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1. Top 10 Insurance Companies in USA

The insurance companies listed below may offer a combination of property, casualty, life, and/or health insurance coverage, along with an array of financial products as well.

(1). Allstate Insurance Company

(2). State Farm Insurance Company

(3). Prudential Insurance Company

(4). Travelers Insurance Company

(5). Fidelity Insurance Company

(6). MetLife Insurance Company

(7). Farmers Insurance Company

(8). AIG Insurance Company

(9). MassMutual Insurance Company

(10). The Hartford Insurance Company

2. Auto Insurance Companies

This list contains the top ten best auto/car insurance companies based on affordability, value of services, and responsiveness. Because, after all, what good is having a rock bottom rate if you don't get enough in return or can't get the help you need when you need it.

(1). Geico

(2). Esurance

(3). Liberty Mutual

(4). State Farm

(5). Allstate

(6). Progressive

(7). AAA

(8). 21st Century Insurance

(9). Nationwide

(10). American Family

Top Ways to Turn Your Current Car Insurance Into Cheap Insurance:

This list below will help you obtain cheap car insurance - not cheap in terms of quality but easy on your wallet! Get your car insurance policy and compare your savings with this list to see if you are getting all of the savings you are entitled to, or print it out and use it when getting a new policy or obtaining an online car insurance quote.

Get Theft Devices: Most new cars have theft devices. Some are automatic and some have to be started at the touch of a button, but all usually get discounts on car insurance. Also, some states provide extra discounts for such things as window sketching.

Ask for a Multiple Car Discount: Did you know sometimes insuring two cars can be the same price as insuring one? If not the same price, insuring another car usually does not cost as much as you may think. If you have two cars, it is very wise to check with your insurance agent, or while obtaining your online insurance quote, to make sure you can get this discount on your car insurance. Also, if you are planning to sell a second car, the cheap car insurance trick would be to keep that car on just liability to get your multiple car discount. Sometimes people are surprised when they call their car insurance company to take a car off of their insurance, only to find that their price did not go down but possibly increased!

Stick With Yearly Policies: Choosing a yearly policy can extend your savings on your car insurance. Purchasing a yearly policy instead of a six month policy gives you a rate that cannot be changed for one year vs. changing every six months.

Look Into Comprehensive Storage Coverage: If you are planning to store your car for any period of time, you can save on your car insurance by only keeping comprehensive coverage during the storage time. Since the car would be stored, it is very unlikely it will get in a collision or need the liability coverage.

Re-Check Your Mileage: This is a great way to get cheap car insurance: If you are really close to the "miles to work" break-off, you may want to check your mileage closely. When your car insurance company or insurance agent asks you "How many miles do you drive to work one way?" this is a crucial question that will designate you into a particular class. Each class can have significant differences in prices.

Look for a Group Discount: Many companies offer a discount on car insurance for being affiliated with certain organizations. These can range from credit unions, college sororities, or just having a certain credit card. Call your service center and ask them for a list of organization affiliations.

Lower Liability, Comprehensive, Collision, or Medical Payments Coverages: Of course, you can lower your basic coverages but it may just give you the cheap insurance you need right no!. Comprehensive and collision are probably the first to look at lowering by increasing your deductibles on your car insurance. Most vehicles that are on bank loans can have up to a $1000 deductible. Next, lowering your liability and medical payments could help, but only if you are having a hard time paying for your premium and is not recommended for general savings.

Make EFT Payments: Many car insurance companies are now charging up to $5.00 or more for mail payments, but sometimes nothing if you choose to have payments automatically deducted. And, sometimes the deductions can come from your credit card, so you don't have to worry if the money will be in your bank account when payment time comes.

Defensive Driving Course: Some companies give considerable discounts on car insurance for attending defensive driving courses. Check with your state insurance commissioner, insurance company or when obtaining an online insurance quote to see if you could qualify and to find out where to take courses.

Combine Auto and Home or Renter's Policies: Most insurance companies give a discount if you carry your auto and home or renter's policy with the same company. This discount can be anywhere from 5%-20%!

Watch Your Credit Rating: Another great tip to get cheap car insurance - keep your credit clean! Yes, a lot of insurance companies are checking your credit and basing your policy on what is found. Make sure you check to see if your credit is in good shape, and if it is not, you may want to seek out companies who do not do credit checks.

Train Teenage Drivers: Drivers Education can not only give a reasonable discount on your car insurance, as well as good grades. You can report them to your car insurance company every semester.

