When Considering Auto Insurance Options, Consumers Should Look Beyond Price

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA, August 24, 2010 (Press-News.org) Getting a good auto insurance policy means a lot more than finding the one with the cheapest price. Although budgets may be tight, consumers need to take into account what level of service they will be getting, which is not so hard to do with the help of online resources.

Consumers need to remember that even though going with the cheapest insurance company may, luckily, end up being the smartest option, this is not always the case. A cheap policy from an unreliable coverage provider is not worth much in the end. So, once a shopper finds a decently priced auto insurance policy with adequate coverage, it needs to be established that the potential policy issuer is financially sound and has a record of delivering quality service. Shoppers looking for car insurance online are afforded the convenience of being able to easily research this information through the use of a handful of public websites.

When trying to get a feel for a company's reliability, consumers should visit their respective state insurance department websites. Through these sites, the departments annually make public their consumer complaint studies. These studies report on the reliability of a company in the form of a justified complaint ratio, which weighs the total number of justified complaints against a certain number of policies that were written that year. Generally, consumers should be looking for the lowest ratio possible. As the department for the state of Texas defines it, a justified complaint is one that reflects "an apparent violation of a policy provision, contract provision, rule or statute" or indicates "a valid concern that a prudent layperson would regard as a practice or service that is below customary business or medical practice."

Source: http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/hprovider/documents/lhwscpju.pdf.

Another major component in understanding the reliability of a company is its financial soundness. To gain information about this aspect, consumers need to visit the site of a public rating agency -- A.M. Best is one example -- and retrieve the letter grades assigned to any coverage providers that are being considered. These agencies' letter grades indicate a company's ability to make good on all of its financial obligations. If a policyholder has an open claim and is waiting for the insurer to pay out, this wait may become protracted in the event that the policy writer is financially unstable and goes into receivership. Although many states maintain funds specifically to fulfill failed insurance companies' financial obligations to policyholders, it is simply easier, with the online resources that are available, to make sure that a coverage provider is at minimal risk of becoming insolvent.

Consumers who would like to learn more about comparing auto insurance coverage and companies can visit http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/cheap/companies/, where online shoppers will also be able to begin the process by using the free and easy online quote generator.