What is the best car insurance company?
With so many car insurance companies to choose from, how can I make a fair comparison without buying into their advertising and marketing ploys?
This is a great question. You've undoubtedly heard of the big names in car insurance such as GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, State Farm and others, but how can you really find out which company is the best?
There are a number of online resources for reading customer opinions and industry ratings for car insurance companies. Please remember that a customer who feels they have been wrongly treated is much more likely to share their opinion of their car insurance company than someone who has had nothing but pleasant experiences. So you're not likely to find any one best car insurance company for this reason.
How to find the best car insurance company for you
- JD Power National Auto Insurance Ratings - JD Power is a national industry ratings company who provides ratings for car insurance companies based on customer's overall satisfaction, the policy options, cost of insurance and other criteria.
- Car Insurance Company Financial Strength - It's always a good idea to insure your cars with an insurer who is financially stable. A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's are two companies who publish financial strength ratings for all car insurance companies.
- Research your state insurance department - Complaints filed by consumers in your state are available from the insurance governing authority in your state. See our state-by-state car insurance guide to find the website link and contact information for your state.
- Online consumer opinions - Websites such as Rateitall.com, my3cents.com and epinions.com provide reviews and opinions of consumers for various companies. Simply Googling "car insurance company reviews" or similar terms will present many websites with consumer opinions.
The best car insurance company for you may not be the best one for your neighbor, your parents or your friends. Each company has specific consumer segments they market to, and you may fall outside those boundaries so your rates may not be the most competitive. The key to finding the right car insurance company is to find a balance between customer service, price, coverage and personal attention that you are comfortable with.
You will find nasty opinions about EVERY car insurance company on the web, just due to the nature of the business. And conversely, you will also find consumers who swear by a particular company and will be loyal to them forever.
You can start your quest to find YOUR best car insurance company by comparing rates of many of the carriers in your area. Simply enter your zip code below, complete the short form and you could save $500 or more a year on your car insurance!
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