updated: January 13, 2009

There are many ways to go about finding car insurance. To begin, if you already own a car, ensure you have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), your Driver's License Number, and your previous insurance history available.

Talk to your friends, ask them about their insurance, are they satisfied or dissatisfied with their insurance carrier? What experiences have they had with their carrier if they have had to file a claim?

Many insurance companies promote going to their website and requesting a quote online. This may be convenient, but in many cases it will not be as complete as you may want or need.

Be aware that many car insurance companies today may base your insurance premium on your credit rating. If you have poor credit but an excellent insurance history where you have never filed a claim against a company (if you have been previously insured), the poor credit rating could increase your rates.

When calling them, ask them if they factor credit rating in determining the premiums. If they do, ask for how long they do this if you purchase insurance from them. Some companies like USAA only use this for the first year you are insured with them, after that your payment and insurance history is used.

Talk to several insurance companies over the phone. Provide your VIN and driver's license number. They will use this to determine insurance for your type of vehicle and research your driving history. When getting a quote, find out if your policy is handled by a local agent or a national call-center type of system.

If you want a more personal touch, you may wish to visit an agent in your area.

Ask each company you speak to a series of questions and record the answers from each for later comparison.

Ask them if you have an incident how do you report it? Do you have a local number where you can reach a person or a "press 1 to report an accident," "Press 2 to make a payment" system.

What if you are out of town and have an accident? Is there a national number you can call to file a claim when away from home?

If you live near the northern or southern borders and drive into Canada or Mexico, ask if you are covered while out of the country? If so, are there numbers in those countries you can call if an incident occurs there?

Who is covered driving your car? If you live alone and your significant other drives for burgers and has a fender-bender are you covered? Are you covered if you drive your significant other's car and the fender bender happens?

If your significant other is not cover

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