Top Ten Best Auto Insurance Companies In US

10. Western United:

Western United is also one of the top car insurance companies in USA. They offer reliable and accessible services to their customers along with low rate car insurance.

9. Liberty Mutual Auto Insurance:

This company was established in 1902 and since then they are busy in providing their customers with best services. Liberty Manual Auto Insurance has been rated as the one of the top auto insurance companies in USA and has a wide range of network in 20 countries.

8. Nationwide Auto Insurance:

Nationwide Auto Insurance Company is one of the most financially strong auto insurance companies in USA and is serving their customers for 80 years. They provide all the satisfactory services to their customers and many options with low insurance rates.

7. Western General Insurance Company:

This company offers you all the services regarding auto insurance in low rates. They have number of Affiliates Company and together they make sure to satisfy their customers.

6. Unitrin:

Unitrin is new in the list of top ten. But this company has really struggled its way to the top. Unitrin offers a wide range of options to their customers and low rate car insurance. It was voted as one of the best auto insurance company in USA by A.M Best.

5. Allstate Auto Insurance:

Allstate Auto Insurance has been consistently ranked as the top auto insurance company for 7 decades. This company provides excellent customer holdings and low rate car insurance. Many sources have claimed that this company is mainly for teenagers and aged people.

4. Access Insurance Company:

Access Insurance Company provides multi services to their customer and it was rated as the top insurance company in USA. They provide comprehensive low rate car insurance to their customers.

3. Bristol West Insurance Company:

Bristol West Insurance is also one of the leading car insurance companies in USA. They provide low rate car insurance and perfect customer care service. Due to their guaranteed service they were rated as the excellent insurance company of USA.

2. GMAC Insurance:

GMAC insurance was established in 1939 and since then they have built several branches and they also operates internationally in Latin America, Asia and Europe. This company is one of the best car insurance companies in USA and they provide a wide range of services to their customers.

1. Progressive:

Progressive has been considered as the no 1 car insurance company in USA. It is one of the oldest insurance company and longest insurance company of USA and they provide the best customer service than any other. They are ranked no 1 when it comes to writing car standard and low rate car insurance. They also provide insurance for motorcycles, personal watercraft, boats, commercial auto and RVs.

Beginner's Guide To: Car insurance

How much could I save?

Independent research shows that by comparing different providers, a driver can cut what they pay by an average of £157 a year. This means that sticking with your current provider each year can be a costly mistake.
Don't leave it too late
Many insurers will automatically renew their customers' policies at the end of a year, unless they contact them directly to end the contract. This is because they know that many drivers won't bother to get in touch, meaning they'll be tied into a new contract for a further year.
What are my options?
If you're buying car insurance for the first time, you will be considering choosing fully comprehensive or just third-party protection. Many young or new drivers will pick third-party cover because they assume it's cheaper, but new analysis by moneysupermarket.com shows that's not always so.
Because people buying the lowest level of cover tend to be riskier drivers, insurers have increased the cost. This means it is sometimes cheaper to buy fully comprehensive insurance. It sounds laughable, but it is sometimes the case that more cover costs less, so check out both options when you're comparing providers.
Don't agree an excessive excess
The excess is the amount you agree to pay before the insurer steps in and picks up the bill. It can be tempting to agree a high excess to bring down the cost of your policy, but you don't want to be hit with a bill you would struggle to pay if you do have an accident

Are spy boxes the key to cutting car insurance premiums?

With the effects of the global recession still hitting the pockets of cash-strapped motorists in the UK, those who have managed to keep their vehicles despite the increasing costs of insurance and fuel prices have been looking for innovative ways to cut costs. We all know the usual ways of cutting back on insurance premiums, with adding a named driver or two usually a safe option, whilst some of the more illogical alterations such as definition of career always seem slightly strange.

However, one method of cutting the cost of insurance for young drivers that you may not have heard about is installing a new ‘spy box’ in whatever vehicle is being used by the respective driver. With premiums over the past year rising by as much as 50%, young drivers are bound to see no drawbacks to using the new device, which uses GPS technology to send information to the insurance company providing the driver with the policy.

The device keeps track of details such as driving habits, speed, locations being driven in and around on a regular basis, and the rates of both acceleration and braking. Prices should subsequently be reduced by the insurance company if the signals sent back from the spy box point towards careful and responsible driving.

With the boxes also able to act as tracking devices using GPS technology, cars with the devices installed are far more likely to be recovered if stolen than those without them. It therefore seems that this is one innovation in the car insurance industry that may be here to stay for the long haul.

£1.7bn wasted by renewing blindly

Cash-strapped Brits may like to have a grumble about the way prices for everything under the sun are rising, but it seems that many of us are not doing the basics to keep our outgoings down each month.

When you get your motor insurance renewal notice, are you one of the 6.4 million motorists who renew blindly? If so, you could be throwing money down the drain to the tune, on average, of a staggering £270 a year.

Research from moneysupermarket.com has revealed that car insurance is one area where loyalty really does not pay. Insurance companies are, of course, always keen to get new customers and will often offer competitive deals to lure us into signing on the dotted line but after the first year premiums frequently rocket.

