There are two ways to buy car insurance, directly from an insurance company or through an independent insurance broker like Policygenius.

If you already have homeowners or renters insurance, it may make sense to purchase your new car insurance policy through the same company. You’ll usually get a discount for bundling multiple types of coverage.

If you already have an auto policy and want to add a new car to your existing coverage, that’s usually simple as well. The only downside to going with your current insurer is that you miss out on shopping around, and you might not get the best possible rates.

You can shop around by getting quotes from several insurance brokers, but this involves a lot of legwork (not to mention a lot of emails — each company will email you a quote). You can do the comparisons on your own this way, but it can take awhile to go through the quote process with every carrier separately.

Buying car insurance through an independent insurance broker like Policygenius can streamline the process. You can fill out one application and get multiple quotes, and then you’ll have an expert guiding you through the process.

Since brokers work with several insurance companies, they can ensure you get the best coverage and the best deal. If you do already have a homeowners or renters policy — or you’re planning to combine policies — a broker can offer you the same bundled savings asa carrier would.