When it comes to buying car insurance online, there are two main players: GEICO and Progressive. You’ve seen the cute gecko commercials and Progressive’s insurance super market commercials. Which online car insurance company should you insure your vehicles with?  That depends.

Both GEICO and Progressive are solid financially, with GEICO having the backing of Berkshire Hathaway and the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffet. Both companies provide easy online quote forms, and a plethora of insurance options that can be customized to your needs.

Both companies also have extensive experience servicing policyholders no matter where you live. Progressive does sell through the independent agent channel, so if you prefer to have an agent to call when the need arises, then Progressive may win your business for that reason. Read the rest of this entry

FACT: After you have an accident is not the time to find out if you have enough car insurance coverage.

Most of us don’t spend a lot of time pondering whether or not we carry enough car insurance coverage. When you originally purchased your current policy, whether online or through an agent, you probably just made the assumption that your previous coverages were enough and rolled them into your current policy. With the popularity of buying car insurance online, the danger of carrying too little car insurance coverage is becoming more of a reality for many consumers.

Buying car insurance without a complete question and answer session with a license agent, or at the very least with a company representative over the phone, is like playing Russian roulette with your financial future. Read the rest of this entry

Comparing car insurance quotes is a great way to see if your current car insurance rates are inline with other company’s rates. Car insurance policy terms are usually 6 months, so it’s a good idea to comparison shop your rates every two renewals, or once a year.

Making a fair comparison between different rate quotes can be tricky, and some companies may attempt to lower coverages to make their insurance quote appear more affordable. The rate may be lower, but in reality you may be giving up important coverages such as uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage or liability protection.

When it’s time to shop your auto insurance around, it’s crucially important that each quote you receive uses similar deductibles and coverage limits as your current policy. That’s not to say your current coverages are adequate, but in order to fairly compare rates, you need an apples-to-apples comparison between carriers. Read the rest of this entry

Affordable car insurance is an elusive concept but if you follow these steps, you have a great chance of slashing your next auto insurance bill. The key to finding the most affordable rates is to shop around and take advantage of available discounts.

How to shop around for affordable car insurance

Being a licensed propery and casualty agent, I can give you a few pointers about the best way to find affordable car insurance. The key is to compare rates from as many companies as possible, including independent agents, captive agents and online companies. There may be some overlap, since some online companies also sell via the independent agent channel, such as Progressive Insurance.

If you have access to an independent agent, that would be a good place to start your search for affordable car insurance. Independent agents write with many different companies and can do the legwork for you in comparing rates. They may write with smaller companies that don’t have large advertising budgets and you may not have heard of. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as the companies have a solid financial rating. Read the rest of this entry

Car insurance can be expensive, and the last thing consumers need in a depressed economy is to throw hard earned dollars down the drain. You can insure for less by knowing about auto insurance discounts that may be available from your insurance company.

Multiple Vehicle Discounts

If you own more than one car, truck, SUV or minivan, you can receive a discount on all vehicles on your policy by insuring them with the same company. Even if one of your vehicles is older and you carry liability-only coverage, the cost of insuring that vehicle may be more than offset by a multi-car discount.

Multi-line or Multi-policy Discounts

Insurance companies want all your insurance coverage, both for increased revenues and also for proper risk protection, and they will give you a discount on your insurance for insuring your cars, home and recreational vehicles with them. The savings can be substantial, so if you currently have your insurance coverage with multiple companies, it may pay to quote your coverage with the same carrier. Read the rest of this entry