Car insurance is one of those necessary evils. Most states prohibit by law not having it. Which, by the way, is a very good idea. However, it can be expensive. There are many articles on how to choose an insurance company, so I won’t go into it here. In addition to finding the perfect car at the perfect price, you need to find out if you can really afford car insurance.

Here are some quick steps to find out the cost up front instead of having a surprise when you get your first insurance bill.

1. Before you start shopping for your new car, familiarize yourself with your insurance company’s policy for certain types of cars. Give them a call and see what types of cars they might charge a higher premium for. For example, do convertibles, SUVs or two-seaters charge more? This will give you something to think about when you start shopping.
2. Once you find the exact car you are going to buy, get the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) of the car. It can usually be found on the dashboard in front of the driver. Call your insurance company and ask them to tell you the premium for that car with the same coverage you have on your current car. You can then compare it to what you’re already paying and see if it fits your budget.
3. Depending on how you intend to pay for your car (financing with a bank or leasing), you may need to have additional insurance coverage or deductibles. Find out about these from the dealer and repeat step 2 above for your new premium amount.