What if you knew that you needed to do just one thing that would lower your car insurance premiums? Well, there is one thing you can do, although it does involve a little footwork on your part. That one thing? Research. Investing a bit of time in researching car insurance companies can pay off by saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year in auto insurance. Read on for some insight to help you understand exactly what you need to look for.

Car Insurance Companies

• 21st Century Car Insurance
• Allstate Car Insurance
• American Family Car Insurance
• eSurance Car Insurance
• Geico Car Insurance
• Liberty Mutual Car Insurance
• Nationwide Car Insurance
• Progressive Car Insurance
• Safeco Car Insurance
• Statefarm Car Insurance
• The Hartford Car Insurance
• Travelers Car Insurance

Finding the Right Car Insurance Company
Look in the phone book or do a web search and you are bound to find a long list of auto insurance companies, with each fighting to get your business. Some are large, national or even international companies, while others focus on providing coverage in smaller regions that cover just a few states. All car insurance companies employ teams of analysts, actuaries and other personnel to develop and run complex models and formulas that take all of your information and compare it against historical accident information for other drivers with your same profile. This helps each car insurance company better understand the amount of potential risk you represent as a driver. Some auto insurance companies specialize in certain areas, such as high-risk drivers, classic cars or farm equipment and vehicles. These companies can usually offer more attractive rates in their specialty area than you might find with more mainstream car insurance companies.

They Are Not All the Same
If all car insurance companies were the same, it would become very difficult for them to compete for your business. In reality, many auto insurance companies offer different discounts, insurance product bundles and policy features that attempt to offer more options to each customer and out-do their competitors. Use this knowledge to your advantage, and if you find a good quote with a car insurance company that you are otherwise not fond of, speak with additional insurance companies to ask if they will match the quote. Additionally, every insurance company has different ways of assigning risk, handling claims and otherwise servicing their customers.

What to Look For in a Car Insurance Company
Once you decide that you are ready to research auto insurance companies, what should you be looking for? In general, you should stay focused on a few key areas. Pricing is important, and you want to make sure you pay the lowest price for the most coverage. If you have had a DUI and are required to carry SR-22 insurance, for example, you will pay much less by using a car insurance company that specializes in this type of high-risk policy. Assess the company’s billing and payment practices — will they let you pay monthly, do they require a large down payment, can you pay online, do they charge hefty late fees or are they generally fair about their billing? Available policy offerings, such as multiple discounts, higher deductibles, accident forgiveness and shrinking deductibles are important features to look for. Finally, find out as much as you can about a car insurance company’s customer response and service. Do they have a 24-hour claim hotline? Does the Better Business Bureau have any complaints filed on the company, and if so, how were they handled? J.D. Power and Associates performs a national auto insurance study each year, assessing the above criteria for a group of car insurance companies. The results are published on the J.D. Power website, and you may benefit from reading them and looking for additional auto insurance companies to add to your calling or quote list.

Hopefully, it is more clear to you now how researching potential auto insurance companies can save you money and get you the highest quality car insurance for your dollars spent. The process might seem overwhelming or time consuming, but all it takes is one accident for you to see the difference between a bad insurance policy that provides minimal coverage and a good-quality company that takes care of everything from A to Z, including reducing your stress levels. Remember, every car insurance company is competing for your business — use this knowledge as your secret weapon and get started on finding lower rates today.