Auto insurance consumers’ trust of insurers is low, negatively affecting satisfaction and brand advocacy.

Over half, or 51%, of the more than 41,000 people who responded to a J.D. Power survey said they have low trust in their insurers.

One way auto insurers can gain trust is by better managing rate increases, the survey shows. Remarkably, trust levels were almost exactly the same among consumers who fully understood the reasons for a rate increase and expected it as consumers whose insurers cut their rates, or 735 and 736, respectively, on a 1,000-point scale, J.D. Power said.

That’s significant because, despite U.S. auto insurance rates up 11% on average over the past year, the company said insurers are still losing an average of five cents on the dollar in collected premium.

Trust in auto insurers varies depending on which of 11 surveyed regions the consumer lives, and the study found customers in Florida have the lowest level, not surprisingly since rate increases there are more frequent.

The survey, conducted in the eight months ended in April, is in its 25^th year.

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