Insurance is a must for anyone that wants to be safe and covered on the road. That being said, it is also 100% necessary if you want to be in compliance with federal law. There are a few different tips that you can follow that can help you determine what insurance is going to be right for you and what insurance you need to be legal. Here are five tips to choosing your perfect insurance.
- Find out the minimum coverage for your state- this can be done by a quick visit to your state’s department of insurance website. You should do this prior to even starting your search for a few different reasons. You can then use the information that has been posted there. One piece of information that is very helpful is consumer complaint ratios. This tells you how many total complaints a car insurance company has received per 1,000 claims that were filed. This will help you determine how well a company handles the claims that they deal with.
- Body shop references- another great tip is to go to the people that deal with insurance companies on a daily basis. Body shops have to work through claims every day and they know which companies pay out quickly, which companies have trouble paying claims, and any other issues that may pop up. They also know which companies are going to offer the smoothest claims process and which companies are going to get you back on the road fastest.
- J.D. Power and Associates Ratings- J.D. Power and Associates are a very trusted resource and they offer data that has been collected by policyholders from across the country. This means that they are going to have a very in depth look at the companies in question. Visiting their site will give you a look at what the major companies have to offer and how well they work with their clients in regards to overall coverage and to the claims process.
- Financial Strength Ratings- another tip is to check out the financial strength rating for the company you are considering. The A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s ratings can let you know the ability of each company to pay out claims. This is best for those that are more concerned with the way that the company pays out rather than the way that the company treats their customers.
- Work with an Agent- if you are afraid that you still do not have any real idea of what you need, you can always work with an agent directly. They will take your information and work with you to find a policy that is going to work with you and that is going to fit all your needs. It is in the best interest of your agent to keep you happy, so they will work to make sure you have what you need to be happy.
No matter how you select your insurance, you can always look for help. Finding the right insurance for you does not have to be impossible. With the right help you can truly find the insurance that is going to work best for you.