Finding an Auto Insurance Company – Top 7 Car Insurance Companies

Finding an Auto Insurance Company - Top 7 Car Insurance Companies

Finding an Auto Insurance Company - Top 7 Car Insurance Companies

When searching for a car insurance company it is important to shop around and compare many different companies. Look for a well known Auto Insurance Company with a good reputation that has great customer service and that handles claims quickly.

Here are some of the top car insurance companies in the nation and some useful facts about each one that can help you make an informed decision when shopping for a car insurance policy.

1. Progressive Auto Insurance

Progressive is one of the largest auto insurance providers in the country and they have been in the insurance industry for over 70 years.

Their website offers 24 hour a day online claims reporting and policy service and management for the convenience of their customers.

In 2008, Progressive was put in 1st place for positive online customer experiences by The Customer Respect Group.

2. Nationwide Auto Insurance

Nationwide is another one of the largest financial service providers in the country. They have over $161 billion in assets.

Nationwide was ranked #108 on the Fortune 500 list.

Nationwide also has an online insurance claims center and a toll free number that customers can call 24/7 to file a claim.

3. GEICO Auto Insurance

GEICO is a large, well known company that has an excellent reputation for customer service.

They also offer many discounts to their customers such as an anti theft discount, college graduate discount, good student discount, military discount, driver’s education discount, defensive driving discount and many more.

A.M. Best gave GEICO an A++ rating, which is their highest rating, for financial stability. GEICO has been in business for over 70 years.

4. Travelers Auto Insurance

Travelers took the #93 spot on the Fortune 500 list. They received an A+ financial strength rating from A.M. Best.

They also offer their customers many discounts such as a multi car discount, hybrid auto discount, good student discount, and a good driver discount.

Travelers Insurance is also a very large company. They have representatives in every state, Canada, Ireland, and the U.K.

5. Allstate Auto Insurance

Allstate is another top Auto Insurance Company. They were given an A+ rating by A.M. Best for financial strength.

Allstate has many different programs that their customers can choose from. They have an Accident Forgiveness Program that keeps your car insurance rates from going up if you are in an accident and even if it is your fault. They also have a safe driving bonus. This allows you to earn a check for up to 5% of your premium for every six months that you are accident free.

Allstate offers 24/7 claims service online or by telephone.

6. Amica Auto Insurance

Amica is a mutual insurance company that was founded in 1907, making it the oldest mutual auto insurance company in the U.S. Amica does business in every state except Hawaii.

Amica received an A.M. Best rating of A++, which is their highest rating. J.D. Power and Associates has named Amica the highest in customer satisfaction for nine years in a row.

7. Liberty Mutual Auto Insurance

Liberty Mutual is a large mutual insurance company with over 900 offices around the world. Liberty Mutual went national in 1994, and now operates in more than twenty countries.

Liberty Mutual was given a score of A by A.M. Best for their financial strength.

Why Top Auto Insurance Companies Can’t Keep You Informed

Top Auto Insurance Companies
Top Auto Insurance Companies

With the fast changing auto insurance market moving at warp speed, it’s hard for the average auto insurance agent to keep up. To also assume they can also keep their customers informed is not reality. That’s why as a consumer you have to take it upon yourself to stay up-to-date and informed by doing your own research for the best Auto Insurance Coverage, Auto Insurance Rates and Auto Insurance Companies to do business with.

compare-car-insurance-companies-1With the internet it’s much easier to comparison shop, read articles, check the latest data or even have it come to you. How? By subscribing to RSS feeds or one of the many informative car insurance newsletters.

best-auto-insurance-company-2With so many polls confirming how the uninformed pay the highest premiums for Auto Insurance it should act as a warning to those seeking a lower auto insurance rate. As much as your insurance agent may want to serve your needs as their ads and brochures say, with tons of new information coming their way it’s more difficult now than ever before.

cheap-auto-insurance-online-3Truth be told the best insurance agents like to deal with informed consumers, they take less hand holding, they recognize good deals when they see them and they save them time and money. However, it’s the lazy and unscrupulous agents that shy away from the informed consumer for obvious reasons.

compare-car-insurance-companies-4It can get even worse if you have a lazy or unscrupulous auto insurance agent, many will use your lack of information to overcharge or under insure you. This all underlies the importance of being your own insurance agent before you talk to a companies insurance agent. The auto insurance industry continues to change fast, now with the internet you can keep up with more of those changes.

