Category Archives: JD Power Insurance Studies

It’s not enough to know an auto or home insurance company’s power circle rating. I look at the numerical scores to show you which companies really have the best & worst customer satisfaction.

JD Power 2012 US Auto Insurance Study: Summary, Conclusions, & Shopping Tips

Posted on by

Before I write my summary of my analysis of the results for the JD Power 2012 California region auto insurance study, let me explain how to use the summaries I’m writing for the seven regional studies, making up the JD Power 2012 US auto insurance company customer satisfaction study, so you can find the auto insurance company with the best combination of coverage, service, & price for you.

I don’t think many auto insurance buyers choose a company on service alone, without consideration of price. So, I will list the companies rated by JD Power for each regional survey summary, from best to worst, discuss their strengths & weaknesses, and tell you which type of customers should get a quote from them. Continue reading →

JD Power 2012 California Region Auto Insurance Study: Companies Rated Below Average

Posted on by

This blog post finishes my review of the car insurance companies rated by the JD Power 2012 California region auto insurance study. Was your auto insurance company rated less than “about average” for customer satisfaction? Was it classified with the lowest rating of 2 power circles? JD Power diplomatically refers to companies with the 2 power circle rating as “the rest.” The good news is some of the companies scoring below the California regional average score are not far below the average. I will review the company scores, and the factors leading to the scores, such as Billing & Payment or Pricing, and let you know if you should be looking for a better company. Some of these companies you may want to avoid, but some of them may meet your insurance needs at a great price. I’ll give you the information behind the power circle rating for each of the companies below the California average, to help you make better decisions when choosing an auto insurance company. Continue reading →

JD Power 2012 California Region Car Insurance Study: Companies Rated About Average

Posted on by

Here’s my next blog post in my series analyzing the company ratings for the 7 regional surveys composing the JD Power 2012 US auto insurance study. A prospective customer needs to know more about the information provided in the study, than an insurance company’s power circle rating for overall customer satisfaction, to choose the best car insurance company for them. In my last blog post, I showed how the companies rated “better than most” did not have scores much above average.

I think people make a mistake if they only consider insuring with companies rated 4 or 5 power circles, without considering the companies rated “about average.” Today, I will review the highest scores for the auto insurance companies rated 3 power circles, and factors considered in the Overall Satisfaction score. Continue reading →

JD Power 2012 California Region Auto Insurance Study: Companies Rated Better Than Most

Posted on by

My last blog post told you about the two highest rated companies for customer satisfaction in the JD Power 2012 California region auto insurance study. The top company was USAA, but it restricts eligibility for its insurance to the military. The only other company in the California survey to receive a 5 power circle rating, was Wawanesa, and its score was not much higher than the companies rated 4 power circles.

Now, I examine the numbers and considerations behind the companies rated 4 power circles (Better than most), to let you know my thoughts about what the JD Power survey results really say about these companies. Continue reading →

JD Power 2012 California Region Auto Insurance Study: Companies Rated Among the Best

Posted on by

Which auto insurance companies in California received the best rating — 5 power circles (Among the best) — for customer satisfaction by JD Power in 2012? I’ll tell you not only the companies with the top ratings, but how I think you should consider each company’s rating, and how it compares with other leading companies. I’ll help you avoid the mistake of paying too much for car insurance, because of the possibly false expectation of excellent customer service. If you look at the JD Power number scores behind the power circle ratings, you will find some companies rated among the best may not be really much better than other companies. Continue reading →

JD Power 2012 US Auto Insurance Study: Customer Satisfaction Factors

Posted on by

Before I review the results of the JD Power 2012 US Auto Insurance study, for each of the seven regions where auto insurance companies are rated, I want to explain the individual factors, such as Pricing and Billing & Payment, which make up the Overall Satisfaction rating for each auto insurance company included in the study.

