Do I buy auto insurance before buying a used car??

Answer 1

Here's the proper order for doing things:

Step one: find two or three insurance companies you've heard good things about, and so are willing to consider for your insurance needs.

Step two: find the car you want, or at least that you think you want at the moment, or at least identify a specific make and model you're interested in.

Step three: call each insurance company on your list, get rates for insurance based on your identified make, model and theoretical purchase price as determined in step two. Make sure you're comparing apples to apples; ask for detailed breakdowns of the types and amounts of coverage, and the deductible.

Step four: now that you've (hopefully) found a good insurance company that you can afford, find the car you really want and negotiate a price.

Step five: call your new insurance company, let them know the specifics of the car you're about to buy, and get your new insurance policy. Odds are, since you haven't actually purchased the car yet, you'll need to coordinate between the seller, the insurance company and yourself so that coverage starts the moment you take ownership (no sooner and NO LATER.)

Step six: when you've got your insurance coverage IN WRITING and you're the legal owner of the car, drive it home. Until you have both of these things, don't drive the car home (test drives before you are the legal owner, of course, are fine.)

This process will be greatly simplified if your parents can put you and the new (used) car on their policy for a single month; it will be more expensive, but you won't have to coordinate the timing so closely.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Generally not. You must have insurance though to get a loan and a license. So decide what car you're going to buy make a deal at the dealership and contact the insurer you want to cover you. They will not let you leave without insurance! If you've already got insurance on a car and are trading it in, it usually will be good on the "new" car for 30 days. That's why they'll usually let you leave when you're trading in. My husband often calls our insurance company to compare rates on different cars before making a final decision on which he wants to buy.

Good luck!

Answer 4

You can't really purchase a policy until you know what you are going to buy. What you CAN do is shop rates by calling or visiting the websites of several companies you are considering. I believe Progressive even lets you compare rates of other companies right on their website. It's a good idea to know about how much you'll be spending on insurance before you pick out a car that's too expensive to insure. I had a client once that had to sell his car back to the dealership (at a loss) because he couldn't afford the insurance. Good luck

Answer 5

You find an insurance agent that you can work with, and give him all your personal information, and the fact that you are looking to buy a car. When you find the one you want, you call him from the car lot or dealer and give him the VIN and license, year, make and model and he starts your insurance. If the dealer has a fax machine he sends it to you. If not, your first stop is his office.

Enjoy your car.

Answer 6

Not required but it would be smart to first find the auto and then BEFORE you drive it away be sure it is insured also if you test drive and you probably will make certain current owner or lot has insurance coverage

Answer 7

As long as you currently have auto insurance when you purchase this used vehicle you have like a week to 10 days to transfer it on to this newly purchased vehicle.

Answer 8

Take a look at this http://sirlook.com/hl03u article i found it should answer your question and also has some good information on car insurance and finding good deals etc.

Answer 9

Buy insurance afterwards because they will need the vin number and other info. from the vehicle.

Answer 10

you cant insure a car that does not exist.
so, the answer is no.