Getting an online car insurance quote is actually simple. In the past, in order to receive a car insurance quote, you would need to speak with an agent over the phone or in person and answer a couple of questions. This is not only time-consuming, but it could also put you in a position where you need to be careful of every answer you give to make sure that it would not negatively affect your insurance quote. Through answering a questionnaire online, you would be able to give your answers at your own time and pace. If you are wondering how you can get online quotes for a car insurance policy, here is a guide that you can follow.

1. Visit websites of reputable insurance companies that offer a variety of car insurance policies. Browse their websites and look for links to get online quotes. After clicking such links, you would be able to start the process of getting a quote.

2. You would be brought to a new page or window wherein you would need to enter basic information about yourself and the type of vehicle you have. You would also need to enter information on how many people you are planning to include in the coverage.

3. Aside from giving information on the type, make and model of your car, you would also need to enter all security and safety information of the car.

4. You may also be asked about your employment and your driving history. Depending on the website, you may need to provide simple information such as whether or not you have committed any traffic violations or you may need to give specific information about the violations you have committed or convicted of.

5. When answering the questions, make sure to be as honest as possible, providing specific and accurate information. This would make sure that you would have an accurate enough estimate on a car insurance quote.

Excess in car insurance refers to the extra money that the insured has to pay before filing a claim. This excess amount has to be paid in advance in order to get the insurance company to issue payment.

You can specify the excess amount that you will pay, at the time of buying the car insurance policy. So when your car is repaired through the purchased car insurance, you are also required to pay a particular amount for the repair costs. In case the car is beyond repair, the insurance company will pay you a settlement amount, minus the excess amount agreed upon. If the accident was not your fault, the insurance company of the other driver will pay for the costs of your car repair.

There are two types of excess premiums – compulsory excess and voluntary excess.

Compulsory excess is an amount that has to be paid while voluntary excess is an excess amount that a driver chooses to add to the car insurance policy. Young drivers below the age of 21 have to pay compulsory excess but those above 25 need not pay this excess amount.

Voluntary excess is paid for the sole reason of reducing the premiums that you pay towards the car insurance policy and when both these excesses are paid in conjunction with the other, the driver may have to pay quite a hefty sum when filing for a claim.

As the insurance excess amount that you pay for the car insurance policy affects the premiums that you pay, the higher the excess amount, the lower will be the premium. High excess car insurance is important for those who are prone to car trouble on the road or have expensive cars. It is also useful for young drivers because it helps reduce the premiums they have to pay towards the policy.

However, a high excess car insurance policy may not be ideal for everyone. This is because if the value of your car is low but the excess that you are paying is high, you will only end up receiving what you paid for the excess. Since you must first pay the excess to avail yourself of the insurance claim, it is worth considering if you need to pay the excess. In order to reduce your premium by a mere £10 to £20, you may end up paying more.