If you want to save money on your car insurance, keep in mind that there is not one company out there that will always give out the cheapest quotes. Although there are many commercials from insurers saying that they are the best, this is not the case.

There is a good chance that you have heard from the Gecko or Flo. Maybe you have also had that Safe Auto sound stuck in your mind. The car insurance company, that is advertising, wants you to shop only with them, which is the opposite of what you should be doing.

Auto insurance quotes can vary by hundreds (sometimes over a thousand) of dollars. The price you get depends on who you ask. The more you ask, the better.

If you go to your local state insurance site (you can find it by first going to NAIC or searching for your state name plus the word, insurance, in Google) you may find (some sites do not have this) a survey, which gives rates for hypothetical drivers from your local auto insurers. The reason your government went out and got sample rates was not to find the insurance provider with the best rate, but to encourage you to shop around for auto insurance.

Although there are online comparison sites for auto insurance, they may not be the magic sites that you think they are. Because their goal is to make money, you may not find the lowest insurance provider because that company does not pay that site commission. Furthermore, the prices you get from some providers may be lower because you have not talked to them directly and asked about eligible discounts.

It is always a good idea to speak to an independent car insurance agent. Agents that are independent can analyze your situation and match you with the best insurer. For example, you may have poor credit and have trouble getting a decent quote. Because they have links with many providers, they can get you a good quote.

If you go to the car or auto insurance section of your business directory or Yellowpages you’re going to see a long list of agents. If the name of the agent is something like Best Deals Car Insurance, the agent is likely to be independent. If, however, the name is something like Ian Michaels-State Farm Insurance, it is an agent who can give you a quote from one provider.