Let me share a story that I think we all can relate to. I was young. I just had bought my first car and had no driving experience. I had to insure my car. Companies like Geico, State farm, Progressive and the likes were too expensive for me at that point. That why I opted in for a cheap world unknown company. I could afford the rate. Needless to say I was happy. Finally I had my own car and all I wanted was to drive, drive, drive. And so I did.

A few months later, on a sunny summer day a big SUV run into me. The driver of the vehicle fell asleep while driving. The first thing I did was call the police and the second- my cheap insurance company. It was Saturday and guess what- there was nobody in the office. Later on I found out that they had Saturday and Sunday off. Then I called the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident- Allstate. What a surprise- someone immediately picked up the phone.

The insurer’s representative explained me the procedure in cases like this. I few days later I had an appointment with a body shop near the place where I live. The mechanic there estimated the damage and offered me either to fix the car at insurer’s expenses or send me a check for a particular amount. Was I impressed? You bet.

Needless to say I switched the insurance companies immediately. I didn’t go with Allstate but found another reputable company that I can rely on 24/7.

I can’t emphasize enough how important is to go with an insurance company with good ratings when it comes to buying teen car insurance. These days thanks to the Internet you can find information and compare insurance companies in a matter of minutes. You can also read reviews both positive and negative of actual customers and make up your mind whether to go with the insurer that you have chosen or not.

So what are these insurance companies’ ratings and where do we get them? There are a few ratings that you have to take into consideration while making a decision where to insure your teen son or daughter.
The first one is Financial Rating. It shows the financial strength of each insurer and its ability to pay claims. There are two websites that you can find that kind of info. The first one is AmBest.com and Standard and Poors. Go with an insurer that has at least “A” rating.

Customer Rating is the second one. One website that I like in particular is Epinions.com. Customers from different states share there experience with different insurance companies. I have not found insurers without negative reviews on that site which is ok. You can not make everyone happy. You just have to read them for yourself and find out if they make sense.

Equipped with both financial and consumer rating info you are ready to make a decision which insurance companies to choose from. Once again make sure that they have at least “A” financial rating. This way, at least in the beginning, your teens car insurance rates will be higher but in the long run you will save yourself a lot of hassles and have an insurance company on your side you can rely 24/7 on.