Are you part of the 75% of consumers who don’t shop for an annual car insurance comparison? If so, don’t feel guilty — shopping for car insurance takes time and multiple quotes can get mighty confusing. At least, that was true of the old-fashioned way where you had to pick up the phone and power dial half-a-dozen different agents to get quotes.

But the times they are a changin’ and now it’s possible to complete a car insurance comparison in less time than it takes to drink a cup of coffee. How, you ask? Online, of course! Your car insurance comparison can all be accomplished quickly and painlessly if you fire up your computer and follow the three steps outlined below.

Step 1. Gather some basic personal information before you start. You will want to have: a copy of your current car insurance policy (so you can refer to current coverage amounts); the make and models of all cars being insured; a history of accidents or other car insurance claims over the past five years (for each driver being insured). It’s also helpful to know the approximate length of time you’ve been insured with your current company — you’ll get a better quote if you haven’t been switching around between companies.

Step 2. Now it’s time sit down at your computer and choose an online insurance quote provider. These are companies who have relationships with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of major car insurance companies. By using an online quote provider, you aren’t limited to getting quotes from just one company. And we all know that competition results in lower prices, so it’s in your best interest to get quotes from as many different companies as is feasible. But limit the number of quotes you get to seven, or you’ll burn a few brain cells trying to compare them.

Most online quote provides will match you with at least five different insurance companies. These companies can range from small independent agents who are located near you, to the very largest insurance companies who do business in all fifty states. Depending on the state where you live, you may also receive a quote from one of the strictly online companies like Esurance (but these companies are not licensed to provide insurance in all fifty states). If you aren’t sure which online quote provider to use, there is one recommended at the end of this article.

Step 3. Now it’s time to actually complete the online application. The good news — you only have to fill out one application in order to receive multiple quotes. Complete the application as completely and honestly as possible. The insurance companies will use the information you submit to provide their initial quotes, but they will verify all of your personal information before agreeing to a final policy. It’s important to remember that an online insurance quote will save you time, and probably money, but it’s not an opportunity to defraud the insurer.

Once your application has been submitted, all you have to do is sit back and wait for the quotes to start coming in. You’ll probably have the first one in your email box within the hour. After you receive at least five quotes, you should have a pretty good idea of your best car insurance rate. If it’s been a few years since your last car insurance comparison, chances are, you’re looking at savings of about 15% on your car insurance. Now wasn’t that worth an hour of your time?

Ready to start your car insurance comparison? Click here to use one of the premier quote providers … they provide five quotes from local and national insurance companies and the service is free.