You have likely seen Progressive’s Flo and Geico’s world famous Gecko. Yes, both Flo and the Gecko are very admirable. Despite this, you should keep in mind that they were created to make you want to shop with only the advertising insurer.
Did you know that car insurance quotations can vary by as much as $1,000 for a year’s worth of insurance?
If you go to your local state insurance site (you can find it by first going to NAIC or searching for your state name plus the word, insurance, in Google) you may find (some sites do not have this) a survey, which gives rates for hypothetical drivers from your local auto insurers. The reason your government went out and got sample rates was not to find the insurance provider with the best premiums, but to encourage you to shop around for auto insurance.
Although you can compare car insurance quotes on the internet, they do not save you as much on auto insurance as you think they do. Some of the lowest premiums you may not see while using these sites because the lowest priced provider does not pay commission to these sites. Also, the real price from some insurers is lower if you speak to them directly.
Although looking for quotes online can save you time, nothing beats speaking to an insurance expert face to face. If you speak to a local independent agent, the agent will assess you and connect you with the best insurance company. Your local independent agents can be really valuable if you have a special situation, such as insuring a teenager.
You can easily find an independent agent in your area by going to the auto insurance section of your Yellowpages or business directory. If the agent or agency name is something that is not familiar to you (such as Sunshine Auto Insurance), you are most likely looking at an independent agency. If the agency’s name is something like Jane Hope-All State, you can get car insurance from only that single insurer.
For a more inside look check out Car Insurance Discounters and Cheap Auto Insurance.