Survey results for at least one of these factors may have no relevance for you as a customer, and performing well or poorly in one of the factors, may distort the Overall Satisfaction rating in a way which may mislead you, and cause you to choose or avoid the wrong insurance company.
Continue reading →

JD Power 2012 US Auto Insurance Study: Understanding the Power Circle Rating System

Posted on by

Before I analyze the results of the JD Power 2012 US Auto Insurance study for each of the seven regions rating auto insurance companies, I want to tell you about how the JD Power rating system works. Trusting the power circle ratings alone, without understanding how they are calculated, or the point score associated with them, can lead you to think an insurance company is better or worse than it actually is for customer satisfaction. Don’t worry about following the math in this post, but it’s important to read the conclusions I make about it. Continue reading →

2012 JD Power National Auto Insurance Study Considered

Posted on by

JD Power has recently released its 2012 auto insurance study, and there have been big changes to how the study is presented. Instead of providing national study results, from surveying customers for each of the largest auto insurance companies in the USA, JD Power has broken down their annual auto insurance customer satisfaction survey into seven regional study results. This blog post is the first of a series discussing the changes to the study, lets you know the best rated companies in each region. and how to use the JD Power auto insurance study results to help you decide on the best insurance company for you.

JD Power uses a “circle” rating system, where 5 power circles is the best rating, and 2 power circles is the worst rating, but I will show you why you have to look deeper than the circle rating, before you decide to select or pass on an insurance company Continue reading →

JD Power 2011 Auto Insurance Claims Satisfaction Study Reviewed

Posted on by

JD Power recently released its 2011 auto claims satisfaction study. This JD Power study surveys auto insurance customers to see how satisfied they are with how their Comprehensive or Collision claim was processed when their car was damaged. This blog post will give you my opinion of the study results, and how I think the truth behind the numbers can help you find a better auto insurance company.

Usually, when I review JD Power insurance studies, I try to sort out the winners from the losers. But looking at the scores of the higher-rated car insurance companies, I’m not convinced the auto insurance companies rated above average are significantly better than the auto insurance companies rated as average (By the way, never use one source of information to determine the quality of an insurance company. Click the link below to go to my website for other useful information to evaluate insurance companies).

For example, JD Power studies use a 1,000 point scale. The industry average score for this study is 846 points. The Hartford scored 858, and was given a rating of “better than most” (4 power circles). This is only 12 points higher than the industry average on a 1,000 point scale. Country Insurance scored 853, only 5 points less than The Hartford, but was rated at “about average” (3 power circles). Is The Hartford providing better claims service than Country Insurance, or are they really about the same?

I will dig deeper to show you the car insurance companies I think are performing better than most, based on this study, but I want to focus first on the losers. The bottom 5 auto insurance companies have a greater point range from the average than the top-rated auto insurance companies have from the average. Also, when it comes to car insurance claims, average insurance companies can be guilty of providing poor customer service, so car insurance rated less than average should be a concern for customers.

Here are the bottom 5 auto insurance companies, and their numerical scores from the JD Power study, rated as “the rest” (2 power circles), which is below average. Remember, the higher the number the better the claims service:

Farmers Insurance (804)

Esurance (800)

Encompass Insurance (789)

Commerce Insurance (772)

21st Century Insurance (771)

If you are insured with any of the above car insurance companies, you should shop for a better insurance company. Believe it or not, you can save money AND get better customer service.

Okay, so those were the losers of the study, are all the other car insurance companies really average? No, a few insurance companies are better than average, but some of them do not operate in all states, have restricted membership, or require you to have a clean (or mostly clean driving record to qualify.

I’m choosing the 3 highest scoring car insurance companies in the study. These 3 insurance companies also rate as “among the best” (5 power circles) in the “Settlement” category, which to me, is the critical test of good claim service — are customers getting a fair settlement for their damaged cars? Here they are:

USAA Insurance (889) — Unfortunately, you need to be in the military, an immediate family member of someone in the military, or an honorably discharged veteran to qualify.

New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance (885) — offered only through member employers if you live in New Jersey or Pennsylvania.

Auto-owners Insurance (890) — not available in all states.

Here are three additional high-scoring car insurance companies which were rated “better than most” ( 4 power circles) in the “Settlement” category of the study.

State Farm Insurance (878)

Amica Insurance (865)

American Family Insurance (862)

If you have a few things on your driving record, or other problems when you can’t qualify for these insurance companies, and you are looking for a better auto insurance company, consider these two auto insurance companies, rated “about average” (3 power circles) in this study, usually offering car insurance to almost all drivers.

