Hal's Guide to the Best Auto Insurance Websites and Car Insurance Web Sites

Here is a tip for using the Internet to find the best auto insurance or car insurance that meets your needs:

Premiums, or the prices charged, for policies with the exact same benefits can vary greatly from one insurance company to the other. Oftentimes these premiums are determined at least as much by the financial condition and needs of the insurance company as they are on the risk profile of the customer. So it pays to shop around. Be sure to obtain rates from at least three different auto or car insurance providers before you make a final decision. Also, if you have any doubts, you can verify that insurance firms you find online are licensed to do business in your state by checking with your state's department of insurance.

Here are links to some of the leading online sources of auto or car insurance products, including insurance companies who sell direct to consumers and online brokers who represent a variety of firms:


AARP The Hartford
AIG
Allstate
AmericanFamily
Capital One
Electric Insurance Company
Esurance
Farmers
GEICO
GMAC
TheGeneral
InstantInsuranceRates
InsureMe.com
Liberty Mutual
MetLife
Nationwide
NetQuote
Progressive
QuoteWizard
State Farm
Travelers

In addition, the A.M Best Company provides free online ratings of insurance companies, which you should check before you buy a policy from a company that you do not know well.