There are four big car insurance companies most American consumers turn to: Allstate, State Farm, Progressive, and GEICO. While GEICO and Progressive tend to offer more competitive rates, maybe you’re wondering what the higher-end insurance companies offer that sets them apart. Or maybe you just want to know what you’ll be missing if you opt for a low-priced policy.
Either way, it’s worth taking a look at the four major auto insurance providers in the United States before you get a new insurance or renew your existing policy. After all, the best way to save money on car insurance is to shop around for the best rates.
Progressive
Progressive is one of the top insurance companies in the nation, in part due to its competitive pricing and industry-wide quotes that let you compare costs between one company and another. If their competitors offer lower rates, you’re going to find out when you apply on Progressive’s website. What’s more, you can name your price on the website and see what kind of coverage Progressive can offer you at that rate.
Progressive offers a level of customer service that’s the envy of even premium insurance companies. They’ll pick up your car, bring it to the service center, arrange a rental and take care of basically everything when it comes to repairs.
The pricing isn’t rock bottom, though. And if you install a dash cam, your rates might even go up if Progressive sees that you’re not a particularly careful driver. Satisfaction with claims hovers around average. And if you’re looking to bundle your car policy with your life or health insurance, you’ll have to do it through third-party insurers.
GEICO
Of course, Progressive’s main competitor is GEICO. Their discount prices, along with their clever and relentless advertising, have won them a following (and probably wedged their slogan into your memory). If you’re looking for the very lowest price on car insurance, GEICO is probably where you’re going to find it.
However, GEICO isn’t known for having great customer service, which can be a deal-breaker for some consumers. It might be a case of “you get what you pay for.” You can save a few bucks going with GEICO if you don’t care much about service when it comes time for a claim, or you can spend a bit extra and get more attentive service from Progressive. GEICO also offers other forms of insurance, including homeowners insurance, through third-party insurers.
Allstate
Now we move onto more premium insurance providers. Allstate offers plenty of digital services, but it’s an old-school insurer that allows you to go into a brick-and-mortar insurance office, talk to a real person, and get more tailored feedback on what you need and how much you can expect to pay for different kinds of insurance — and they offer all of them, so you can bundle your car and homeowners insurance policies to get a discount, for example.
Another perk Allstate offers is rewards for good drivers, though considering that you’re going to pay more to begin with, that could perhaps be thought of as more of a rebate than a reward.
The pricing isn’t very competitive, and they’re not winning any awards for their claims department, but if you’re looking for solid, comprehensive coverage across several forms of insurance, as well as a personal touch when it comes to customer service, Allstate might be the right choice for you.
State Farm
State Farm isn’t as spendy as Allstate, but you’re going to pay more here than you would at either GEICO or Progressive. You can get the same personal touch to your customer service through State Farm with local agents ready to help.
State Farm consistently gets the top customer service ratings in the industry – in fact, the Simple Dollar ranks them as the best car insurance company out there when it comes to customer service. And, as with Allstate, you can get just about every kind of insurance you might need and bundle those policies for a discount.
State Farm might be the clear leader for those who want to shell out a little extra cash for a personal touch and better customer service, while those shopping exclusively based on price may find GEICO or Progressive to be a better pick. For those who are looking for every type of insurance under the sun, the choice is either State Farm or Allstate. In short, which is “the best” for you really comes down to which meets your needs.
Shop Around for the Best Car Insurance Rates
Of course, your car insurance premiums will depend on your location, driving history, credit score, and other factors. So you never know who’ll give you the best rate until you get an actual quote. Use our car insurance quote tool below to compare premiums and policies from a number of different insurance providers at once:
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Enter your ZIP code below and be sure to click at least 2-3 companies to find the very best rate.
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