The Best Car Insurance?
Our agency is independent and that means we write for a variety of carriers, some of which are recognizable brands. But we are often asked which carrier offers the best car insurance. That is a pretty subjective description – the best car insurance. It means different things to different people.
The cheapest? The best claim service? The best coverage? Now if you can find the one carrier that fits all of those you have found your unicorn. To find the best car insurance you need to figure out which is the most important to you.
Is cheapest the best? Some people shop on price alone. There is an old adage, “you get what you pay for.” You could certainly find an online quote and go with that, but unless you are knowledgeable about insurance coverages and exclusions, that can be a bit risky. You found that great rate, but what does it cover (or exclude). How is the claim service? Do you have an agent you can call and get advice or will you be talking to a call center every time you need something?
We are not saying that you can’t find reasonable rates, but if it is so “cheap” you should do a little more digging.
What is the value of the cheapest price if the claim service is poor? After all, you are buying the policy to restore your vehicle in the event of a claim. One place to determine the quality of claim service is JD Power. JD Power has a thorough customer satisfaction survey and you can review their results here. These companies are more national or regional and there are many great carriers out there that don’t fit the criteria but provide great claim service, nonetheless. But this survey is a great staring point.
So maybe the best car insurance has the best coverage? Again, that can be very subjective, especially since your needs for coverage might be different from your neighbors. If you just drove your car off the lot, or it’s financed, your needs will be a little different than someone who is driving a 10 year old car. There are basic coverages to an auto policy, but the real way to determine how solid or useful the coverage might be for you is to ask about endorsements or the limits to the coverages you see on your quote or dec page.
- Road side – is there a mileage limit? If you travel a lot, a 25 or 50 mile limit won’t help you much
- New car – is your car less than 2 years old? You’ll wish you had this if your car is totaled in a loss.
- Zero glass deductible – most carriers will replace your windshield and you don’t need to pay a deductible. So look at that comprehensive coverage to determine if you have it.
- Rental car – what is your limit? $20 a day won’t get you much at all or does your quote or policy even have it right now?
- Key replacement – can you get your key replaced at no cost to you.
- Diminishing deductible – over time, a clean driving record can significantly reduce your deductible.
These are just a few examples so ask questions. Many of these coverages are often lumped into a single endorsement or coverage tier.
And what about your agent? That’s right – who is looking out for you when it comes to your claim, advice about coverage or watching your rate over time. If you bought it online because it was the cheapest, you took that right out of the equation in many cases.
Remember that there is a difference between a carrier and an agent. The agent represents the carrier and while the carrier may be solid, is your agent? They are the connection between you and the insurance companies. Find a good one. Ask your neighbors, friends and family who they like. Check Google reviews – for the agent – not necessarily the carrier. We have found that for every 10 great reviews of carrier, we can find 10 poor ones. A good agent can bring value to the equation.
Speaking of value, maybe that is the right perspective. Is the best car insurance the cheapest, the best coverage or claim service? Maybe the right word is value – which carrier gives you the best value for your insurance premium. If you have any questions regarding the best “value” for your car insurance, please feel free to give us a call at 513-444-2100.
