MILL VALLEY, Calif. — AutoHomeHealthLife.com, a third party insurance quote provider, has released results comparing 21 aspects of the nation’s top 18 insurance providers. For the most part, nationally-based insurance providers can be broken down into the following buckets:
Internet Leaders, notably Esurance and Progressive Direct, followed by GEICO. These are providers that have taken a significant lead in the marketplace by incorporating the Internet as a means to purchase and manage their customer’s policies. Money saved as a result of this digital streamlining is often passed on to the consumer. For those who have incorporated the Internet in the management of their lives, and require solid protection in any one particular area (auto, home, life, etc) for a competitive price, this is the way to go.
Large, agent-based providers. Large and long established providers wherein the purchase and management of customer policies is run by a network of land-based agents and brokers. This includes State Farm, Prudential, Allstate, Hartford, Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, and Chubb. This is for those who do not have the inclination or desire to purchase insurance on their own.
Or, for those who would like one agent/broker to manage a complete portfolio of insurance products within one central umbrella. Recommended for those who have either 1) the inability to purchase and manage products online and/or 2) significant assets and protection needs that would require a professional to select, centralize and manage their insurance portfolio.
No-frills discount providers, which can be purchased either direct or via third-party insurance brokers. The most well-known of which is Mercury. We would recommend this route for those who want to spend the minimum dollars for the basic coverage, support and service.
What was most striking in this analysis was the distance and lead certain providers have taken as to incorporating the Internet as a means for consumers to purchase and manage their policies. While 12 of the companies allow consumers to get quotes for their insurance products online, only 6 allow you to actually purchase the policy. And only 2 (Esurance and Progressive), allow a customer to fully manage their policy, this include comparing other quotes, purchasing the policy, managing policy, making payments, submit claims and tracking claims.
“There’s a reluctance on the part of the large, agent-based providers to fully embrace the Internet, particularly when it comes to garnering a quote and purchasing a policy. This reluctance stems from the inherent competition that would occur, internally, between such a system and the army of agents/brokers already in place to serve this need. If these providers cannot find themselves out their internal quagmires, they are going to suffer; as more and more consumers are simply going to demand such abilities.”
To see the complete results for all 21 aspects and a list of these top 18 providers, visit www.autohomehealthlife.com/comparisonchart2007.html.
About AutoHomeHealthLife
AutoHomeHealthLife (www.autohomehealthlife.com) provides independent insurance information to consumers, so that they may be better armed when they choose a policy. Their mission is to help consumers make a decision that is based on unbiased information, easily and conveniently. They research each company, provide a biography of each, have simple-to-use comparison charts for quick reference, and even allow consumers to find the best quote directly from their Website.
[tags]independent insurance information, AutoHomeHealthLife insurance quotes, Mill Valley news[/tags]
