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Compare auto insurance quotes: limits, deductibles and premiums

Put car insurance quotes on the same basis. Record coverage limits, separate collision and comprehensive deductibles, and policy periods before comparing premiums.

Reviewed 2026-10-14How we reviewSuggest a correction
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Start with the same drivers, vehicles and requested coverage. Check limits and each deductible before calling one quote cheaper for the same protection. Use the worksheet to turn unanswered details into questions for the provider.

Use the comparison worksheet ↓Need quotes first? Prepare your request ↓

Put the scope side by side

Why two auto quotes may have different premiums
CompareOption AOption BWhat to confirm
People, vehicles and datesNamed drivers, vehicles and effective datesThe same requested people, vehicles and datesAre any drivers, vehicles or uses missing or described differently?
Liability limitsCopy each stated limitCopy the corresponding limitDo injury and property-damage limits match, or are the quotes buying different protection?
Vehicle-damage deductiblesRecord collision and comprehensive separatelyRecord collision and comprehensive separatelyWhich loss uses which deductible? Confirm omitted coverages rather than treating blank fields as included.
Price and periodPremium for the stated termPremium for its stated termDo quoted premiums include payment fees, and what can change at renewal?

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE · NOT MARKET PRICES

Normalize the term, then resolve the coverage differences

Invented example: A is $900 for six months and B is $1,650 for twelve months. Assume the shorter-term price repeats unchanged and no extra fees. A lists a $500 collision deductible while B lists $1,000.

A: $900 × 2 = $1,800 annualized. B: $1,650. Difference: $150 before any claims or unentered fees.

B has a lower annualized premium under those assumptions, but a different collision deductible. This is not an equivalent-coverage savings conclusion or a renewal quote.

GET COMPARABLE QUOTES

Request comparable auto policy terms

Replace the bracketed details, then use the same request with each company you are considering. Keep their written answers beside the quote.

Read the request before copying
I am comparing auto insurance proposals with an intended effective date of [date]. Please use the same accurate driver, vehicle, use and location details I provide through your secure quote process.
Please show:
1. Each liability limit, identifying what each amount covers.
2. Collision and comprehensive deductibles separately, including any omitted coverage.
3. Applicable uninsured/underinsured motorist, medical/PIP and optional coverage limits and exclusions.
4. Total premium, term length, payment schedule and fees already included or charged separately.
5. Discounts and their conditions, unresolved underwriting items and quote expiration.
Please identify differences from my requested coverage and offer a matching alternative where available. Confirm proposed effective dates and applicable cancellation/refund terms before any change.
Please identify the issuing insurer’s full legal name and NAIC number, the agent or broker handling this quote, and where I can verify state licensing and the insurer’s complaint record.

Copying does not send a request. Share personal details through your chosen provider’s secure quote process.

Ready to request your quotes?

Copy your prepared request for your conversations with providers. Continue to tell us what you need and choose how our team should follow up. Your edits here are not sent automatically.

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Now compare your own quotes

Open the comparison worksheetEnter the quotes you have. Keep unanswered items as questions for your provider.

COMPARE MORE THAN THE PRICE

What happens if…?

Choose what each policy says about the situations below. “Not sure” becomes a question to ask your provider. Add exact limits or deductibles only if you know them.

Optional · Saves prices and notes in this browser tab for 30 minutes after an edit. They are not sent to us or a provider. Uncheck to remove the saved copy.

Saving is off. Without a saved copy, leaving or reloading clears your entries.

Add quoted prices and policy periods (optional)
Option A
Option B

Enter each complete quoted premium. Fees outside that premium are not included here. Shorter terms are annualized assuming unchanged renewals.

Injuries or damage you cause

Liability · Injuries or property damage you cause to others, subject to fault, limits and policy terms.

Option A: add limits or notes
Option B: add limits or notes

Does not repair your own car. Compare per-person and per-accident limits.

Your car is damaged in a crash

Collision · Damage to your car from a covered collision.

Option A: add limits or notes
Option B: add limits or notes

Usually has its own deductible; check valuation and exclusions.

Theft, hail and other non-crash damage

Comprehensive · Certain non-collision losses such as theft, hail or fire.

Option A: add limits or notes
Option B: add limits or notes

The name does not mean every possible loss is covered.

Another driver has too little insurance

UM / UIM · Certain losses involving drivers with no or insufficient coverage.

Option A: add limits or notes
Option B: add limits or notes

Availability, limits and required offers depend on state law.

Medical costs after a car accident

Medical / PIP · Certain medical expenses and, for some PIP policies, additional benefits.

Option A: add limits or notes
Option B: add limits or notes

State rules and coordination with other coverage vary.

0 of 10 policy items noted. This is a worksheet, not a coverage score. Your notes stay in this page, including when you switch between car and home.

