Slick advertising creates a powerful pull among consumers. Among the best at creating favorable brand awareness is the auto insurance industry. Unfortunately, some of those familiar household names don’t even show up on the radar of customer satisfaction in the latest auto insurance ratings.

Ready for a surprise?

According to some of the largest research firms in the world, the leading US company for overall customer satisfaction is one you probably never heard of. It has the highest auto insurance ratings in claims service, claim processing, service interaction and settlement. This Fortune 500 company has quietly built one of the best reputations in the industry. They’ve done it without expensive Madison Avenue advertising campaigns. For a quick look at the JD Power and Associates 2009 Car Insurance Company Ratings,  click here.

Schools Out!

Larger car insurance firms have finally figured out that cute ad campaigns can only carry them so far. In order to maintain and grow their companies, they need to take lessons from smaller, customer focused car insurance companies that are growing their business at a brisk rate. They realize they need to spend more time looking at their internal operations and improving all aspects of customer service. Paying more attention to auto insurance ratings from other companies is the key to changing their own company cultures.

Auto Insurance Ratings Benefit Everyone.

As you can imagine, the competition among car insurance companies is fierce. No insurer wants to be below average among their peer firms. No matter how powerful their ad campaigns are, being average in customer satisfaction will eventually pull them down. There are too many savvy consumers now searching online for information about which are the best car insurance companies.

This has forced most vehicle insurance companies to examine their performance and finds ways to improve. Competition for auto insurance ratings is one way the consumer receives the service they deserve.

A Little Work Pays Off BIG!

If you’re paying through the nose for car insurance online, it’s your OWN fault! Let’s face it, buying car insurance is not only mandatory, it’s smart personal business. However, just because you have to buy it, doesn’t mean you have to pay more than you should. Here are 4 tips on ways to get a cheap car insurance quote.

1. Shop around

Get at least three annual premiums, before you push the ” I accept” button. Many auto insurance companies offer the same products. Some of the more recognized brands have a much higher advertising overhead. Superbowl ads don’t come cheap. Those costs get passed on to you.

You can find a cheap car insurance quote among companies you may not recognize right away, but are just as good at handling claims as the big boys. If you would like to feel better about a less well known company, go the the National Association of Insurance Commissioners web site, where you’ll find each states insurance commission web site. You can find out about any complaints lodged against auto insurance carriers, as well as rate comparisons on file. A lot of the companies with a cheap car insurance quote have the best service records.

2. Check out insurance costs

Before you buy a car, check the rates. The year, make and model can play a big role on your affordable car insurance rate. Those expensive autos or sports cars cost more to insure than their plainer brothers and sisters. Also, you could still find a big difference, even when shopping among similar cars, depending on features.

If you’ve got it narrowed down to a few models, it still pays to shop around for the cheapest car insurance quote. Those anti-lock brakes and side air bags on one model, and not on another, might save you as much as 10%. In the auto insurance racket, those percentages add up to big bucks.

3. Raise your deductibles

Consider upping your deductibles, especially if you’re a safe driver. In a way, you are self insuring on the first part of a repair bill with your deductible. Many times, you can save substantially on rates. By going from a $250 deductible to a $1,000, you may save as much as 25% on your cheap car insurance quote.

Set aside some of these savings to cover your costs… IF you have a claim. If you don’t have any claims, that savings goes right in your pocket.

4. Dump your collision

Think about canceling your collision or comprehensive premium on older cars. If you’re car is older, but still reliable, you may be paying for more in comp/collision than it’s worth.Take your comprehensive and collision premiums and add them together, then multiply that number by 10. If your car is worth less than the total, drop your coverage. It isn’t worth it.

Worried about your exposure? Remember that the typical insured motorist only makes a claim once every 11 years, and totals a car once every 47 years.

I hope these four tips have given you something to think about. I believe in insurance of all kinds, but I can’t stand paying inflated premiums. A cheap car insurance quote makes my day!

Check the Record

When you receive the car insurance supermarket list, you’ll most likely receive quotes from some highly recognized brand name companies. You’ll probably also get quotes from companies you’ve never heard about, like Cheap-R-Us Insurance. Most states have a way to research records on how the different companies respond to their policy holders. Just go to the Google search box and type in your state and the words “insurance commissioner”. That’s a good place to start.  If there have been complaints filed in your state, stay away from companies that don’t have excellent records.

The Devil is in the details

Now that you’ve gotten some car insurance quotes, compare them side by side.  There may be differing deductibles.  Uninsured motorist coverage may vary from policy to policy, depending on state minimums.  Start by laying several car insurance policies side by side and compare them. You may find more questions about car insurance supermarket coverage than you thought possible. What’s not in a quote is often more important than what is. You may have filled out the form completely and still not gotten back the same information, from company to company. Remember, what’s important is often buried in the fine print or not available at all.

Make sure you disclose EVERYTHING!