Forgo Extra Rental Car Coverage: If you have comprehensive and collision coverage on your current vehicle, you might not need rental coverage. You are covered as much on a rental car as you would be on your vehicle. So, if you have a fairly new car you should be OK, but if your car is only worth a few thousand, you should get additional coverage.

High Risk? Get Help: Whether you are in the process of obtaining an online insurance quote or using a local agent, if you are in a high risk category and when you try to get insurance you either get turned down or cannot afford the ridiculous high premiums, you may want to contact your state insurance commissioner. All states have insurance for high risk individuals who may not be able to obtain insurance elsewhere. The coverage may not be the greatest, but at least it will get you rolling again.

Car Insurance Company Rate Quote Comparison Worksheet

Comparing car insurance quotes and rates is one of the best ways to find cheap car insurance. This worksheet is designed to help you compare online car insurance quotes and get recommended car insurance coverages.

Below you will find a list of documents you will need to submit online car insurance quote information. Also included is a list of recommended coverages to compare when getting your car insurance rate quote.

What to Have Available to Obtain Your Car Insurance Quote:

1. Driver's License #

2. Year, Make, Model of Vehicle

3. Vehicle Identification Number or VIN#

4. Vehicle Finance Company

And Don't Forget Your Discounts:

Anti-theft Devices?
Airbags?
Anti-Lock Brakes?
Automatic Seat Belts?
Window Etching?
Multiple Car Discount?
Multiple Policy Discount?

Also, print out an additional check list of more ways to get cheap car insurance.

List of Recommended Coverages to Compare When Getting Your Car Insurance Quote:

Bodily Injury Liability/each occurrence $300,000
Property Damage Liability/each occurrence $100,000
Medical Payments/each person $10,000
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Liability/each accident $300,000
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage/each accident $10,000
Collision Deductible $500
Comprehensive (other than collision) Deductible $0-100
Note: These are recommended coverages. Your recommended coverages may be different depending on your situation and your state. When getting your car insurance rate, please check with your agent for any changes in these recommended coverages. Also, make sure you check to see if the car insurance quotes you are getting are for 6 or 12 month policies.

A Woman's Insurance Buying Guide

Women often feel vulnerable when purchasing a car because they sometimes think they will be taken advantage of in the car buying process. As a woman, if you feel like you can't haggle a price or just don't like to, you can at least purchase a car that will give you a low car insurance rate. And, because of the characteristics of insurance friendly vehicles, they are often the less expensive cars to buy anyhow. So, if you are a woman looking into getting a car insurance quote for a new vehicle, make sure to consider first what car you want to buy.

The cost of a car insurance quote should be at the top of the list when a woman is considering the total price of purchasing a new vehicle. Just because she buys a smaller, cheaper car does not insure a cheaper insurance rate. And, although car insurance for women tends to be cheaper than for a man, a woman's driving history is another of many factors that are considered when determining a car insurance rate. Characteristics of the vehicle being purchased plays a large role in insurance costs.

Below is a list of features or types of vehicles to avoid to get the best stretch out of your insurance buck.

For a Cheaper Car Insurance Quote Stay Away From:

Vehicles With a Lot of Horsepower
Sports Cars
High Performance Vehicles
Luxury Vehicles
Vehicles With Added Technology Features
Large SUV's
Very Small Vehicles
Vehicles With a High Theft History (Go to nicb.org for theft history information)
Station wagons and vans are the best choices---not to big to cause large amounts of damage to the other car but big enough to cause less damage to their own passengers and, in addition, both have lower repair costs and less theft history. To save even more on car insurance check out the Auto Savings Checklist.

Top 5 Biggest Mistakes When Buying a Car

For most people, a car is a necessity. We often depend on our vehicles to get us to and from work every day, transport children to events, and even for pleasure. Because they are such an important aspect of your life, you want a vehicle that is reliable, comfortable, and maybe even a bit stylish. The vehicle choices are almost endless, so finding the right combination of wants and needs with an affordable price tag can be challenging.

Here are the 5 biggest mistakes you should avoid when purchasing your next vehicle:

Thinking in terms of monthly payment. Not very many people walk into a car dealership and plan on writing a check or paying cash for their vehicle, and the salespeople know this. That is why the negotiation almost always revolves around how much you can afford to pay for the car each month. This is the easiest way to spend too much on your next vehicle.
When negotiating a price, the dealer can do a number of things to make almost any vehicle fit your budget. They can do this by adjusting interest the interest rate, offer you a longer term on the loan, or restructure the financing in a way that creates a payment that fits in your budget.

