"

Nationwide, millions of Americans may be concerned about the amount they pay for their auto insurance coverage, and this is an issue that many experts believe will only grow more problematic in the future as costs rise. However, some states obviously have higher average insurance rates than others, and the most recent data suggests that New Jersey has taken over the top spot. For this reason, insurance agents may need to do a little bit more when it comes to helping their clients understand why they pay what they do for coverage, and how risk can affect them even if they have a sparkling driving record.

In 2012 - the latest year for which data was available - the average driver in the U.S. paid $815 for their auto insurance coverage (based on a wide variety of factors including average premium and expense, loss ratio, claim frequency and severity, and so on), according to the latest data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. However, the national leader in rates was New Jersey, where people paid 49 percent more than that average per year: $1,220. Rounding out the top three were Washington, D.C. ($1,155), and New York ($1,152).

What's the trend?
In general, states that tended to have more concentrated areas of population - as well as the most traffic, and so on - also tended to have the most expensive rates, the report said. Also in the top 10 were Florida, Louisiana, Delaware, Michigan, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the list, there was Idaho, where state residents paid slightly more than $535 per year for their auto insurance coverage on average.

If insurance agents can do a better job of connecting with their clients through helpful communication and ongoing support, they're probably going to be much better off when it comes to keeping those consumers happy. That's because a good relationship is often cherished by drivers more so than even the ability to cut costs on coverage overall, so the agents who have the most success here will also be the ones most likely to keep their ongoing customer satisfaction ratings high, along with client retention rates. Therefore, taking the time to explain the ins and outs of coverage, and what consumers can do to make sure they're protected as affordably as possible, could go a long way.

"