You remember that “little” speeding ticket you got 2 years ago. Aw heck, the cop said to just pay the “little” fine to him, and you wouldn’t even have to show up in court. You may think, because you didn’t make a court appearance, all is forgiven and forgotten after you paid the fine. This “little” non-disclosure could cost you some big bucks! The car insurance supermarket companies usually hit all law enforcement data bases. Just because your ticket was a “little” misdemeanor, doesn’t mean they won’t find it.  In fact, you better hope they do find it and charge you the correct premium from day one. If the car insurance supermarket company doesn’t, and you have an accident, all bets are off on your coverage. You are guilty of non-disclosure of a material fact and they don’t have to pay off!

Visit with an agent

If, after reading this article, you don’t feel comfortable with your knowledge, maybe the car insurance supermarket concept is not for you.  Your car is usually your second largest investment. A face to face meeting with a car insurance agent may be more appropriate for you  than the brave new world of shopping for car insurance on-line.

Do you really need small business car insurance? It’s a good question and there dozens of factors that go into a reply. Most of the time, the correct answer is a big YES! Just a few errands? Lot’s of small business owners, with a limited number of employees, are under the impression that if their employees are driving their own vehicles for company business, the business doesn’t need a commercial auto insurance policy.  Employees may just be running to the post office or office supply store in their own car. It seems like their own personal auto insurance policy should cover them…right?  Not always.

The Insurance Blame Game

Who should pay the claim? If your employee tries to run a yellow light while on company business, and gets T-boned in an intersection, you may be in for a dogfight about who should pay the claim.  That could drag on for months, even though the employee’s personal auto should theoretically cover them. Your attorney will cost you a bundle to straighten things out.  A settlement could wipe out your profits for the year.

20-20 Foresight?

Is it worth it to save a few bucks? I owned some radio stations in the 1980′and 90′s. We had a station van for promotional appearances, and a dozen salespeople on the road selling advertising.  I could have put the station van in my personal name with a  policy covering anyone one driving it. I also could have let my salespeople sort things out for themselves with their personal car insurance companies. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t try to save a few bucks and go without a small business car insurance commercial policy.  With that many employees driving the roads on company business, we had a few pretty good sized claims. Now I realize how badly I could have been hurt without small business car insurance.

Sub-contractors for your deliveries

It goes without saying that if your small business owns a lot of rolling stock, you have to have small business car insurance commercial coverage.  It gets trickier if you contract out your delivery and/or pick up to sub contractors. Even though they may be bonded and insured, they are still working for your company. In fact, they may work for several companies simultaneously.  It doesn’t matter who they are supposedly hauling for at the time of an accident.  You are probably going to be named in any lawsuits. It’s great for your peace of mind to just turn it over to your small business car insurance carrier and move on to things that make your company money.

Don’t be left holding the bag!

Small business car insurance coverage is a little different than a personal insurance policy and allows you a little more flexibility on your vehicles and who, exactly, is behind the wheel. The policy will cover employee vehicles during business hours, as well as company owned vehicles with various employees behind the wheel. That means your company is not going to be left holding the bag, if an accident takes place.

If your Florida car insurance policy is canceled for any reason, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will suspend your driver’s license, vehicle tag and registration. Fines may also result. Your Florida car insurance carrier may terminate, or non renew, your car insurance policy for several reasons. These include excessive claims or accidents, traffic violations, nonpayment, and failure to obtain new car insurance coverage.

As a Florida car insurance consumer, you have the right to:

•Choose your own insurance company and agent

•Purchase your policy without the influence of discrimination

•Obtain a fair coverage quote

•Receive copies of all forms and applications, including your policy, within 60 days

•Have your claim investigated in a proper and timely manner

•Acquire payment for necessary repairs, or for the value of your car, within 20 days of signing a settlement agreement

•File a complaint with your insurance company

On the other hand, your responsibilities as a Florida car insurance consumer are:

•Read and understand your policy.

•Obtain adequate insurance, as mandated by the state of Florida.

•Verify agent and company licenses.

•Fill out your application accurately and completely.

•Get a binder (proof of coverage) until you receive your policy.

•Keep track of your policy-renewal date.

•Pay for any additional premium costs.

•Report any changes affecting your policy to your insurance agent or company.

•Contact your insurance company or agent immediately following an accident.

You should also report any suspected fraud to the Florida Department of Financial Services by calling the Fraud Hotline at 800-378-0445. For more information, contact the Florida Department of Financial Services at 800-342-2762. I know this sounds rather dry and factual, but these are things that are important to know if you’re going to insure a car in Florida.  Many “snowbirds” choose to insure in their home state, even if they own a second home in Florida. Many retired people live in Florida and use it as their primary residence. Sometimes it’s not easy to keep track of renewal dates and Florida car insurance premiums when they travel back and forth to other homes. This article shows you what can happen if you are non-renewed.

Don’t let it happen to you!