Bodily injury liability (Required in most states): For injuries the policyholder causes to someone else. Property damage liability (Required in most states): For damage the policyholder causes to someone else's property (usually vehicles). Medical payments or personal injury protection (PIP) (Required in some states): For treatment of injuries to the driver and passengers of the policyholder's car. Collision (Generally optional): For damage to the policyholder's car from a collision. The collision could be with another vehicle or a tree etc. Comprehensive (Generally optional): For damage to the policyholder's car that doesn't involve a collision with another car. Covered risks may include fire, theft, vandalism etc. Uninsured motorist (Required in some states): For treatment of the policyholder's injuries that result from a collision with an uninsured driver. This coverage comes into play when an at-fault driver has liability insurance, but the limit of that insurance is insufficient to pay for your damages.

Independent studies have shown that auto insurance shoppers can save $400- $600 per year by shopping for the best rate for the coverage you need. Compare auto insurance quotes from multiple carriers in your state here. Smart Auto Insurance has direct relationships with auto insurance carriers, auto insurance marketplaces, and local agencies in your neck of the woods. Our relationships allow you, the customer, to choose the method that you feel most comfortable with to get an auto insurance quote, and compare with other top insurers.

1) financial strength 2) Claims paying capability and 3) debt ratings 4) customer satisfaction AM Best Company - Contains ratings of more than 6,000 insurance carriers. Standard & Poor's - Measures the financial strength of thousands of companies (updated frequently). Moody's - reports financial strength debt ratings and other key financial indicators. JD Power & Associates - Conducts research that is used by a variety of industries to improve product quality and customer satisfaction. Bases research solely on responses from millions of consumers and business customers worldwide.

Phone Numbers for the Department of Insurance for each of the fifty states are listed below. All state insurance commissioners are located in the state capitals, and most have toll-free telephone numbers. (Note: It is possible that some of the toll-free numbers listed below may be available only to in-state callers.)

In a 2004 crime study, Modesto, Calif., keeps its crown as the US auto-theft capital. In fact, California cities claimed seven of the top 10 spots in the ranking of 336 metro areas by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Of the worst 20 cities for theft, 11 are in California. Las Vegas, Phoenix and Seattle were the other 3 cities in the top 10.

In general, "sports cars" (including "turbo" or "supercharged" performance vehicles), and 4-wheel drive cars and trucks necessitate higher insurance premiums. Cars and trucks that are the most economical to insure are generally large vehicles that are safe for the passengers but not so large or fast to do extensive damage to other vehicles. Also, these are vehicles that will be less likely to be stolen from the local parking lot. Below are the 2004 ( < $50,000 MSRP) models that rate least expensive to purchase auto insurance for.

In general, "sports cars" (including "turbo" or "supercharged" performance vehicles), and 4-wheel drive cars and trucks necessitate higher insurance premiums. Cars and trucks that are the most economical to insure are generally large vehicles that are safe for the passengers but not so large or fast to do extensive damage to other vehicles. Also, these are vehicles that will be less likely to be stolen from the local parking lot. Below are the 2004 ( < $50,000 MSRP) models that rate least expensive to purchase auto insurance for.

The rising cost of auto repairs and medical care have significantly impacted the cost of auto insurance, in recent years. If an auto insurance company wants to increase its insurance rates, they must submit their request to the state's Insurance Commissioner. As part of their request, they must include enough financial information to justify the rate increase. If our rate analysts are satisfied with the facts provided, then we are obligated by law to approve the request.

Liability coverage is the primary - and usually mandatory - part of the auto insurance equation. Liability means what the word implies: it saves your bank balance when you're liable for destroying someone else's car or body parts. Liability is usually quoted as a three-part number like "100/300/50." Respectively, that means for any one incident, you're covered for $100,000 in bodily injury per person, $300,000 in bodily injury total, and $50,000 in property damage. 100/300/50 happens to be the minimum coverage recommended by the industry. And while we all know how much to trust them, the numbers aren't such a bad idea for a typical person with a healthy supply of assets to lose. Without adequate coverage, one at-fault collision with a five-passenger BMW could mean kissing your beachfront mansion goodbye.

There are many factors that affect insurance premiums, only some of which you can control. Starting with the ones you can't, know that demographics count. Males pay more than females and the middle-aged pay less than the young or the old (ages 25 and 56 seem to be a significant landmarks). If you want to decrease your rates, it certainly helps to move to a better neighborhood (less theft and/or traffic congestion) or get married (only responsible people tie the knot, right?), but those endeavors come with their own costs.