Motorists should make the most of this highly competitive marketplace and compare car insurance companies carefully before choosing because it is the way to get the best value. Carriers differ in terms of size, reputation, price, claim handling experience, customer service, market segments they are good at, agency networks and ownership structure. Some of these points may be very important to you or you may just be looking for the best price at this time.
Here are some of the points to look at when you are looking for a new vehicle insurance company;
- Competitiveness
Price is always a good starting point because there is no point in liking a carrier if you cannot afford their rates. And most people don’t really like a company so much that they are willing to pay them hundreds of dollars more when they know competitors offer much cheaper rates. So, it is always best to start with getting a few quotes when you are comparing your auto insurance options. Getting many quotes means you will have many options to consider and some of these providers will be well-known, local, famous for making it difficult to claim or known to be a great company.
- Size
Generally, people are more comfortable with bigger automobile insurers. Their size suggests that they passed many scrutiny and stand well against them. Also they are more likely to be competitive due to economies of size and ability to spread risks among many policyholders in several different lines of insurance. On the other hand, smaller companies can be more focused on local customers and their limited range of products.
- Reputation
Reputation is a very strong selling point in insurance business since it is a trust based product. It is a good thing if a firm cares about their reputation and wants to build trust because the only way they can do it is by keeping their policyholders happy. Look at strong policyholder following regardless of the size of the company. There are many large and reputable companies and they serve in most states like GEICO, State Farm, Progressive, Nationwide and Allstate. Also, there are many smaller carriers but they are very popular in certain regions.
- Financial Strength
Auto insurance companies pass certain scrutiny to be licensed to sell insurance products in each state. Also, states offer insurance safety nets, which is a kind of insurance. Every company in the state contributes to the fund, which pays for claims if any of the carriers goes bankrupt. Still, a smaller and recently established company is more likely to crash than a well-funded and supported provider.
- Coverage
Ideally, you don’t want to be short-changed by any of them and therefore you should make sure that they all offer the same coverage you requested. And it is important not to lose the focus here because you are buying a policy in the end and not the company. It may be easier to give up on highly reputable automobile insurers when you find out that they are expensive but it won’t be easy to drop a quote that offers the best price and coverage even though you don’t know much about the company.
- Policy Conditions
Some cheaper policies may come with strenuous conditions or exclusions. You don’t want to have any kind of problems or complications if you ever make a claim. Either you should avoid them or make sure you can comply with their policy terms and conditions. Furthermore, non-standard vehicle insurance companies are known to have limited coverage and more conditions but they may be the only companies offering you coverage if you are a high-risk driver.
- Reliability
The minimum you can expect from a car insurance company is to be there when you suffer a covered loss and pay the claim without much of a fuss. Still, you need to make sure that you are dealing with a legitimate company that will be there for you. If you know nothing about the company, you should check where they are based, what they are about and who is behind the company. Often small insurance companies are backed by a larger insurer or another organization like the AAA.
While comparing, it is possible that you come across a great quote but you might have never heard of the brand. This doesn’t mean that they are no good. It just means that you need to find out a little bit more about them, which shouldn’t be difficult. You can search online or even ask an insurance broker if they have ever heard of the carrier.
- Advertisements
When unchecked, market economies spit out a torrent of choices. Consumers are often swamped with competing and conflicting claims. You need to ignore most of the advertisements. A quote includes every information you provided, discounts offered and rates applied. If a company claims to offer large discounts but their quote isn’t competitive, either you don’t qualify for them or you aren’t reading the small print.
- Agents
Some auto insurance companies have extensive agency networks and they may have an agent in your town as well. If you like the idea of having an agent nearby, you might like the company more. If you shop around and find the company to be competitive anyway, you can contact the local agent and let them bind the policy for you.
- Independent Agents and Brokers
They are different from tied agents because they can work with a few companies. So, if you are getting confused or new to arranging auto insurance, you might want to let an independent agent or broker do the search for you. In fact you can talk to two or three of them and see what they can find for you and which company they recommend.