list of car insurance companies ~ Insurance Info

A list of auto insurance companies is a good place to start your research on car insurance providers. Be sure to check the company's ratings before you make your final decision regarding what company you will use to purchase your car insurance.

Look Beyond Price

Shopping for auto insurance can be a daunting task. There are many choices of insurance companies, purchase options and coverage options, all with various price points. For example:

Company choices - Over 2500 companies offer auto insurance in the United States. Not all companies can offer all of their plans in every state.
Purchase options - Some insurance companies sell their auto insurance through independent agents and others sell directly through their own agents, by phone, by mail and over the internet.
Coverage options - Most insurance companies offer similar types of insurance; however, the amount of coverage and the details of the coverage can vary between policies.
Price points - The actual price of a specific type of insurance varies between insurance companies and, in fact, can vary between policyholders purchasing insurance from the same insurance company.

You should also compare the ratings of the insurance companies. By making this comparison you will know how other insurers feel about the company's service and whether the company has the financial strength to pay your claim.

Auto Insurance Ratings

Financial ratings from independent companies such as A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's are an overall measurement of a company's financial strength. The ratings are expressed as letter grades. These financial ratings are a big selling feature so the company will usually feature their rating in their sales materials.

J.D. Power, an independent research company, prepares customer satisfaction ratings based on surveys they provide to insurance customers. These ratings can provide insight into the coverage, claims handling and overall experience by customers when they dealt with a specific insurance company.

A. M. Best

A.M. Best offers ratings that range from A++ to D. Some experts believe that you should only purchase insurance from an insurance company that has a rating of B+ or higher. Here is how the ratings stack up:

A++ and A+ - Superior
A and A- - Excellent
B++ and B+ - Good
B and B- - Fair
C++ and C+ - Marginal
C and C- - Weak
D - Poor

Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor's ratings range from AAA to CC. Insurance experts usually recommend that you only work with an insurance company if it has a rating of BBB or better. Here is how Standard & Poor's defines their ratings:

AAA - Extremely Strong
AA - Very Strong
A - Strong
BBB - Good
BB - Marginal
B - Weak
CCC - Very Weak
CC - Extremely Weak

J.D. Power

J.D. Power conducts ongoing customer research of insurance customers. The questions asked survey information on:

Types of coverage offered
Price
Claims handling
Service from company representatives

The results are published online and in an annual survey. The insurance companies that receive high ratings from J.D. Power frequently provide their rating information in their sales materials.

List of Auto Insurance Companies

The major insurance companies selling auto insurance in the United States include, but are not limited to:

State Listings May Be Different

Not all insurance companies can sell in all fifty states. Some companies can sell certain types of insurance but not other types. For example, a company may be licensed to sell life insurance but not auto insurance. You can contact your state department of insurance to obtain a list of auto insurance companies which are licensed to sell in your state.

Insurance Info

Tuesday, June 14, 2011