3 Steps to Get an Anonymous Car Insurance Quote
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Your Area
An anonymous car insurance quote is difficult to get because rates are heavily personalized. You typically have to share your name, address, age and driving record. In some cases, your Social Security number (SSN) is required. Later in the process, you will have to provide a vehicle identification number (VIN) for your vehicle.
Some online tools allow you to compare quotes anonymously or by sharing little info. However, they only offer rough totals, not binding quotes.
How to get an anonymous car insurance estimate without revealing personal information
One of the quickest ways to get a sense of auto insurance costs without divulging personal info is to use a car insurance calculator. This tool will use the state you live in and your coverage needs to estimate an average cost for a policy. In addition, you can adjust liability, comprehensive and collision coverages as well as your location to see how costs vary.
Online calculators allow you to get a quick quote estimate without sharing personal info. Getting a binding quote — the price for which you can definitively buy a policy — will require sharing info such as an address, vehicle info, driving history, marital status and homeownership.
How to get a binding insurance quote, and what you need to disclose
You have to go through an individual insurance provider or a broker to get a binding quote for a policy you can actually buy. To do that, you will have to share info about yourself, including several pieces of personally identifiable info in most cases.
Every insurer will require you to provide an address to get a quote. Most will also require your name. Many insurers will ask for a Social Security number but not require it. Most will not ask for a VIN until after providing a quote.
A few insurance providers will give you a quote without a name, for example, The General. However, insurance rates are built on a wide range of factors, most of which are tied to you and your situation. If an insurer is going to offer a definitive quote, it will need to know about the vehicle or vehicles on the policy, drivers and a host of other factors about the financial picture. That info often includes:
- Name
- Date of birth for all drivers
- Address
- Prior insurance info
- Driving record of each driver on the policy
- Marital status
- How the vehicle will be used
- Age
- Gender
- Make, age and model of cars on the policy
- Email address
- Phone number
Some insurers will also ask for your profession.
When drivers provide their contact info, it often results in insurance providers emailing or calling them — something many people find intrusive. One way to mitigate this is to use a second email address that isn't your primary one. That allows you to keep online insurance offers in a separate place so they won't fill up your main inbox.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Your Area
Do you need to provide a Social Security number or VIN to get a quote?
If you're looking for a quote, you often do not have to disclose certain sensitive info, such as your SSN or VIN. Some insurers will allow you to put off providing a Social Security number until after you get a quote. Most will allow you to get a quote before providing a VIN.
Social Security number
Your Social Security number is used to check your credit score, which can impact your rates. That credit check will not affect your credit score. A few states do not allow insurers to factor credit scores into rates.
It's important to note that providing more info should mean a more accurate and likely lower quote than comparing rates anonymously. If an insurance provider is missing a piece of info, it will usually default to assuming you are more of a risk, which means higher rates.
You should avoid giving out your SSN unless it's necessary. Identity thieves can use it to create accounts in your name and damage your credit.
Other info you can often avoid giving an insurer until after getting a quote includes:
- Vehicle identification number for any cars or trucks on the policy
- License numbers for any drivers on the policy
Vehicle identification number
In some cases, insurers will ask for a VIN, sometimes called a vehicle registration number, during the process of getting a free car insurance quote. Insurers often do not require it until you actually buy a policy.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get a completely anonymous car insurance quote?
No. You can get an estimate. The more personal info you provide, the more accurate a quote will be.
Can you get a quote without giving your name?
In some rare cases, yes. Most insurance companies require a name before offering a quote.
Can you get a quote without providing your Social Security number?
Some companies will allow you to put off providing a Social Security number until after you get a quote. However, by the end of the process you will almost certainly have to provide your SSN.
Can you get a quote without giving your vehicle identification number?
Yes, you can get a quote without a VIN. But you cannot purchase a policy without providing that number to your insurer.
Is the quote you receive the final price you will pay?
Not necessarily. A quote might be given without all relevant info, which means the price can change when the rest of the info is processed. If you provide incorrect or false info, it could change your final price or result in the offer being rescinded.
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