It may not seem like a big deal, but even a few extra percentage points or an additional year on the loan can add thousands of dollars to the total cost of the vehicle.
Buying new versus used. A vehicle is not an investment. Vehicles depreciate in value quickly, so when you buy a new vehicle, you can expect it to continuously decrease in value. In fact, a new car typically decreases in value by 25%-40% in the first two years. The best thing you can do is to let someone else take the initial 40% hit and buy a slightly used vehicle that is a year or two old.
Years ago, there was a good reason to buy new, and that was for the warranty. Today, most vehicles have longer warranties that can still be in effect even if you buy a car that is a few years old. In addition, you can often opt to purchase an extended warranty which is typically far cheaper than the value the car lost in the first year or two.
Choosing the wrong vehicle. Are you are single person who needs a vehicle just to get you to and from work every day? Then you probably don鈥檛 need that $45,000 SUV that seats eight and can tow 5,000 pounds. You want a vehicle that meets your specific needs. Sure, there are a lot of cars and trucks out there that will turn heads, but keep in mind that this will come at a premium.
Not taking into consideration other costs. The actual cost of the vehicle is important, but what is often overlooked are all of the hidden long-term maintenance and insurance costs that go along with a vehicle. Keep in mind that car insurance premiums typically increase with the value of a vehicle, so buying a more expensive vehicle will increase your annual insurance costs. This can amount to hundreds, if not a thousand dollars or more per year.
In addition to insurance, you have to take into account all of the maintenance costs. Vehicles need oil changes, new brakes, air filters, tires, and much more. Luxury or performance models are generally going to require higher end replacement parts that can cost much more than their standard counterpart.

Finally, you need to consider gas consumption. The average person will drive between 10,000 and 15,000 miles per year. A vehicle that gets an average of 30 miles per gallon with today鈥檚 gas prices, you can expect to spend between $1,000 and $1,500 per year on gas alone. Now, consider a vehicle that only gets about 15 miles per gallon. Now you鈥檙e spending $2,000 and $3,000 each year.

When you think about it, by the time you factor in gas, oil changes, insurance and regular maintenance, you can expect to spend $3,000 to $5,000 in addition to your monthly car payment each year!
Putting $0 down. There are a lot of incentives when it comes to buying a car, and you can often put yourself in a brand new vehicle of your choice with no money down. Sounds great, right? Not so fast. Remember, vehicles depreciate rapidly, so if you finance the full purchase price, you often find yourself upside down on the loan immediately.
Being upside down simply means that you owe more than the car is worth. Remember, there are taxes and other fees that go into a new car purchase, and they are typically rolled into the loan if you don鈥檛 put anything down. That means as soon as you drive it off the lot, you owe more money to the bank or dealership than the vehicle is actually worth.

This is a very bad idea if you intend on selling or trading the car in before the loan is paid off. If after three years you need to get a new vehicle and you owe $10,000 while the car is only worth $8,000, you will have to either pay $2,000 out of your pocket, or finance that into your new loan. It may feel good to walk out of the dealership with a brand new car without having to fork over a dime up front, but it will cost you.

How to Value a Used Car

Step One: Gathering the Vehicles Information:

The first step in valuing a used car requires some investigation. This is the objective part of the equation, and it is not difficult.

Before you begin, you will need the six following pieces of information to properly value a used car,:

Year 鈥?The model year of the vehicle (this is not necessarily the year the car was manufactured!).
Make 鈥?The brand of the vehicle (Honda, Chevrolet, Ford, etc鈥?.
Model 鈥?The name of the vehicle (Accord, Lumina, Explorer, etc鈥?.
Trim Level 鈥?The options package (LX, Touring, Eddie Bauer, etc鈥?.
Options 鈥?The optional items and packages (ABS brakes, DVD player, Sport Package, etc鈥?.
Mileage - The current number of miles on the vehicle as read from the odometer.

Basic vehicle information can be found through a check of the 鈥淰ehicle Information Number鈥?(VIN). Check CARFAX, a company offering vehicle history reports, to get a free basic VIN check with Year, Make, and Model of the used vehicle you are pricing.

The options are usually only listed on the original window sticker. Do not worry if you do not have access to it, as most of the options (like air conditioning or chrome wheels) are obvious with a visual inspection of the vehicle.