Almost one fifth of us (19% to be precise) refuse to take the time to see whether or not we could get a better deal and renew blindly. Reasons for this range from apathy (8%), to the belief that we would not find a better bargain anyway (11%). As far as age is concerned, the over 55s are the worst culprits, with 21% not bothering to shop around.

The costs of running a car have risen sharply in the last twelve months and the recent troubles in the Middle East have meant that petrol prices have soared. It is therefore all the more surprising that so many of us are not bothering to see whether we can cut costs.

Insurance companies are well aware of customers’ behaviour and rely on our apathy to bolster profits. As a whole, the nation is spending £1.7 billion more than necessary, by neglecting to spend the relatively short time needed to compare prices.

Admiral sees record profits

Admiral insurance group, one of the biggest insurance companies in the UK, has just announced record profits. This is the second year in a row that its profits have beaten all previous years, and the company just keeps on going from strength to strength.

The pre-tax profit for 2010 was announced as £266 million, which represents a 23% increase on 2009 figures. To make things even rosier, it performed better than predicted by £4 million, according to the predictions of city analysts.

One of the most successful areas for the company was car insurance, where it saw a massive growth of over 30%. The UK sector was especially good for the insurer, but its overseas operations were not quite as successful and saw losses of £12.9 million compared to £10.3 million in 2009.

One area in the UK that has suffered is its Confused.com business. It saw a large 34% drop in earnings to £16.9 million during 2010, a factor it puts down to the increased competition in the comparison website sector.

Admiral also announced that it is planning to locate its new headquarters near St David’s shopping centre in Cardiff where it will locate up to 3,000 staff.

Henry Engelhardt, the company’s chief executive, said that it has now generated a turnover of more than £1.5 billion, but admitted that there was a lot to be done in its businesses outside the UK.

He also commented on the recent EU ruling that means insurers can no longer charge different premiums to men and women, claiming that it would lead to increased profits for Admiral.

Car insurance premiums continue to rise

There’s more bad news for drivers as it has been revealed that insurance premiums have gone up by a record amount in the last 12 months, making driving increasingly unaffordable for more people.

The depressing figures come from The AA which recently released its latest British Insurance Premium Index. It found that, over the past 12 months, fully comprehensive insurance premiums have gone up by a massive 40%, meaning the average premium now costs £892 a year.

Third party, fire and theft premiums went up even further, jumping by a massive 82% in 12 months, meaning now the average premium is £1,533. In the first three months of this year alone the rise was 10.7%.

The rise in the cost of car insurance is the highest annual rise since 1994 when the AA began to collect data. But even so, insurers are still making losses.

The rise in premiums comes as a double blow to motorists who are also having to contend with rising fuel costs. The combination of the two means that driving is now less affordable than ever, and this is leading to other problems.

The AA claims that more customers are not giving their full information now when looking for quotes, and that people are also trying to get more from personal injury claims. Such claims are one of the biggest reasons for the rise in premiums, with the ABI (Association of British Insurers) claiming that for every £1 in compensation, 87p is now added in legal expenses. Now there are hundreds of claims being made every day for accidents, sometimes for ones which occurred years ago.

Fewer of us lying to get cheaper quotes

With the recession hitting our pockets and insurance premiums soaring, you may be forgiven for thinking that many of us, desperate to save some of our hard-earned cash, might be willing to take the risk of being less than honest when taking out our motor insurance.

The good news is that according to confused.com although 14% of us are still foolish enough to think that they can pull the wool over the eyes of the insurance company, the figure has actually dropped since last year. The figure for 2010 was a staggering 39% of motorists lying in order to get cheaper insurance, with men proving to be less honest than their female counterparts (32% of women and 46% of men lied).

The most common whopper is mileage, with many drivers understating their annual mileage. Next on the list of lies is details of where the car is kept overnight, either saying that the car is garaged overnight when it is in fact kept on the drive or saying it is kept on the drive when it is actually kept on the road.

Geographically London has the worst rate for lying (19%) with Northern Ireland doing best of all with only 2% of motorists failing to tell the truth.

Anyone tempted to stretch the truth would of course do well to remember that lies could invalidate any claim. This really is a case of honesty being the best policy.

A Guide To Car Insurance

FINDING THE BEST RATES

Comparing premiums is easier than ever, thanks to online services such as Quicken Insurance (www.quicken.com/insurance) and InsWeb (www.insweb.com). While you can also use the Yellow Pages to canvass local insurance agents for quotes, online services let you compare multiple price quotes in minutes.

You should make this price comparison at least once a year. Still, it may not be a good idea to switch companies too often or arbitrarily. Sometimes loyalty pays. For instance, if you've been with one company several years and maintained a clean driving record, you may qualify for a safe-driver discount, which substantially lowers your premium. But if you're contemplating a switch, the new company may be willing to classify you as a safe driver. In addition, you can often get a discount for insuring more than one vehicle--or your home--with the same company.

