So you have a problem with your insurance provider. Or maybe you want to learn about long term care insurance before you consider purchasing a contract. What most consumers don’t realize is that one of their most valuable advocates and information tools is their state insurance department.

Not only do these entities have the authority to step in and stop abuses, but they can put you in the right direction if you're just overwhelmed with how to approach an insurance question. There are several ways that you can reach out to your state department.

One is a simple Google search. A second path is a little more roundabout, but the trip may be well worth the effort. That path starts by visiting www.naic.org. The website address belongs to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, an organization based in Kansas City, Mo., that represents state insurance departments.

Once you are at the site, click on States and Jurisdictions on the left side of the page. That will bring you to a map of the United States. Click on your state or jurisdiction and voila, you’re at your state insurance department home page.

But before you do that, you might want to click on InsureU for consumers, located right under the States and Jurisdictions button. It will bring you to a web page called InsureU, which is an awesome wealth of information on what consumers should be on the lookout for when they are considering an insurance purchase.

Another NAIC web page that is worth the click is the Consumer Insurance Source. It allows a consumer to get a wealth of information on a company including closed insurance complaints, licensing information and key financial data. To get there, click on the Consumers button on the home page, go to the Search for Company Information on the right page after you’ve done that. Or if you don’t have time to look over the consumer page, simply go here. If you have the time, the winding virtual path is worth taking because it will provide you with an idea of the many resources that are available on the site.

Another part of the site will bring you to a list of consumer representatives funded by the NAIC. These are the folks that can help you with issues ranging from what to look for if you're purchasing an annuity to how credit scoring can impact your ability to get insurance. To reach them, is a little more difficult, so it is probably easier to just go directly here.

If you want to go straight to your state insurance department, what should you look for? This will vary by state, but most states list consumer tips and information as well as numbers to contact depending on the issue. Many also list links for agents and brokers and insurance companies, which for consumer purposes may be interesting but not relevant.

So, for example, someone clicks on New York or Googles the New York insurance department, or just goes here. Consumers have their own link on the upper left hand side, and senior citizens have a link on the upper right hand side. In the center, there is information on everything from the swine flu to COBRA benefits if you're laid off, or if a worker dies and dependents need continued health benefits