Why You Shouldn't Leave Car Insurance for the Day You Buy

Six hours at the dealership, everything agreed, and the finance manager asks about insurance. You don't have it. "No problem, we'll set it up right now." That's three mistakes at once.

What happens at the dealership

The policy is written in ten minutes with one or two carriers the dealer works with. Coverage is set to the minimum because it's faster. The price is never compared, and the decision is made by a tired person who wants to go home. Wrong policy, wrong price, wrong state of mind.

The right order

When	What to do
7 days before	Quotes from three carriers for the models you're considering
2–3 days before	Choose the carrier and coverage; get the policy or a binder
Deal day	Policy starts the day you take delivery; ID card saved on your phone
After the deal	Check that the lender is listed correctly on the policy

No VIN yet?

Insure by model: the agent needs only the year, make, model and trim. Get quotes on a few models before you choose the car — premiums for two cars in the same price range can differ by a factor of two, and that's hundreds of dollars a month for as long as you drive it.

The most important coverage in Florida

In Florida, bodily injury liability (BI) isn't required on a minimum policy. If an at-fault driver with a minimum policy hits you, there's nothing to pay for your injuries. UM/UIM — uninsured motorist coverage — closes that gap. The Insurance Research Council estimates that about 16% of Florida drivers are uninsured.

Don't waive UM. And if you skip BI, UM coverage doesn't kick in at all — the savings cost you twice.