Did you know that by comparing different car insurance companies you can save as much as $500 or more on your auto insurance policy.

What should you compare? Here are a few ideas.

First, I want to talk a little about shopping online for auto insurance.

For those that want to save even more, this is for you.

The companies should have a hard-earned reputation of offering very attractive rates....and superior customer service. What that means to you is this. You not only get great rates but they also pay what they're supposed to....when they're supposed to.

That's huge....because getting a great rate means nothing if you have to beat your insurance company over the head with a 2x4 to get them to pay a claim.

Get 3 quotes and make sure you use your checklist as much as possible. Why three quotes? Because different car insurance companies can offer much different prices for the exact same coverage. Getting 3 auto insurance quotes lets you know which company offers the best price for the same coverage.

Getting a few car insurance quotes shouldn't take you more than 23 minutes. Here's one thing that might cost you a few more minutes though. When comparing car insurance companies, you might be asked upfront about looking at homeowners or renters insurance. If so, jump onboard and save even more money.

You'll get up to an additional 17% off your auto insurance rates and up to 20% off your homeowners or renters insurance by having both coverage's with the same company.