To get an accurate quote, you'll need to provide information on the car or cars that you intend to insure: the make, model, year, trim line, and the vehicle identification number (VIN). You'll also need to give the age, sex, and recent driving record of all potential drivers. Some companies may also ask where you normally park your car, and inquire about any aftermarket accessories you may have installed to prevent theft. The insurer may independently check your driving history using public documents such as police records, and your insurance history through your current and former insurers.


BUY THE RIGHT AMOUNT

Car insurance is meant to protect you against catastrophic losses, such as a major accident or the theft of your car. Be prepared to absorb minor losses yourself, and you'll save a lot. Here are tips on separating the essentials from coverage you can probably live without.

Coverage you must have

Bodily injury liability. Should you cause an accident, the "liability" part of your insurance coverage pays the medical, rehabilitation, and, if necessary, funeral bills of your passengers, the other driver, his or her passengers, and any pedestrians involved. It also covers pain and suffering awards as well as legal costs.

Buy coverage that will pay at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident. If you have sizable assets, consider increasing those limits to $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident. Such added coverage will raise your premium at least 10 percent. We recommend that people with a high net worth have a separate "umbrella" policy to insure against a lawsuit seeking an amount beyond their auto policy's limits. You may need to buy higher insurance limits to qualify for an umbrella policy.

Property damage. This coverage pays to repair or replace another person's vehicle or other property damaged by your car. States typically require only $10,000 to $25,000. We suggest buying coverage of $100,000.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. This covers medical bills, rehabilitation, and funeral costs, as well as losses for pain and suffering for you or the passengers in your car when an accident is caused by a hit-and-run driver or someone who has little or no insurance. Get the same amount of this coverage as you do bodily injury coverage. That way, if someone who has no insurance hits you, your medical costs will be covered.

Coverage you'll probably need

Collision and comprehensive. Collision coverage pays to repair or replace your car no matter who or what caused the accident. Comprehensive pays to repair or replace your car if it's stolen or damaged as a result of a storm or other natural event. Coverage kicks in for the amount above your deductible. Choose the highest deductible you can afford to pay out of pocket--at least $500. Once the cost of this coverage equals 10 percent of your vehicle's book value, you might want to cancel it, since you will collect no more than your vehicle's market worth. Antique vehicles or cars with collector value sometimes are insured through a separate rider; or you may have to find a separate, specialty insurer.

Personal-injury protection. PIP reimburses you for lost wages and in-home care needed as a result of an accident. If you have separate health and disability policies, you can buy just the state-required minimum for PIP. The other policies should cover the balance of your needs.

Medical-payments coverage. Sometimes called med-pay, this covers medical bills for you and your passengers, regardless of who's at fault. When this coverage isn't automatically included in your policy, its costs are minimal. You may not require any if you have good health insurance. To protect passengers who may not have their own health coverage, you may want to carry at least $5,000 of this coverage.

Additional types of coverage

Roadside assistance. This coverage pays to have your vehicle towed. If you already have an auto-club membership or your car's manufacturer provides this service for free, don't buy this extra coverage.

Rental reimbursement. This coverage typically costs $30 per year and pays for a rental car--usually for up to 30 days--if your vehicle is stolen or is in the shop for repairs sustained in an accident. There's usually a cap on the amount you're reimbursed per day and per occurrence.


MONEY-SAVING TIPS

Ask for the top tier. Insurers sort customers according to their likelihood of filing a claim, then assign them to one of several categories commonly referred to as tiers. Top-tier customers who have had few or no claims in the past several years and live in neighborhoods where auto-theft rates are low, for example, can easily save 15 percent or more off the standard rate. But simply because you qualify initially or improve your driving record doesn't mean you automatically get top-tier status.

Check rates before you buy a car. The difference in premiums between one car or truck and another can be substantial. Much of that has to do with the cost of repairing collision damage, which can vary greatly even among seemingly similar vehicles.

Get equipment discounts. You may qualify for extra discounts if your car has current safety equipment such as air bags or antilock brakes. Also check about anti-theft equipment such as an alarm system, which can get you a break on the comprehensive part of your coverage.

Group your policies. Most insurers will give you a multiple-policy price break if you let them write your auto, home, and personal-liability coverage.

Improve your driving skills. Completing a certified defensive-driving course can reduce your premium in some states.

Kid factors. If you have children who drive, you'll save if they get good grades or if they attend a school located more than 100 miles from your home and don't use the car there.

Group discounts. Insurers award discounts to low-risk consumers who share a common affiliation such as a membership in an employee group, a company pension fund, or an alumni association. These so-called affinity discounts can be sizable, so if they apply to you, it pays to take advantage of them. Ask your insurer if any groups to which you belong qualify for such a discount. Alternatively, ask representatives of the groups if they work with any insurance companies.

Keep repair options open. Some insurers insist you use generic replacement parts or encourage you to bring your vehicle to certain body shops in an effort to cut claims costs. While this arrangement may lower your premium, you may want to preserve your flexibility by insuring with a company that lets you decide which parts are used (original equipment or aftermarket copies), and who does the repairs. In tests a few years ago, we found none of the aftermarket replacement bumpers tested fit as well as factory-original bumpers or stood up as well to low-speed impacts. We also had trouble making generic fenders fit properly.