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INTERNET | We found the BEST SITES for auto, life and health. IF YOU COULD LINE UP identical insurance policies a glass display case and dangle a price tag from each one, you'd uncover the insurance industry's dirty little secret: Some companiescharge two to three times more than their competitors for the exact same coverage. Buyers sign up for overpriced policies all the time simply because they don't know about the other choices. That's where the Web comes in. Theoretically, you can answer a few questions, click your mouse and instantly see accurate quotes culled from vast databases containing hundreds of companies--all without having to speak with an agent. And, in theory, you can use the Internet's vast array of calculators to help you figure out how much insurance you need. But high-tech insurance shopping can quickly turn into a nightmare. For one thing, you could spend weeks visiting all the sites that promise to offer the best deal--but usually don't. Because insurance is subject to patch-work of individual state regulations, you'll find a limited menu of policies in some states. What's more, you may get instantaneous quotes and you may not. And you'll usually pay the same price as if you called an agent. It's not unusual to end up with inaccurate quotes, long waits, few companies to compare (or none at all, after wasting your time filling out excruciatingly detailed forms), and a never-ending stream of e-mail and calls from insurance agents. Discouraged? That's why we went through the mind-numbing experience of exploring the sites, requesting quotes for different families in different parts of the U.S., and checking to see how accurate those quotes were. (For more on how we shopped and the prices we were quoted, go to www.kiplinger.com) We name the top sites, plus runners-up. And we let you know to put aside your mouse and pick up your phone. With homeowners insurance, for example, you're better off calling an independent agent (see www.iiaa.org for leads). AUTO INSURANCE Be prepared: You'll reply to a boatload ofquestions before getting any quotes WE FILLED OUT quote forms at more than a dozen sites for a variety of hypothetical people in a variety of places: a 30-year-old single woman with a 1997 Jaguar XK8 coupe, in Ohio and California; a 40- and 41-year-old couple who drive a 1999 Volvo S70 and a 1997 Toyota Corolla, in Maryland and California; and the same family with a 16-year-old son. We quickly need a problem: The company offered the lowest quotes for one family offered some of the highest for the others. And the site with the lowest quote also produced the highest quotefor the same family. The leaders change if you live in a different city, have a different car, or have a record of accidents and tickets. And the number of quotes you can get varies a lot from state to state. The two major on-line marketplaces, QuickenInsurance and InsWeb, give you the greatest number of accurate quotes in the least amount of time. But be prepared: You can't get accurate auto-insurance quotes without answering a boatload of questions. QuickenInsurance makes it as painless as possible. After spending about 15 minutes typing in information about your cars, your driving record and the amount of coverage you want--helped by excellent "advice" buttons, which explain how each variable can affect your rate--you'll get immediate quotes from up to five insurance companies. One of the best things about QuickenInsurance is the accuracy of its quotes. Its information comes directly fromthe insurance companies, so you'll get the price you were quoted, as long as everything about your motor-vehicle and claims records checks out. Click on the "compare details" button for a table that shows how each insurer stacks up in terms of claims-processing time, financial-strength ratings, which discounts are include in your quote and other details. It's easy to fiddle around with different variations to see how much your rates will change if you raise your deductible or increase your liability coverage. You remain anonymous until you apply for a policy, which can also do online. Several companies even activate your coverage immediately if you submit your credit card number. QuickenInsurance's biggest weakness is the limited number of companies it quotes. In some states, you'll go through the entire process and get prices from only one. So if you still have energy left and want more quotes, you should also go to InsWeb and see how many companies it offers in your area (click on the "quoting companies in your state" link at the bottom of the state page). In some states, InsWeb came up with almost the same results as QuickenInsurance did. But in others, such asCalifornia, it included immediate quotes from 12 companies and e-mailed a 13th within minutes.(InsWeb insurance quotes are offered through many partner Web sites, including Kiplinger.com) The biggest annoyance with InsWeb is the lack of anonymity. After you spend about a half-hour filling out all the forms, you must type in your name, address and phone number before you're allowed to see any quotes. And you can't buy a policy online--an agent will contact you. A few of the biggest providers don't appear on either site. Check out Geico, and call USAA (800-365-8722) if you're in the military or a dependent. You can get a State Farm quote at the company's own site. Also take a look at eCoverage, an online-only auto-insurance company that offers low rates because its brand-new technology cuts down on administrative costs (and on your time answering questions). The company sells policies in fewer than 20 states right now but is quickly adding more. You can buy a policy immediately, and even submit claims online. SMART MOVES | Since auto quotes vary all over the map, shop as many companies as you can * Get quotes from as many companies as possible. You never know which one will offer the best rate for you and your car in your area. One site's quotes for our 30-year-old Jag owner varied by a year. * Figure out ahead of time how much coverage you need (InsWeb's auto-coverageanalyzer can help). Then type the same information into each site to get a fair comparison. * Gather as much information as possible about the car, its air bags, alarm system, seat belts and annual mileage; all affect your rate. Have your vehicle identification number (VIN) handy. * Be honest. If you neglect to mention an accident or ticket, you'll get an inaccurate quote. Insurance companies check your motor vehicle record and CLUE report (a database of insurance-claims information) within days of issuing your policy. * Pay attention to the policy-term column. Some sites mix in six-month prices with 12-month prices. * Call an independent agent if you are living in a state that has complicated insurance rules, such as Massachusetts or New Jersey, or you have had a lot of accidents or tickets. That will provide you with the best price comparisons. Kiplinger.com Best online insurance tools. Want to know how much life or auto insurance you need? Figure the replacement value of your home? Check our linksfor those tools and more. WWW | Auto THE WINNER QuickenInsurance www.quickeninsurance.com RUNNERS-UP InsWeb www.insweb.com Geico www.geico.com State Farm www.statefarm.com eCoverage www.ecoverage.com HEALTH INSURANCE Limit your surfing to two sites BECAUSE MOST health plans are offered only locally, health insurance has been slower to make it onto national marketplaces. EHealthInsurance.com does the best job so far--in fact, both QuickenInsurance and InsWeb picked eHealthInsurance to provide health insurance quotes on their sites. EHealthInsurance is in a big push to add more companies. In most cases you can get immediate health insurance quotes from two to five companies (including BlueCross/BlueShield in many areas). You can whittle the choices by specifying a policy type (such as HMO or PPO), maximum deductible and coinsurance amount for an office visit. The best part of eHealthInsurance's site is the "compare benefits" button, which automatically creates a table showing how each policy's featuresstack up against the other policies' features. You can start the application online: It takes about 20 minutes and is the only time you're asked to provide personal information. The site also includes good explanations about the types of health insurance offered, advice about which plan to pick and a physician directory that shows which plans your current doctor belongs to. You can get quotes for small-group and medicare-supplement insurance. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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