Auto Insurance Coverage| If Involved In An Accident With An Uninsured Driver?

Uninsured drivers are ten times more likely to drink and drive and three times more likely to be convicted of driving without due care and attention. They also cause one accident every six months. In fact one in twenty motorists regularly drive without insurance. It’s therefore not perhaps surprising that, one in ten of all motorists have been involved in accidents with uninsured drivers. The question is what to do if you’re involved in an accident with one?

Auto Insurance Coverage

Auto Insurance Coverage

At the time of the accident you’re unlikely to realise that the other driver is uninsured so you’ll have to react in the normal way. Take a note of the other car’s make, model and registration number. Also note the other driver’s name and address – but whether he’ll give you his correct details is perhaps unlikely! Nevertheless, always record what the other driver says. Unless you have this information you’ll have no leg to stand on when it comes to getting some of your money back.

Also take notes about the damage to the other car and the accident scene. Remember to note road markings, road signs, light and weather conditions and whether the other car had its lights on – in fact as much detail as possible. Then if you’re lucky enough to have an independent witness get their full contact details. And if you happen to have a camera in the car, take lots of pictures – and try and get one with the other driver clearly in the picture. The police might like that one!

If your policy is comprehensive, your insurer pay for your car to be repaired but you could lose your no claims discount unless you’ve paid to protect it. But then there’s the issue of your excess payment – that’s the first part of the repair cost you have to pay for. You’ll have to pay that unless you’re lucky enough to have a policy that waives the excess payment if you’re hit by an uninsured driver.

For those of you with third party car insurance, you’re in for a hard time. Your insurer won’t pay for your repairs and, as the other driver is uninsured, you’re not going to get any money off him unless you can trace him and succeed in a court action. Even then there’s no guarantee that he’ll pay up! Your only guaranteed solution is to make a compensation claim to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau - but you’ll still have to pay the first £300 of the claim.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau insists that have the other drivers’ car registration number and you must first report the accident to the police. Always ask the police for a copy of their accident report as the Bureau’s likely to ask to see it. The Bureau’s telephone number is 01908 671681 or you can e-mail them on enquiries@mib.org.uk.

At the moment The UK’ Law is being amended to crackdown on uninsured drivers. Not before time. Anyone keeping, not just driving, an uninsured vehicle now faces a fixed £100 fine and can also have their car seized and crushed. Currently the average fine for driving without insurance is just £170 and that’s hardly a punishment when car insurance costs many times more. Losing the car plus a fine of £100 is much more realistic. Let’s hope that the courts fully implement the crushing sanction!

A police spokesman said recently, “ Uninsured drivers are often guilty of many other driving related offences, such as having no driving licence or MOT certificate. We’re doing everything in our power to get these dangerous and illegal drivers off our roads”.

Bad Eyesight Threatens Your Auto Insurance Cover

If you have an accident and it’s found that you’d failed to keep your car roadworthy, for example excessively worn tyres, and that was a contributory factor in the accident, your insurer will probably refuse to pay up. And the police may also show an interest too! Quite reasonable many of you will say. But what if it’s you that’s un-roadworthy?

Bad Eyesight Threatens Your Auto Insurance Cover

Bad Eyesight Threatens Your Auto Insurance Cover

How many driving accidents are accompanied by the comment “I didn’t see the other vehicle”? And what happens if the problem was your eyesight? Has it deteriorated to a dangerous extent?

Well all of us clearly know if we have an eyesight problem but there are opticians to help on every high street. Remember, if you need contact lenses or glasses for driving then you must wear them and if your eyesight deteriorates you should get a new prescription. It’s the legal responsibility of all drivers to ensure that they’re safe to drive.

Only last week I drew up alongside an elderly driver who was clearly having trouble reading the junction signs. He was leaning forward trying to read the signs indicating towards Leeds and rolling forward at 10 mph – all this at traffic lights that by this time had turned red – and he clearly hadn’t seen those! He was lucky that the cars coming across from the right saw him early. I’m not even sure he saw them either!

