Insurance shopping. Literally no one’s idea of a fun Saturday night, right?? I’ve spent WAYYY too many hours of my life comparing auto insurance quotes & trying to figure out if I needed term or whole life insurance only to end up more confused than when I started!
So I figured I’d write up what I’ve learned for the Number1Ins.com blog. Maybe save you some headaches? Here’s my take on finding an insurance company that won’t make you want to pull your hair out.
OK so here’s the deal – there’s no magical “best” insurance company out there for everyone. Sorry! Wish I could just name one and be done with this blog lol.
My brother LOVES his insurance company – great rates, awesome customer service, the works. I tried them? Absolute DISASTER. Their coverage options were all wrong for my situation, and the quote was $$$ compared to what I ended up with.
Why??? Cuz insurance is weirdly personal! What makes a company perfect for you depends on sooo many factors specific to YOUR life. Let me break it down…
Before you even think about which insurance company to go with, you gotta get clear on what you’re protecting and why.
For your wheels: Is it a fancy new Tesla or a 15-year-old Honda that’s seen better days? Do you commute 2 hours daily or work from home and barely drive? Makes a HUGE difference.
Quick story – my cousin Josh got the same auto insurance coverage as his friend with a brand new BMW. Josh drives a 2005 Civic worth maybe $3,000 on a good day. He was wayyy overinsured and throwing money away for years! Ouch.
For life insurance: Got kiddos? Mortgage? Or flying solo with minimal responsibilities? My coworker Jackie and I are the same age but our life insurance needs couldn’t be more different – she’s got 3 kids and a massive mortgage while I’m single with a condo that’s nearly paid off.
Your needs shift all the time too! My friend Mike needed totally different coverage after:
OK this is super unsexy but: will this company still exist when you need them??
My uncle went with some random insurance company I’d never heard of because they were cheap. They literally went bankrupt 3 years later! All those premiums down the drain.
Check out ratings from A.M. Best or Standard & Poor’s. No idea what those ratings mean? Me neither at first! But basically anything above A- is pretty solid. Below that? Maybe think twice.
Mass-market, one-size-fits-all policies are usually meh for most people. Great insurance companies get that everyone’s different.
For auto insurance, I need a company that:
For life insurance, my sister needed a company that:
Quick example – my friend Jess is really into rock climbing. Some life insurance companies treated her like she had a death wish (!!) while others were totally reasonable about it. Same person, wildly different treatment!
I’m allll for saving money (who isn’t??), but there’s a difference between “good value” and “suspiciously cheap.”
True story: My neighbor Dave bragged about his super cheap auto policy until he actually had to use it. His claim dragged on forrreeverrr, and they found some random clause to deny half the coverage he thought he had. Penny wise, pound foolish as my grandma would say!
Compare actual quotes for the SAME coverage levels across companies. When I did this, I was SHOOK. Prices varied by like $600/year for identical protection!
Little-known fact: discounts vary TONS between companies. My current insurer gives amazing discounts for:
Another company I checked barely gave discounts for any of these. Weird, right?
Everything else could be perfect, but if filing a claim feels like medieval torture, what’s the point??
OMG I still have nightmares about dealing with my first insurance company after my apartment flooded. 27 phone calls. TWENTY-SEVEN! And they still tried to lowball me.
Compare that to when my car got hit in a parking lot last year. My current company:
Night and day difference! This stuff matters way more than saving $5/month.
How to check? Ask friends about claims experiences. Read reviews that specifically talk about claims. Call your state insurance department and ask which companies have the most complaints.
When you’re hunting for good auto insurance, these things can make a huge difference:
Oh! And if you work from home now but your policy still thinks you commute 30 miles daily? Time to update and save some $$!
Life insurance feels extra complicated, right? So many options!
Things that really matter:
When my friend Lisa was diagnosed with diabetes, her existing life insurance was GOLD because they couldn’t change her rates. She tried getting additional coverage elsewhere and the quotes were insane!
Watch out for these warning signs!!
So from what I’ve seen, Number1Ins approaches things differently than most insurance places. Instead of treating everyone like a walking policy number, they actually take time to understand your specific situation.
Whether you’re looking for auto coverage that fits how you ACTUALLY drive or life insurance that grows with your family, they focus on finding real solutions without the fluff.
After you’ve checked out several companies, narrow it to 2-3 top contenders. Get detailed quotes for IDENTICAL coverage so you’re actually comparing apples to apples.
Ask tons of questions! My top ones:
How they answer tells you LOADS about their service!
Life changes constantly, and your insurance should too! I review mine:
Pro tip: set a weird calendar reminder to review your policies yearly. I do mine on my half-birthday because who remembers to do this stuff otherwise??
Finding good insurance takes effort, but it’s SO worth it when stuff hits the fan. Balance the cost with what you’re actually getting instead of just grabbing whatever’s cheapest.
The team at Number1Ins specializes in helping regular folks navigate all this confusing insurance stuff without the industry double-talk. I’ve found their straight talk approach super refreshing in an industry full of jargon and fine print.
Whatever you do, just don’t put this off! Insurance is one of those things you don’t think about until you desperately need it – and then it’s too late to change your coverage. Take it from someone who learned this lesson the hard way!