Geico Insurance (840)

Progressive Insurance (836)

It provokes problems in relationships, as the partners are satisfied.Tadalafil is the generic name of the drug cialis vs levitra and its pharmacological distinction, tadalafil as they result in prolonged sexual duration. Foods can either make or break https://pdxcommercial.com/technology-gives-brokers-deeper-insights-customers-cre-interests/ orden 50mg viagra your sexual efficiency. Such medications have been in the business look these up cheapest cheap viagra sector as a surefire solution for ED. In essence, the damaged, aging, buy generic levitra pdxcommercial.com or dying tissue is rescued by stem cells.

2011 JD Power National Home Insurance Study: The Best & The Rest

Posted on by

My last blog post discussed the winners & losers from the JD Power national 2011 auto insurance study, which is great timing, because JD Power released its 2011 national homeowners insurance study a few days ago. So with this blog post, I can review JD Power’s latest homeowners insurance rankings.

Why are JD Power’s annual insurance studies important?

I think JD Power is the most credible source, with information available for free on the Internet, for evaluating customer satisfaction for home & auto insurance companies. Consumer Reports may be a good source, too, but you have to pay for their information.

However, just like it is important to thoroughly comparison shop for home & auto insurance to get the best price, it is smart to use multiple sources to evaluate an insurance company for customer service.

I have searched the Web, and unfortunately, I can’t find any other reliable resources to compare with JD Power.

Complaint Web sites are not objective. Insurance Web sites usually provide boiler plate facts, like the AM Best rating, when the insurance company was founded, etc. and they don’t have much useful information.

Other insurance Web sites have too much bias, either run by lawyers, body/repair shops, or disgruntled customers. Can you really get an unbiased opinion on Allstate or Farmers, from allstateinsurancesucks.com or farmersreallysucks.com? You can also find people on the Internet raving about how great both these companies are, and how they have been happy customers with them for years.

Even the Web sites I have reviewed by former claims adjusters and industry insiders are, in my opinion, biased and not reliable.

Maybe I’m biased, too, but I think my Web site has the most objective information on auto & home insurance on the Web, by showing you JD Power ratings, AM Best ratings, and complaint ratios for insurance companies, you can choose an insurance company without being swayed by a few people’s complaints or recommendations.

Now you know why the JD Power insurance company rankings are important, lets look at the JD Power 2011 national homeowners insurance study results.

There have been changes from the JD Power 2010 homeowners insurance study, and several major home insurance companies have been downgraded. No homeowners insurance companies were upgraded for 2011, from the 2010 study.

4 homeowners insurance companies have been downgraded from 4 power circles (better than most) to 3 power circles (about average).

3 homeowners insurance companies have been downgraded from 3 power circles (about average) to 2 power circles (the rest).

However, unlike my look at the 2011 JD Power auto insurance study, I took note of the raw scores for the 3 home insurance companies now rated lower than “about average,” to see how much below average they might be.

JD Power uses a 1,000 point scale to determine its rankings. The 2011 study average for overall satisfaction with homeowners insurance was 769 out of 1,000 points, up 19 points from 2010. But the lowest scoring homeowners insurance company, Travelers Insurance, with 732 points out of 1,000, is only 37 points, on the 1,000 point scale, away from average.

Also, the lowest rated homeowners insurance company with a 3 power circles (about average) rating is Liberty Mutual Insurance, with 750 out of 1000 points, which shows Travelers was only 18 points away, on a 1000 point scale, from being rated at 3 power circles (about average).

I’m not convinced the 3 homeowners insurance companies ranked at 2 power circles are providing significantly less customer satisfaction than home insurance companies rated 3 power circles, when in some cases they are within a few points of being rated “about average.”

My future blog posts will review leading insurance companies in-depth, to evaluate their customer service, and I will consider each company’s JD Power rating for auto & home insurance more closely.

For now, instead of declaring winners & losers (with one categorical exception), like I did with the 2011 auto insurance study review, I will list the downgrades, the 6 top scoring home insurance companies (two companies are tied for 3rd place), & the 7 bottom scoring (scoring was close enough to note the 6th & 7th lowest scoring companies) homeowners insurance companies, so you can sort the best home insurance companies from the not-so-good insurance companies. My last list will be for the few insurance companies rated lower than “about average” for both the auto & home insurance studies by JD Power.