The law is quite straightforward – it states that any driving licence holder who cannot meet the minimum level of eyesight must not drive. They are also required to surrender their licence.

The eyesight test for drivers’ states that you must be able to read a number plate containing letters and figures 50 mm wide and 79mm high (that’s a legal number plate) from a distance of 20 meters. But you can use your driving glasses.

Having said that there’s no legal obligation for you to have regular eyesight tests but you are required to tell the DVLA if you develop any medical problem that affects your fitness to drive. If you don’t tell them, it’s a criminal offence.

In some American states drivers have to take an eye test every five years but not in the UK. Here, driver aged 70 and over must complete a medical form every three years confirming their fitness to drive and the definition of “fitness” includes eyesight. If theses drivers fail to send in their medical form, they lose their driving licence. (I wonder what that elderly gentleman at the traffic lights said on his?)

On the insurance front, if you are involved in an accident where your defective eyesight was a contributory factor, your insurance company may well argue that you were negligent and refuse to pay out. This could be simply because you needed glasses to drive but weren’t wearing them at the time.

So drive carefully, and keep your eyes peeled – elderly gentleman in Leeds please take note!

Discount Auto Insurance – How Can You Get Additional Savings?

Discount Auto Insurance - How Can You Get Additional Savings?

Discount Auto Insurance - How Can You Get Additional Savings?

Discount auto insurance is typically available through most car insurance companies. However, you may or may not be getting the additional savings that you qualify for. Here are some things to consider.

Auto insurance companies usually give discounts for customer actions or vehicle features that lower the risk of a claim. They also will give discounts to reward customers who buy more insurance products.

  1. Typical discounts for customer actions include:
  2. Taking a defensive driving course.
  3. Completing driver training.
  4. Maintaining good grades for students (important for teen drivers).
  5. Being accident free for several years.
  6. Driving less than average.
  7. Being a certain age, as in the case of senior discounts.
  8. Typical discounts for features on your car include:
  9. Having anti-theft devices.
  10. Having an anti-lock brakes system (ABS).
  11. Having air bags.
  12. Typical discounts for being a good customer include:
  13. Having more than one insurance policy, such as insuring your home and auto with the same company.
  14. Insuring more than one vehicle on the same policy.

All of these discounts may not be available where you live, or with all Auto Insurance Companies. And, some companies may offer discounts not listed here.

What you want to do is contact your current Auto Insurance Company and make sure you’re getting the discounts you deserve. Also, you should periodically get comparison Auto Insurance Quotes. It’s important to get comparison quotes because rates can vary a lot from one company to the next. You could save hundreds of dollars. Comparison quotes will also show you what kind of discounts are available.

An easy way to get quick Auto Insurance Quotes is to use a comparison site. Comparison sites gather your information from one online request form, and distribute it to several Auto Insurance Companies and agencies at once. You then get several different quotes back.

When you find the Auto Insurance Quote that saves you the most money, be sure to verify that you are getting all of the discounts you are eligible for.

Discount Auto Insurance – Many Different Ways to Get Discount Auto Insurance

Discount Auto Insurance - Many Different Ways to Get Discount Auto Insurance

Discount Auto Insurance - Many Different Ways to Get Discount Auto Insurance

Are you trying to save money on your auto insurance? Do you want to cut your premiums and receive discount that you did not know about? There are many ways that you can get discount auto insurance and you need to know how to find the best possible rates for you. Here are some helpful tips to get you a lower auto insurance rate.

First, if you pay your insurance once a year instead of monthly you can save a couple hundred dollars. This will cut out the service fee for the monthly payments and will also cut out the risk for the auto insurance company that you might not pay for your insurance. This is a big deal for high risk drivers and those of you with bad credit.

The easiest way to pay your car insurance in full is to use your tax return or some other large sum of money that you receive yearly, like a bonus or settlement check. This will give you a little more money to work with in your budget every month as well because your insurance will already have been paid.

