Anybody who’s turned on a television recently should be plenty familiar with Geico. The company is known for having one of the most visible and aggressive television marketing campaigns out there with mascots ranging from the Geico cavemen to the Gecko (originally voiced by Kelsey Grammer) and the stack of money with a pair of eyes. While Geico Auto Insurance are well known for their humorous television commercials, it’s worth taking a look at what sort of policies Geico Car Insurance actually offer, what sort of discounts are available and what the company is known for before giving them a call.

Geico Car Insurance Through the Years
Founded in 1935, Geico began as the brainchild of Leo and Lillian Goodwin. After ten years of Leo’s working for USAA, an insurance company specializing in insuring military personnel, the married couple came up with the idea of selling insurance to government employees and the families of government employees.

The USAA was dominated by military personnel and it was very difficult for civilian employees to win promotions and raises within the company so Goodwin’s employers gave him no other option but to found his own company if he wanted to keep his upwards momentum going.

Interestingly, GEICO actually stands for Government Employees Insurance Co. even though Geico Car Insurance has never held any official government affiliation beyond selling to government employees.

Since 1973, GEICO Car Insurance has been selling to the general public, and after a few financial missteps in the mid 70′s recession, leading to a $126 million loss, the company eventually recovered and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway and has become the US’s third largest direct writer of private passenger car insurance.

Currently the company can be found headquartered at their offices at 5260 Western Avenue in Chevy Chase, Md 20815.

Coverage Available from Geico Auto Insurance
GEICO Auto Insurance is the main focus of the company. They cover everything from trucks and cars to motorcycles and boats, but their coverage does not extend beyond private motor vehicle policies.

In the past, GELICO, a sister company, provided life insurance to government employees, but in their current incarnation, GEICO Auto Insurance cover everything from condo to life to RV policies. Be that as it may, the company’s core focus remains on auto insurance.

Discounts Available on Geico Car Insurance Policies
Being one of the country’s largest insurance providers, Geico provide all of the standard discounts that you would expect from a big, professional insurance outfit. Some of the other insurance discounts that they offer may surprise you, though. Some of their less common discounts include the following:

-Government Employee Discounts
True to their roots as an insurer of federal employees, GEICO still offer great discounts for those who work for the US Government.

-Military Discounts
In appreciation for the services rendered to their country, soldiers and veterans are given some generous discounts through GEICO.

-Geico Privileges Program
Not a traditional discount, but GEICO customers can actually earn discounts and deals at various retailers through the company’s privileges program. This allows drivers to save money on two fronts.

Further Information About Geico
Geico Car Insurance cover drivers in all fifty states including the District of Columbia. While not all policies are available in all states, it’s worth a call to see if what you need covered is covered at your state’s regional office. The company earns high marks from various customer service surveys, so you can generally expect friendly service and a real human on the phone.

No longer exclusively an insurer of government employees, Geico have remained one of the largest general insurance providers for years, specializing in generous discounts and robust plans and policies for safe drivers. If you’re looking for an insurance provider with nearly a century’s worth of history backing up their A+ rating from AM Best, it may be worth the time and effort to give Geico Auto Insurance a call and see if they have a plan that fits your needs.