With that information written down, it is time to move to the next step...

Step Two: Evaluating the Vehicles Condition

Next, we have to evaluate the condition of the vehicle. This is subjective, but I have included some simple benchmarks to make this evaluation easier. Keep in mind that most vehicles will fall under the 鈥淕ood鈥?or 鈥淔air鈥?categories:

Excellent 鈥?The used car is in perfect mechanical condition. The exterior is in 鈥渟howroom condition,鈥?meaning it is free of dings, dents, and body damage. The interior carpets and upholstery are clean and lack stains or burns. The tires match, and have significant tread remaining.

Good 鈥?The used car may have a few minor mechanical or electrical problems. The exterior is clean, with only minor door dings and scratches from routine wear-and-tear. The vehicle should be nearly rust-free. The interior carpets and upholstery will show minor wear with slight staining on the carpets. The tires will match, but their remaining tread life will be short. (Most vehicles less than five-years-old fall under this category.)

Fair 鈥?The used car will have several mechanical and electrical problems, but the engine runs and the vehicle can be driven. The exterior will have dings, scratches, and dents that will have to be repaired by professional. There may be rust on some body panels. The tires may not match, and their tread life will be limited. (Most vehicles more than five years old that are still driven daily fall under this category.)

Poor 鈥?The used car will have severe mechanical problems, and may not run properly. The exterior will be damaged, and there will be extensive rust. The tires will be mismatched, and in need of replacement. A vehicle with a 鈥渂randed title鈥?(salvage, flood, etc.) will fit into this category.

With that under our belt, it is time to take our information and review our local used car market...

Step Three: Establish Pricing Levels:

The best way to value a used car is to establish at least a few pricing levels, and then arrive at a balanced price. In this situation, we are trying to determine the value at which the used car will sell in the local region. This is commonly called the 鈥淔air Market Value.鈥?/p>

Local Price Levels

First, we will look at the cost of other similar cars for sale in the local market.

A good place to start is with AutoTrader. From their site, search for a car similar to your vehicle (year, make, model, and mileage) within 100 miles. (Searching an area that large should yield plenty of results.) If you are not having much luck finding similar vehicles on AutoTrader, try UsedCars.com, Cars.com, or Autos.AOL.com.

The search results on each of those sites will include a mix of 鈥淧rivate Party鈥?and 鈥淒ealer鈥?advertisements. Since we are looking for the middle ground, we are going to ignore the 鈥淒ealer鈥?(those vehicles are offered at 鈥淩etail鈥?pricing levels). Write down the pricing you find on a piece of paper.

Blue Book Value

Next, we are going to look up the 鈥淏lue Book Value鈥?at Kelley Blue Book. Kelley Blue Book has been pricing used cars and trucks for more than 80 years, and they are considered an industry leader.

Visit Kelley Blue Book to establish 鈥淯sed Car Values鈥?on their site. Select 鈥淧rivate Party Value鈥?when asked, and then follow the rest of the on-screen instructions. Write down the pricing on a piece of paper for a vehicle in 鈥淕ood鈥?condition.

When you reach the final pricing screen, write down the value for a vehicle in 鈥淕ood鈥?condition.

In the next step, we will place a value on the used vehicle...

Step Four: Placing a Value on the Vehicle:

The hard work is over! We now have all of the information we need to place a value on the used vehicle.

Let us use a three-year-old Infiniti as an example:

2004 Infiniti G35 Sedan (39,000 miles)

Kelley Blue Book Value ---- $21,140
AutoTrader Value #1 ---- $23,000
AutoTrader Value #2 ---- $21,900
AutoTrader Value #3 ---- $22,900

The AutoTrader values will carry more weight, as those represent actual asking prices. The Kelley Blue Book price serves as a "checks and balances" reference point.

Quite simply, if you average those four numbers together, you arrive at $22,235. Since most people will expect a discount when they buy a used car, let us round the number up to an even $22,500.

Our value, and asking price, for the 2004 Infiniti G35 Sedan is $22,500.

Exceptions

As was said during the introduction, valuing a used car is both objective and subjective. While we have determined a Fair Market Value price for the vehicle, other factors may increase or decrease the value. Items such as upgraded stereos, custom paint, or aftermarket accessories certainly add value, while some minor unrepaired accident damage in an otherwise perfect car will reduce the value. The values of these items are often subjective, and the vehicle鈥檚 value should be adjusted accordingly.

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