Second, if you have teenage drivers on your policy and they get a “b” average in high School or College, then they will qualify for a 20% discount on their insurance. You can also get a discount for your teen drivers by sending them to driving school or drivers education. This looks great to auto insurance companies and they will extend around a 20% discount for your teens.

Last, if you do have bad credit, then start working to fix your credit, drive safely, and you will get discounts on your insurance as your credit gets better. Also, if you carry your home, life, auto, and other insurances all with one carrier they will extend a discount for you as well. These are all ways to get discount auto insurance, but the best way is to stay out of trouble on the roads.

Discount Auto Insurance – Get Low Rates And Superior Coverage

Discount Auto Insurance - Get Low Rates And Superior Coverage

Discount Auto Insurance - Get Low Rates And Superior Coverage

Auto Insurance Rates can be quite expensive. If you are in shopping for Auto Insurance or just Comparing Auto Insurance Rates between your current insurer and competing Auto Insurance Companies, you may want to look at the Auto Insurance Rates offered by Discount Auto Insurance providers. Discount Auto Insurance Companies offer superior coverage at prices that could be significantly lower than your current Auto Insurance Rates.

Most states require Auto Insurance. While the requirements in each state may vary, even purchasing the minimum amount of a Auto Insurance that is required in your state may be quite expensive. A discount auto insurance company can help you significantly lower your premiums and still give you superior coverage and excellent customer service.

A discount car insurance provider can help you decide which coverage is right for you and how much coverage is necessary. Discounts for insuring more than one car, safe driver discounts, and discounts for good students are just a few of the additional savings that can be fully explained to you by your discount auto insurance company. Even if you have traffic violations, need an SR-22, or do not currently have auto insurance, there is a discount auto insurance provider than can give you the coverage you need and still save you money.

Discount auto insurance is available across the country. You can save money each and every month and you could even get better coverage than with your current insurance company. Protect yourself and your car with an auto insurance policy from a discount insurance provider. Discount auto insurance companies offer the same types of coverage as your current auto insurance company while giving you superior customer service. Friendly, knowledgeable insurance experts will handle your claim quickly and professionally.

If you are paying too much for auto insurance, take the time to shop for discount auto insurance. You could save hundreds of dollars each year and still receive the type of coverage and service you expect. Discount auto insurance companies offer the same coverage as the higher priced auto insurance companies, you will receive top-quality customer service, and prompt attention to any questions or claims you may have.

Contact a discount auto insurance company for all your insurance needs. Protect your car and yourself and save money at the same time.

Discount Auto Insurance – Ways to Lower Auto Coverage

Discount Auto Insurance - Ways to Lower Auto Coverage

Discount Auto Insurance - Ways to Lower Auto Coverage

Finding ways to slash the car insurance cost on your car or truck comes more naturally for more people to seek, especially in this current economic climate. The cost of insuring your vehicle continues to go through the roof (pardon the pun). More Auto Insurance Companies scurry to find more discounts for what the industry calls lower risk drivers. The industry has determined the low risk by certain traits people have because they’re less likely to get into an Auto Insurance fault accident or file a claim.

In the past most Auto Insurance Companies would give you a discount on your Auto Insurance Policy a clean driving record alone.. But here’s a tip most drivers don’t know about.

Now most Auto Insurance Companies worth there salt will offer discounts to policy holders if you work in certain professions, be a certain age or have a certain credit rating. Other discounts are offered depending on the type of car you drive. If you have more than one car insured with the same Auto Insurance Company or if you have your home or apartment insured with them you may quality for an Auto Insurance Discount.

All these traits label you as a lower risk policyholder. The more of the above traits you have the lower your risk and the bigger your premium savings.

Your college degree can even slash your Auto Insurance Coverage cost by helping you obtain Auto Insurance Discount. For example, if you have a B.A degree in engineering, math or biochemistry you can find policy discounts at many Auto Insurance Companies. Research shows people with engineering degrees or degrees in one of the sciences file fewer claims. Go figure.

Other low risk occupations, according to years of industry research, are teachers, farmers and ministers. So make sure you check with your agent on the latest discounts they have available if you feel you qualify. Discount Auto Insurance plans always change with many Auto Insurance Companies, that’s why it’s important to get a Auto Insurance Policy review at least once per year.