How to Get Reliable Insurance Information

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Although learning about insurance may not be at the top of your list of things you love to do, if you have ever asked “What about (insert your insurance question here)?” then you need to read on. Getting the correct information starts with where you go to get it.

So, where do you get your information? Back in the day, we had these things called encyclopedias that were large books filled with information from A to Z. They were as updated as could be based on when they were printed. That could be years, but alas, they were a great resource for accurate information.

Another place to go: the Yellow Pages, which focused on where you could buy things or hire services. They listed local businesses — everything from grocery stores and pharmacies to gas stations and insurance companies. Some of those businesses even paid to display a big advertisement to make you more likely to call them.

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You might also have asked your neighbors, friends or family for recommendations. Who hasn’t done that on just about anything? Where is a good Italian restaurant? Who can fix my flat tire? And yes, where is a place to get insurance at a fair cost?

Online sources vs your friends and relatives

But that was in the past. Now you have a plethora of online sources to consult with. And online sources are better and more informed than your friends, right? Well …

Let’s start with the internet as a whole. Some online sources may be better, or worse, than others, so be sure that you know who or what those sources are.

When you search online for, say, an auto insurance quote, what are you going to get? First, paid advertisements show up at the top of your search results. Sometimes you can tell pretty easily that it is an advertisement. Sometimes it isn’t as clear.

I think we can agree that where a company or person comes up in search results does not necessarily have much to do with the legitimacy of the information provided. Someone paying to be at the top of the results when you search for auto insurance quotes doesn’t make them a good auto insurance insurer or broker.

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How about social media? Facebook, X, Instagram, Nextdoor, Reddit, etc., all allow anyone to put their opinion out there, whether it’s based on fact or not. It could be a doctor, a lawyer, a physicist, an insurance expert, an elected official, a 10-year-old kid, a scammer in Nigeria, the Chinese or Russian government, you name it. Some of these sources are not even people — they are code known as bots that pose as people to push out information en masse.

Where to go, then?

So where should you go to get reliable information?

Ask your family and friends. Not only do these people, we hope, want what’s best for you, but they also have firsthand knowledge of working with the insurance agent or broker they are referring you to. Nothing can beat firsthand experience.

Read nationally recognized magazines and websites, such as U.S. News and World Report, MarketWatch, Car and Driver and Kiplinger, or check other reliable sources, such as NerdWallet and AM Best, to see what they are saying about insurance companies. Are the insurers taking care of their policyholders? Are they paying their claims?

Remember: Your insurance information is only reliable if you get it from a knowledgeable source.

Want to learn more about insurance? Visit KarlSusman.com.

Disclaimer

This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA.

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Karl Susman is a veteran insurance agency principal, nationally engaged insurance expert witness and broadcast host who translates insurance from jargon to judgment. For more than three decades, he's helped consumers, courts and policymakers navigate coverage, claims and compliance. As Principal of Susman Insurance Agency, Karl works directly with households and businesses to compare options and make clear, defensible coverage decisions.