Q: Where is the best place to get auto insurance?

A: The best place to get auto insurance isn’t the same in every state, because rates, customer service, and business management differe everywhere. You might like GEICO in Illinois but find that Progressive is much better in Texas, and so on.

One good place to look for the best place to get auto insurance (or to rule out the worst ones, anyway) is your state’s Department of Insurance website, where you should be able to find a section with information about complaints made against a certain company. If there’s a very high volume of complaints for your company, chances are it’s not an excellent insurance choice. You should also swing by Standard & Poor’s website to find out the company’s financial rating, just to make sure they don’t decide to go under right after you’ve filed your claim.

And, hey, talk to people. Ask your mechanic, ask your neighbor, ask your mom. The mechanic will probably know the most because, by virtue of their job they deal with car insurance companies a lot, but everybody’s opinion is valid and it’s good to know their experiences so you know who to steer away from.