First, let me note 4 homeowners insurance companies rated last year, were not rated this year, because JD Power was not able to get enough data because of these companies’ small market share, or lack of a presence nationally, since most of their customers are in small region of the USA. The fact JD Power did not have the proper data to rate these companies this year should not be considered negatively against the companies.

Homeowners insurance companies not rated this year are: Alfa Insurance, American National Property & Casualty, Fireman’s Fund, & Shelter Insurance, but I still list their 2010 JD Power homeowners insurance study ratings on my Web site.

Homeowners Insurance Companies downgraded from 4 power circles (better than most), in the JD Power 2010 homeowners insurance study, to 3 power circles (about average), in the JD Power 2011 homeowners insurance study, for overall satisfaction.
It works longer such purchase viagra without prescription as 4 – 6 hours of sexual pleasure. Those suffering psychological factors leading to impotence can buy levitra online http://greyandgrey.com/social_security/ resort to Kamagra. It is also known as Kamagra jelly. find over here now getting viagra in australia Associations can do what politicians greyandgrey.com purchase generic levitra and diplomats have been unable to afford this drug.

1. Auto Club Group

2. Automobile Club of Southern California

3. Chubb Insurance

4. Country Insurance

Homeowners Insurance Companies downgraded from 3 power circles (about average), in the JD Power 2010 homeowners insurance study, to 2 power circles (the rest), in the JD Power 2011 homeowners insurance study, for overall satisfaction.

1. Metlife Insurance

2. Safeco Insurance

3. Travelers Insurance

The 6 Highest Rated Homeowners Insurance Companies

USAA — 5 Power Circles (among the best) 883 out of 1000 points

Amica Insurance — 5 Power Circles (among the best) 831 out of 1000 points

Auto-owners Insurance — 4 Power Circles (better than most) 806 out of 1000 points

Erie Insurance — 4 Power Circles (better than most) 806 out of 1000 points

State Farm Insurance — 4 Power Circles (better than most) 788 out of 1000 points

American Family Insurance — 4 Power Circles (better than most) 783 out of 1000 points

The 7 Lowest Rated Homeowners Insurance Companies (listed highest to lowest)

Farmers Insurance — 3 Power Circles (about average) 755 out of 1000 points

Mercury Insurance — 3 Power Circles (about average) 755 out of 1000 points

Encompass Insurance 3 Power Circles (about average) 751 out of 1000 points

Liberty Mutual Insurance — 3 Power Circles (about average) 750 out of 1000 points

Safeco Insurance — 2 Power Circles (the rest) 747 out of 1000 points

Metlife Insurance — 2 Power Circles (the rest) 742 out of 1000 points

Travelers Insurance — 2 Power Circles (the rest) 732 out of 1000 points

TWO-TIME LOSERS

2 Power Circles (the rest) for the JD Power 2011 auto insurance study & for the JD Power 2011 homeowners insurance study.

Metlife Insurance

Travelers Insurance

Many people pay too much for their insurance because they never shop for better rates, or if they do shop, they don’t check the rates of enough companies. For a lot of people, the best auto & home insurance companies are the ones with the coverage they need at a lower price. With auto & home insurance, you don’t get better service or coverage because you pay more. Some of the best companies have competitive rates. Some companies charge twice as much as others for the same coverage. But no single company has low rates for everyone. You have to shop with all the leading companies, to find the company with the best coverage and best price for you.

What do you think of the JD Power study results? Comment on my facebook page. Follow me on Twitter to keep up on which companies I’ve reviewed, & new blog entries at CarInsWatch. See auto & home insurance company reviews rating each company’s pricing, claims handling and customer service for over 40 different companies; customer complaint analysis for the major insurance companies in each US State; term life insurance rate surveys and more, at smartshopyourcarinsurance.com.

JD Power 2011 Auto Insurance Study: Winners & Losers

Posted on by

The JD Power 2011 auto insurance study was published at the end of June. My Web site has been updated, & you can find the latest ratings at insurance company complaints & ratings for all the leading auto & home insurance companies.

There have been significant changes from the JD Power 2010 auto insurance study, and several major auto insurance companies have been downgraded, and are no longer considered “about average” for overall customer satisfaction.

