It seems like it's really, really easy to find companies willing to sell you an auto insurance policy. It's significantly harder to find information about these companies beyond their dollar signs. You're going to have questions about any company you choose to work with. It's completely natural. The question is, where can you go to get answers for these questions?

There are four main sources of information you're going to want to look at when you're digging for information on your auto insurance provider. The first place you want to start is with your own insurance agent. The way you're treated when you call to work with their customer service department is usually a pretty good indicator of how you're going to be treated when you call to file a claim. Knowledgeable, efficient insurance agents are going to deal with claims in a knowledgeable and efficient manner. Other agents-won't.

Next, talk to some of your fellow drivers. There are literally hundreds of consumer information sites out there where drivers have the chance to offer up a completely honest opinion of their auto insurance companies and what they think of their service. Since none of these sites pay for reviews you can be fairly confident that what you're finding is the bad and the ugly right along with the good-a perfectly three dimensional view of any potential insurer.

What about the press? Have you gone online to see what's been published about your car insurance provider in recent years? If there's one thing you can be sure of, it's that the press will never pass up the chance to crucify a company when they're under fire. It's good business! Controversy attracts readers, which boosts subscriptions, which…well, you get the idea! Checking out your auto insurance provider's press will give you a pretty good idea of exactly what they've been up to in recent years and lay the foundation for you to make an educated decision about whether or not you want to work with them.

Finally, let's talk about reporting agencies. There are numerous reporting agencies that keep tabs on auto insurance companies through the year by polling their drivers. Companies like J.P. Morgan, who publishes a national survey on their website every year for drivers, can tell you how drivers rated your insurance, its agents and its policies and tell you who won what award in the past year. You can also contact the Better Business Bureau, your local bureau of insurance and any of the financial reporting agencies that work with auto insurance companies to find out how stable your company is.

And whether or not they're supposed to be operating in your state, saving you from the embarrassment of insurance fraud.

Bear in mind that every auto insurance company you come across is going to have a few black marks on its record. It's inevitable. While you can try it's absolutely impossible to make all of the people happy all of the time (just ask Abraham Lincoln!). A good company should have more good press than bad, however, and when coupled with a good rating and fairly good reviews should give you the confidence you need to sign on the dotted line.