How to Get Car Insurance for Just Part of the Year
Drivers sometimes look for short-term car insurance policies that will cover a vehicle just for a few days or weeks.
Although car insurance companies generally provide coverage by six-month or annual increments, drivers can typically get insurance in one, three, and six month increments.
To find short-term options, you should solicit quotes from several insurers and compare them. You might also consider pay-per-mile insurance. Although it can last for twelve months, you only pay based on the miles you drive.
Finding Insurance Companies
Use web sites to compare prices. There are many websites online that will allow you to enter your information and then compare quotes from many different car insurers. Some of the more common websites include:
Get referrals to car insurers. You might not have much luck finding an insurer using on web. Or you might know someone who purchased short-term car insurance and got a great deal. Ask this person for a referral, and then call the insurance agent who they recommend.
Search online for individual insurers. Many of the major insurers offer temporary insurance policies, which can last for one-week or longer.
You can type your location and “car insurance” into your favorite search engine. A list of national companies will probably come up. Some of the largest include:
Geico
Progressive
State Farm
Liberty Mutual
All State
Obtaining Quotes
Decide how much coverage you want. Your state may have minimum insurance requirements. However, you can purchase more than the minimum. You should consider whether you might need more coverage than necessary.
Generally, people get $50,000 of bodily injury liability, $100,000 for all people injured, and $25,000 of liability to cover property damage.
However, you might want more coverage if you have a lot of assets, such as cash or real estate. If you are sued, then the person injured could go after your other assets if they win the lawsuit.
Request quotes from insurance companies. You will need to provide information about your vehicle and your needs. You can contact insurance companies individually or use a website that will aggregate quotes. Generally, you will be asked for the following information:
your vehicle’s make and model
the year of your vehicle
your zip code
whether you are currently insured
if you have served in the military
your gender
number of accidents you have had
average annual miles driven
whether you own the car
driver’s license number
registration number
primary reason you use the car (pleasure, commute to work, etc.)
Talk with an agent. Although you can get preliminary quotes online, you always need to follow up and talk to an insurance agent. Although you will be priced a monthly quote, the insurer probably assumes you are buying for twelve months. It generally costs as much to insure a car for three months, for example, as it does for twelve.
Make sure the agent realizes you want the coverage for less than a year. Tell them how long you want insurance for, whether it is for one week, one month, or longer. The agent can tell you whether the company offers short-term or temporary car insurance.
Don’t agree to purchase over the phone. Tell the agent, “I am comparison shopping right now. I’ll let you know later.”
Ask insurers about discount programs. Car insurance companies offer many discount programs. You should ask about any that you think might apply to you, such as the following:
you have a good driving record
your car has certain security or safety equipment
you belong to a certain profession, which qualifies for a discount
Considering Pay-Per-Mile Insurance
Find insurance companies. Not many companies offer pay-per-mile coverage, and those that do offer it in only certain states. With pay-per-mile, you attach a device to your dashboard, which allows the insurer to track your mileage
Obtain quotes. Check with the insurers to see if they offer pay-per-mile in your state. If they do, then you should obtain quotes. You can call an agent directly.
Alternately, you can enter information online. You will need to provide the same information that you provide to regular insurers, including the estimated miles you use per month.
Compare with traditional coverage. If you are interested in pay-per-mile, you should compare the cost of this policy with the cost of purchasing a temporary policy from an insurer. You shouldn’t assume pay-per-mile is cheaper or more expensive than temporary insurance.
Purchasing the Insurance
Analyze the quotes. Once you have all of your quotes and discount information, you can compare prices. Remember that price includes more than the monthly premium. It also includes your deductible and the maximum amount of coverage.
To do an apples-to-apples comparison, each policy has to offer the same coverage. If one offers much more collision coverage, for example, then it is wrong to compare the price of that policy to a policy that offers much less coverage.
Pick a company and review its policy. Once you have all of your quotes and discount information, you can pick an insurance company. Be sure to review its policy before you sign on.
In particular, pay attention to what kinds of parts will be used in auto body repair. For example, the policy might require “new factor,” “like kind and quality” or “aftermarket parts.” If the car is old, or if you will have it for a short time, then you might not care.
Pay your premiums. Sign your contract and pay your first (and possibly only) monthly premium. If you have to pay more than one month’s premium, then write down on your calendar when additional payments are due.
Don’t forget to cancel any old coverage that you have. You don’t want to pay for two insurance policies at the same time.
Keep proof of insurance with you. You should probably keep it in your glove compartment box or in your purse or wallet, even if your state doesn’t require that you have it with you.