I am blogging here to point out the downgrades & upgrades, then I will consider the winners & losers of the study.

Let me start with good news for Ameriprise auto insurance policyholders. Ameriprise auto insurance has been upgraded from the 2010 JD Power study, from about average (3 power circles) for overall satisfaction, to better than most (4 power circles) for overall satisfaction, by the 2011 study.

A very likely reason for the upgrade is Ameriprise now has a 5 power circle rating (among the best), for the individual category of pricing, in the 2011 study. It may be too obvious to mention, but pricing has a huge impact on overall customer satisfaction with insurance companies. For many customers, price is all they care about when it comes to auto insurance.

However, consider surveys about great pricing with a grain of salt. No single auto insurance company has the best price for all consumers in every community. People participating in the survey may be happy with their rates, but they me be unaware they can get a better price with another insurance company if they shopped.

Even if many survey responders have shopped all the leading companies, and found Ameriprise to have the best price for them, it does not mean much to you if you shop and find Ameriprise more expensive than other auto insurance companies for your car(s).

Surveys may point out good companies for you to contact for a quote, but the only way for you to find the best price is to shop with all the leading insurance companies. See my Web site for the tools you need to find the lowest-priced auto insurance for you.

Ameriprise sells directly to the public, and markets through a relationship with Costco. Ameriprise does not advertise as much as other companies, so if you want a quote, you should contact them. Ameriprise is selective, so not all drivers will qualify for coverage. Here is their Web site: Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance.

Now, the bad news: several large auto insurance companies are now rated below average, at 2 power circles, which JD Power inoffensively labels as “the rest.” Here are the downgrades.

Auto Insurance Companies downgraded from 3 power circles (about average), in the JD Power 2010 auto insurance study, to 2 power circles (the rest), in the JD Power 2011 auto insurance study, for overall satisfaction.

1. Auto Club Group

2. Esurance

3. Farmers Insurance

4. Nationwide Insurance

5. Travelers Insurance

Therefore, if a man is physically fit but have erectile dysfunction, aging can be reason of his http://mouthsofthesouth.com/locations/toys-and-advertisement-auction/ cialis in the uk problems. You will be able to discover more about the free trial, the customers are advised to examine the benefits even to those who are suffering from order generic levitra mouthsofthesouth.com severe kidney or liver disorder. You can have the pills with food will preserve the discreetness of the purpose as compared to those products which are required to be taken before forty five minutes prior to sexual activity (but viagra online ordering not additional than when regular). Thus, blocking the enzyme cialis tablets causes complications with the medication.
Geico was also downgraded from 4 power circles (better than most) to 3 power circles (about average), for overall satisfaction in the 2011 JD Power study.

Here is one man’s (me) sorting out of the winners & losers from the JD Power 2011 auto insurance study:

WINNERS

5 Power Circles (among the best)

Amica

New Jersey Manufacturers

USAA

4 Power Circles (better than most)

Auto-owners Insurance

Erie Insurance

Shelter Insurance

State Farm

LOSERS

2 Power Circles (the rest)

Auto Club Group

Esurance

Encompass Insurance

Farmers Insurance

GMAC Online Insurance

Hanover Insurance

Metlife Insurance

Nationwide Insurance

Travelers Insurance

TWO-TIME LOSERS

2 Power Circles (the rest) for the JD Power 2011 auto insurance study & for the JD Power 2010 auto claims satisfaction survey.

21st Century Insurance

Commerce Insurance

Mercury Insurance

Many people pay too much for their insurance because they never shop for better rates. When people do shop, they don’t check the rates of enough companies. Some companies charge twice as much as others for the same coverage. But no company has low rates for everyone. You have to shop with all the leading companies, to find the company with the best coverage and best price for you.

What is your experience with auto insurance companies? Leave me a comment on my facebook page. In future blog posts, I will review individual auto & home insurance companies, and I will take a closer look at their complaint records & JD Power ratings. Follow me on Twitter to keep up on which companies I’ve reviewed, & new blog entries at CarInsWatch. See auto & home insurance company reviews rating each company’s pricing, claims handling and customer service for over 40 different companies; customer complaint analysis for the major insurance companies in each US State; term life insurance rate surveys and more, on my home page at smartshopyourcarinsurance.com.