Then after some time when the gambit of insurance and its requirements widened with the Indusrial Revolution, insurance companies started appointing Agents or brokers for contacting potential customers and that practice still is going on unabated. But the advent of computer and the accessibility to internet after the information technology boom and the easy availability of personal computers brought with other things, the insurance world also within the four walls of the individuals drawing room. So the people who used to go to search for an insurance broker or an agent, can now access a host of websites which offer their services for selection of a suitable insurance cover available in the market based on the needs of an individual buyer. Normally these service providers themselves represent an insurance company who sells online policies to the customers apart from their normal channel. So their policies are in line with their policies which are sold in the market through their other avenues. Or these sites may be provided by some agencies or firms who operate on behalf of a certain insurance company as an agent or broker and they part with a portion of their brokerage or commission receivable from the insurance company which they provide to the customer by way of discount. Some other internet portals offer insurance covers through a host of arrangement with a number of insurance companies and offer the quotes based on the cover provided by different companies at different rates based on the need of the individual buyer. This third type of portals are best for a buyer who need not check each and every internet portal to find out the best rate for each of his requirements.

So the basic requirement to get an online insurance quotes cover is like getting any other service through internet which can be accessed either through ones own PC or notebook or any other similar electronic media, even from

a cyber cafe. Once you have the internet connection you may either go to an insurance website directly if you are aware about the URL of that website or you may simply go to a search engine like Google, Yahoo, Rediff or so and search for an insurance portal. The most popular type of insurance cover which is offered through internet is of course Car Insurance and then the Home insurance followed by Travel Insurance. The reason behind is that the Car Insurance is mandatory or statutory cover under the law of almost all the countries in the world. So the sale of this cover is highest in number and required by a large section of the society. Further, unlike many other insurance covers, the number of permutations and combinations for the available and sought for covers are also limited. In other words, the technicalities involved in the formation of these covers are less. Home insurance is another area where the potentiality of insurance is high and with the increase in number of crimes resulting in thefts and burglaries or other accidents like natural calamities, the awareness in home insurance is also getting much higher attention than earlier. Further, many online insurance quotes companies, seeing the scope of higher population of prospective buyers in this segment, offers package policies which not only covers the house and its contents but also offers a number of additional covers available on payment of additional premium like public liability, liability for domestic helps, personal accident covers, special cover for high-end electrical or electronic gadgets and so on. So this segment is also very popular. Travel insurance is also available on the websites because this is a very handy cover for people who travel inland as well as overseas. Since Overseas Travel policies also offer medical benefits in case of a disease contracted on a foreign soil, which is mandatory for many a third world country, the intending traveler opts for this hassle free method of obtaining a suitable cover to protect own interest. The portals of an insurance company on the internet offer a host of other insurance covers also.

Once you reach the website of an insurance service provider, you should look for the online insurance quotes covers being offered by the same agency and then opening the desired cover, you may look into the details on the coverage of the policy. For example, for an overseas medical policy or otherwise termed as overseas travel policy which combines both the cover of loss of baggage, passport, travel documents and medical expenses up to a certain monetary limit, one has to check the situations or circumstances which is being covered by the policy, the claim procedure, the settlement procedure and the settling agents who are available at the desired destination, the exclusions under the policy etc. The additional covers which are available on payment of additional premium and whether they are relevant or not depending on individual situation is to be minutely considered. Then the rates at which these covers are being offered and the discounts available under different heads are to be considered. One thing should be kept in mind that first the scope and extent of the desired cover is to be ascertained and then the rate and discount should be looked into. In no case compromise should be made with essential covers in a given situation for a little discount as it may subvert the very basic purpose of taking the insurance cover. As for example, in case of a car insurance cover, the mode of settlement of a company may be the reimbursement of repairing charges incurred for repair at any authorized service station of the manufacturer and the rate may be lower but the higher rate of premium charged by another Company may allow you the use of another car in case of an accident till the time you do not get the car from the repairer. In the first case either your movement is seriously affected or you have to hire another car for your use which entails more expenditure on you.

The basic advantage of online insurance quotes is that you can create your policy depending on your needs and also can subsequently modify the same by deleting or adding more cover without bothering to pay a visit to the insurers office at any point of time. Just in case of a normal policy, you may fill up the proposal form by simply giving necessary inputs about you and the risks to be covered and get the online insurance quotes. If you are satisfied about the rate, then you simply make the payment and get a printout from the computer having details of the policy. The original policy document properly stamped [if required under the law of the land] is delivered within a day or two to the given address of the buyer. All standard online insurance portals contain toll-free 24X7 customer helpline which always gives you prompt information on any further queries you may like to know about a cover or the post-sales service.

So once you decide on the extent of the coverage you require, you may go to a few insurance portals and check the rates covering the desired quantum of risks from different insurers and also check if any increase in cover or additional cover is also available which may become handy in case the situation so arises. Then you select an insurer which promises to give you the desired cover at the desired rate and you buy their insurance. For example, in case of travel cover, you have a multiple choice to select your need like short trip, long stay, annual multiple trip, adventure travel, backpacking, group travel and so on. These sites not only advises on insurance covers but also offers a host of information on travel related queries to the given destination including weather, hotel information, places of interests, any travel adversary issued by the State or Federal governments etc.

Many of the insurance portals also give you some basic conditions subject to which the rate will be quoted and if you do not fulfill any of these conditions, you are not eligible for the rate offered and these conditions are conditions precedent to the contract of insurance and must be complied with. In case of any doubt, the agency should be contacted through their helpline to arrive at the proper conclusion. You may also go the FAQ[frequently asked questions] section of the portals to find out if there is already a readymade answer available to your query or doubts.

So online insurance is all about choosing an insurance policy from the cozy confinements of your room or workstations among a number of alternatives available at your fingertips without roaming around in the heat, cold or dust in search of a proper insurance policy. All the additional information or advice you may obtain from an insurance advisor may also be obtained from the helpline of the respective agencies. But in case of commercial policies having a number of issues to be resolved, help may be taken from a professional insurance advisor but for simple daily life requirements for an insurance cover this option suits you the best if you have the will to go for it.