If you want inexpensive car insurance or are looking to save money on your premium, you should know that there is no one insurance provider you should go to, despite the many car insurance ads making us want to think otherwise.

There is a good chance that you have heard from the Gecko or Flo. Maybe you have also had that Safe Auto jingle 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 rates, but to encourage you to shop around for auto insurance.

Although you can compare car insurance quotes online, they do not save you as much on auto insurance as you think they do. Some of the lowest premiums you may not see while using these sites because the lowest priced provider does not pay commission to these sites. Also, the real price from some insurers is lower if you speak to them directly.

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.

You can easily find an independent agent in your area by going to the auto insurance section of your Yellowpages or business directory. If the agent or agency name is something that is not familiar to you (such as Sunshine Auto Insurance), you are most likely looking at an independent agent. If the agency’s name is something like Michael Brown-All State, you can get car insurance from only that single insurer.