Auto Insurance Ratings - What Companies Are the Best?

by Brian Stevens

You can get auto insurance ratings from a number of services.
But do these ratings really tell you what you need to know?
Here's the inside scoop on how find the best rates with the best
companies.

Auto Insurance Ratings

As a former insurance agent I'm often asked, "What's the best
insurance company?" My answer is usually, "Best in terms of
what? Biggest? Best known? Most solvent? Best rates? Best
service?"

There are three major services that provide auto insurance
ratings - A.M. Best, Standard and Poor's, and Moody's. However,
their ratings focus primarily on a company's financial strength.

Nice to know if you're an investor or an insurance agent trying
to impress potential client. But what you really want to know is
how good a company's service is and how fast they pay their
claims.

The best way to find out this information is not to check a
company's ratings, the best way is to ask the company's
customers.

But what if you don't know anyone who's dealt with a particular
company?

There's an easy way to get the inside scoop on insurance
companies. It's a little-known site where actual customers rate
companies on such things as customer service, response to
claims, and even website experience.

My favorite part is the review section where customers pass on
their experiences with various companies. It is, to say the
least, a real eye opener.

Be careful when you read the reviews because some of them look
like they were done by insurance company employees ("These guys
are the greatest!"), and some were done by their competitors
("These guys suck!"). As in the Olympics, toss out the highest
and the lowest ratings, or at least take them with a grain of
salt, and go with the majority.

Comparison Shop First

If your looking for the cheapest insurance rate with an A-rated
company there are websites where you can get multiple quotes
from top-rated companies. My advice is to check out one of these
sites first to get the best quote, then check out the company.

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com or click on the following
link to get the best auto insurance rates with A-rated companies. You can get more car insurance tips by checking out their "Articles" section.

About the author:
The author, Brian Stevens, is a former insurance agent and
financial consultant who has written extensively on auto
insurance ratings.