Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The Importance of Auto Insurance Ratings

Most people who purchase auto insurance do so because they have to, not because they want to. Because of this, not much is paid attention to when it’s time to purchase the coverage. Of course, everyone wants the most bang for their buck, and as long as the company is widely known, many don’t have a problem simply signing up with that company without even thinking about checking auto insurance ratings or comparison shopping.

In fact, even though big companies that offer auto insurance nationwide don’t satisfy all of their customers all of the time, they don’t lose much business because people stay for the ease of doing so. In cases like this, you can get stuck with an auto insurance company that does not meet your needs, but it’s too much of a hassle to pick up and walk away now.

Better to be Safe than Sorry

An important aspect of purchasing auto insurance is to know the companies before you begin doing business with them. In order to make sure you are in the know, you will want to do a number of things. Firstly, you’ll want to comparison shop for the best pricing, but keep in mind this won’t be the thing that makes or breaks your decision. Sure, it’s nice to save money but not at the cost of losing valuable service that is important to you. Another thing you’ll want to do is to check auto insurance ratings.

What is An Auto Insurance Rating?

An auto insurance rating is something that’s meant to inform you of the type of company you are thinking of doing business with. J.D. Power offers new and used auto insurance ratings, designed to give you the most information available about a company. Auto insurance ratings are like a report car for insurance companies.

You’ll find information about how good insurance company policies are, what is covered in them compared to other companies, and the satisfaction of consumers that are doing business with said company. The major categories are broken down into 4 categories:

Overall Experience
Policy Offerings
Pricing
Contacting the Insurer with Ease

Using these categories as a guide, you will be able to determine which companies offer the things you’re looking for, get a good idea of what other consumers think about a company’s service offerings, and ultimately decide which company you’d like to do business with.

No comments: