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A quick guide to comparing car insurance

  1. Compare car insurance companies. Get at least three quotes, and consider financial ratings and complaint ratios.
  2. Use up-to-date-information to account for life changes. Events in your life such as moving or marriage will greatly affect what you pay. To buy, have your vehicle and driver’s license information handy.
  3. Compare coverages and limits. Make sure the types of coverage and their limits fit your needs and do what insurance has to do: Shield you from financial upheaval. Then compare quotes apples to apples.
  4. Experiment with deductibles. If you have savings to cover them, raising deductibles is an easy way to affect your rates. You should be able to easily get quotes at each deductible level.
  5. Consider potential for big discounts. Some big savings potential from bundling home and auto policies or enrolling in pay-per-mile plans may not be apparent at first.
  6. Compare payment plans. Look for discounts when you can pay in full. Expect fees if you make payments. Consider what types of payment an insurer will accept.
  7. Read the fine print. Look for limitations on who can drive your car and when your coverage is extended to rental cars or new cars.

Use our online quote comparison tool to save you time and money. Discounts, coverages, and deductibles are all taken into account when we show you quotes from multiple carriers all on one page.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Compare car insurance companies by getting at least three quotes and considering financial ratings and complaint ratios.
  • Use up-to-date information to account for life changes that affect what you pay for car insurance.
  • Compare coverages and limits from different companies to find the best fit for you.
  • Consider potential discounts, such as bundling home and auto policies or enrolling in pay-per-mile plans.

Compare car insurance companies

These are the top ten auto insurers in the U.S. as of 2018, ranked by annual premiums written:

  1. State Farm
  2. Geico
  3. Progressive
  4. Allstate
  5. USAA
  6. Liberty Mutual
  7. Farmers
  8. Nationwide
  9. Travelers
  10. American Family

We have great tips on how to compare car insurance companies, so check it out. 

In your state there are probably several hundred more carriers to choose from. Here's a list of car insurance companies we work with that are in your area and beyond. The more flaws you have in your risk profile, the more likely you’ll find that rates from different companies vary significantly – sometimes by thousands of dollars. In fact, many top-tier car insurance companies don’t insure higher-risk drivers – those who need an SR-22 filing, for example, or who are under age 25 – but instead direct those clients to their subsidiaries.

We suggest you compare at least three companies, along with looking at a renewal from your current insurer. You can find customer ratings, details on discounts and contact information for most top car insurance companies on our site.


Compare for big discounts

Car insurance discounts are a way to save big on car insurance, upwards of 25%. Make sure you know what's available.

A company that sells both auto insurance and home insurance wants you to buy both. If your family has more than one car, it wants to insure them all. Since the company wants to sell you multiple policy types and multi-car policies, they'll give you a discount.

Auto and home insurance bundle and multi-car insurance discounts can give you a substantial discount on your rate.

A slightly more expensive premium from an insurance company that can bundle your auto and home coverage might be cheaper once the discount on both policies is applied.

If you have a teen in the household, the company with the more generous good student discount might be less expensive after the discount is applied.

Almost all companies that offer “pay-as-you-drive” plans such as Progressive's Snapshot will offer you a 5 discount just for enrolling after you buy a policy. Later, after you have installed a monitoring device, the discounts can range from nothing to as much as 50 percent. These plans can pay off if you are a very cautious and extremely low-mileage driver.


Compare payment plans

Almost all carriers offer the option of payment plans. Typically you will need a car insurance down payment of 8 to 33 percent. Expect to pay a fee for the privilege, between $3 and $10 per payment.

Not all carriers accept all forms of payment. Consider whether you will pay by:

  • Check or money order
  • Bank bill pay
  • Electronic funds transfer (EFT) – automatic online payment
  • Credit card
  • Debit card

Conversely, you can expect a discount for payment in full, usually 5 to 10 percent.


Compare the fine print

If you have black marks on your driving, insurance or credit history, you may be comparing car insurance from what are known as nonstandard companies. They’re known as nonstandard because the policies they sell can have exceptions to “standard” coverages and situations.

The most common are:

Limits on permissive drivers. Standard policies allow you to lend your car to any licensed driver; a nonstandard policy might not, or it might limit how much coverage a permissive driver is given. This is known as a “step-down” provision.

No automatic coverage: Standard policies also insure you behind the wheel of a rental car, up to your limits, and automatically transfer to a new car for a short period. A nonstandard policy might not.

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