Online Insurance Information – Part 1

The Internet has a long history as a critical method for promoting, quoting and selling insurance. Although online insurance transactions are a normal form of doing business, it remains important to adhere to a bit of old, yet still excellent, advice, "Let the buyer beware." 

Possible Danger 

Securing both ordinary and special information via the Internet has become routine. As online sources have become more ubiquitous, so have pitfalls and dangers. It is a mistake to assume that the commonplace use of online information and online transactions automatically translates to all online sources being accurate and reliable. The need for insurance consumers to take care when using such information remains. One major issue is that published information is typically granted a high level of credibility (this includes the information you're currently reading). It is important to be certain of any information before acting on it. Ten different sources of information can give you ten different answers. Therefore, the safest way to use information is to seek and sort through multiple, credible sources instead of fully trusting a single source. 

The Internet is an incredible tool. However, it also provides many opportunities for acquiring information that may be useless or even harmful. Questioning sources is important as it is often difficult to verify who has posted the information and whether the source has any expertise in the subject matter. Information may be presented as facts, without justification. There is always the question of who has made the information available, the applicability of the content and whether a given agenda underlies the information. 

Please see part two of this discussion for guidance in vetting online information.