Policy language, endorsements and state requirements determine coverage. This worksheet compares your entries; it does not interpret policy wording, establish adequate limits or select a policy. For home insurance, check roof, dwelling and belongings settlement separately and use the policy's stated basis for any percentage deductible.

Sources: NAIC: Auto insurance coverage ↗ Checked October 12, 2026. Methodology v1.1.

Questions to take to your provider

  1. Please quote the same drivers, vehicles, coverage limits and effective dates.
  2. Can you confirm collision and comprehensive deductibles separately?
  3. Which fees or discount conditions are outside the displayed premium?

Use these with the companies you are already considering. Ask for written answers so you can compare the same work or coverage.

Questions covered in this guide

What makes two auto insurance quotes comparable?

Use the same requested drivers, vehicles, use, location and effective date, then match the actual coverage terms. Supply accurate personal information through the insurer’s or agent’s secure quote process. Keep a copy of each proposal and note anything still subject to verification. A low initial figure is not a complete comparison if one company priced a different vehicle use or left a driver unresolved.

Which insurance company would actually issue the policy?

A familiar brand can have multiple underwriting companies. NAIC’s Consumer Insurance Search asks consumers to use the correct company name from the policy and to confirm licensing with their state insurance department. Request the proposed issuing company’s full legal name and NAIC number before researching it. Keep those details with the quote so you do not accidentally compare a different subsidiary. Also confirm the agent or broker’s identity through the relevant state department.

How should you use an insurer’s complaint record?

NAIC’s complaint-research guidance covers closed, confirmed complaints and cautions against choosing an insurer on one factor. Compare the same insurance type and reporting years for the issuing companies, alongside coverage, price and financial information. NAIC notes that an index can move because the wider market’s complaints or premiums changed. A one-year change alone cannot show that your future claim will be handled better or worse. Save the report date and ask the provider to explain any concern you find.

Why is “full coverage” not enough detail?

NAIC’s auto shopping tool explains the separate coverages and cautions against treating “full coverage” as a defined package. Ask for the actual limits and deductibles:

  • Bodily injury and property-damage liability, with each limit identified.
  • Collision and comprehensive, with separate deductibles and any omitted coverage.
  • Uninsured or underinsured motorist, medical payments or PIP terms where applicable.
  • Rental, roadside or other optional features, including limits and exclusions.

An empty line is a question to resolve, not permission to assume that coverage is included.

How do you compare six-month and twelve-month premiums?

Annualize the premium for a consistent comparison and record the term that produced it. In the example above, $900 for six months becomes $1,800 annualized, versus $1,650 for twelve months. The $150 difference assumes the next six-month premium is unchanged. Payment frequency is a separate issue: an installment amount may include fees or leave a down payment outside it. Ask for the total premium and complete payment schedule.

Does a lower premium mean the same coverage costs less?

Only after the differences are resolved. In the example, the $500 and $1,000 deductibles do not match, so the $150 premium gap is not a same-coverage saving. Ask for an alternate quote using matching deductibles, or consciously compare the different out-of-pocket amounts. The deductible calculator can illustrate a flat-deductible scenario; it cannot determine which policy fits your needs or resolve exclusions.

Which discount and switching details should you confirm?

Ask which discounts are included, what conditions maintain them, whether quoted fees recur and when the proposal expires. If a home-policy discount depends on moving auto insurance, get both prices for that exact arrangement using the bundle comparison. Before changing policies, obtain written confirmation of effective dates and any cancellation or refund terms from the providers. Keep unresolved coverage questions in the policy comparison worksheet for follow-up.

Putting it into practice

Annualizing premiums resolves a time-period mismatch but does not resolve a coverage mismatch. A cheaper annualized quote with a higher deductible needs both differences retained until the insurer provides equivalent terms.

Sources and supported claims

TDI presents coverage, vehicle use, exclusions and costs as separate shopping questions; a total premium is not the complete comparison.
Source ↗ · state · Checked 2026-10-12

Homeowners comparisons also require reviewing coverage and settlement terms rather than assuming equal protection from a matching policy label.
Source ↗ · national · Checked 2026-10-12

NAIC’s auto shopping tool separates coverage types, limits, deductibles and premiums and warns that full coverage is not a defined package of protection.
Source ↗ · national · Checked 2026-10-13

NAIC cautions that subsidiaries may have different names and recommends checking the correct insurer and state licensing.
Source ↗ · national · Checked 2026-10-13

NAIC explains the limits of confirmed-complaint information and notes that complaint-index changes can reflect wider market changes.
Source ↗ · national · Checked 2026-10-13

More help with this decision

Sources & scope

Texas Department of Insurance: Auto insurance shopping checklist ↗
Texas consumer guidance; comparison questions are useful elsewhere, but state rules differ · Checked 2026-10-12

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