If you’d like to obtain the cheapest car insurance, you have to compare car insurance rates from different insurance firms. Here’s the quickest and easiest way to do that.

The very best strategy to find the least expensive car insurance rate is to compare car insurance policy rates from multiple companies. In this article I’ll show you how to do that quickly and effortlessly.

Comparing Quotes

In the days preceding the World-Wide-Web, you needed to phone many different insurance agents and answer a whole lot of questions to be able to get sufficient quotes to get a cheap quote. Now, thanks to the World Wide Web, comparing auto insurance policy quotes is easy.

Because prices can vary by $1,000 or more from company to company, you need to pay a visit to an insurance comparison website where you can obtain quotes from many different auto insurance companies.

Not only can you receive a number of rate quotes from these websites, several of these sites are offering money-saving tips in their “Articles” section, and offer an online chat feature and toll-free telephone support which means you can receive answers to your inquiries from an insurance specialist.

Insurance Discounts

In order to get your car insurance rate quotes, you’ll need to fill out a simple form where you are able to list all the discounts and deductibles you would like. Here’s how to save the most money:

Increase your deductible. This could save you as much as 55% on the price of your insurance policy.

Bundle your insurance policies – By placing your homeowners insurance and your automobile insurance through the same insurance company, you could save as much as 15% on your insurance coverage cost.

Install security devices – Outfitting your car with a car alarm or other theft-prevention devices can get you a sizeable discount.

Eliminate unnecessary coverage – Consider getting rid of your comprehensive plus collision coverage if your vehicle is over 5 years old, or if the price of your annual premium is the same as the value of your car.

Car Insurance Companies

Before you purchase insurance you need to be certain the company you select has a favorable insurance claims history and first rate customer support. Use these sites to help you determine if a company is a good one to insure your car with.

1. Your state’s department of insurance site will show you how many complaints were lodged against an insurance company.

2. J.D. Power and Associate’s site provides you with consumer ratings.

3. The A.M. Best (ambest.com) site provides you with a company’s financial and credit ratings.

By taking these extra steps, you will know that you’re not only getting the lowest rate, but that you are getting a dependable company.

You may wonder why should you know your car insurance companies. One very good reason is that in the event of an accident you would be less likely to accept a false proof of insurance. How’s that possible?

A few months ago my car was hit while I was sitting at a stop sign waiting to turn left. The other driver coming from my right cut the corner before realizing there was a car there. Needless to say it was a head-on collision, but thankfully she was slowing to turn.When the time came to exchange insurance information, she handed me a letter on official letterhead that gave a policy number for auto insurance. The letterhead said DriveTime. I’d heard about DriveTime as being a place where one could easily get an auto loan. I never questioned the validity of the proof of insurance I was given.

I found out later, when I tried to file a claim for repairs with the other insurance company, that DriveTime insurance ONLY covers their car. It is a comprehensive coverage that protects DriveTime against any loss. However, it is up to the car buyer to obtain liability coverage from another source.

So before you get stuck with a proof of insurance that is no proof at all, glance at the list below just to get an idea of those real full-coverage auto insurance companies. These are American insurance companies with a strong regional and national presence.

* American National Insurance Company
* American Automobile Association
* AIG
* Allstate
* American Family Insurance
* American Farmers and Ranchers Mutual
* Amica
* Auto-Owners Insurance
* California Casualty Insurance
* CapitalOne
* Commerce Insurance Group
* COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services
* Cuna Mutual Group
* Electric Insurance Company
* Esurance
* Expatriate Insurance
* Farm Bureau Insurance
* Farmers Insurance
* Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company
* GAINSCO Auto Insurance
* GMAC Insurance
* Geico
* The General
* GuideOne
* Hanover Insurance
* The Hartford
* Hastings Mutual Insurance Company
* Haulers Insurance Company
* Infinity Auto Insurance Company
* Liberty Mutual
* Nationwide Insurance
* National Interstate
* Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
* Mutual of Enumclaw
* OneBeacon Insurance Group
* Pekin Insurance
* Pemco
* Progressive
* Safeco
* Safeway Insurance Group
* Standard Insurance Company
* State Auto Insurance Companies
* Shelter Insurance Companies
* Solid Insurance Group
* State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
* The St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc.
* Trustgard Insurance
* Unitrin Direct Auto Insurance
* USAA
* Wawanesa
* Westfield Insurance

Of course, there are a lot more insurance companies that this, but this is a list of the most common. So if someone gives you a proof of insurance that doesn’t sound like a company name that you are familiar with, make sure you get all of the contact information, including their driver’s license numberjust in case.