Are you sick and tired of scraping nickels together to buy auto insurance? You are no different than millions of other vehicle owners. Lots of insurance companies contend for your business, so it’s not easy to compare every company and get the best coverage at the cheapest price
If you currently have car insurance, you should be able to reduce your rates substantially using these tips. Finding affordable coverage in Downers Grove is not rocket science. But Illinois consumers do need to know how big insurance companies sell online and take advantage of how the system works.
Informed consumers can cut your costs
Many factors are considered when quoting car insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, but other factors are not as apparent such as whether you are married or how safe your car is. A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing the factors that help determine your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what influences your rates, this enables informed choices that can help you get lower premium levels.
- Where you call home can impact costs – Being located in areas with lower population has definite advantages when buying auto insurance. Less people living in that area means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Urban drivers have to deal with more aggressive driving styles and much longer commute distances. Higher commute times means higher likelihood of an accident.
- Responsible drivers pay less – Attentive drivers have lower premiums compared to bad drivers. Just one speeding ticket or other violation may cause rates to rise by as much as twenty percent. Drivers with dangerous tickets like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to legally drive a vehicle.
- Low deductibles cost more – The deductibles represent how much money you are required to spend out-of-pocket if a covered claim is submitted. Physical damage protection, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a stationary object, animal collisions, and damage from wind. The more money the insured is willing to pay, the less money you will pay for auto insurance.
- Protect yourself with liability protection – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance kicks in when you are ruled to be at fault for damages from an accident. This coverage provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. It is affordable coverage as compared to coverage for physical damage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
- Safer cars can affect prices – Selecting a car model with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft features like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart vehicle theft.
- With age comes lower costs – Teen drivers in Illinois tend to be inattentive with other occupants in the car so auto insurance rates are higher. More mature drivers have been proven to be more responsible, are lower risk to insure and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.
- Fewer miles means better costs – The more you drive your car each year the more you’ll pay to insure it. The majority of insurers calculate rates based upon how much you drive. Cars that are left in the garage get more affordable rates than cars that get driven a lot. It’s always a good idea to double check that your policy properly reflects annual mileage.
- When should you not file a policy claims? – Insurance companies in Illinois provide the best rates to drivers who are not frequent claim filers. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Lower your auto insurance rates with discounts
Auto insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but you might already qualify for some discounts that may help make it more affordable. Certain credits will be shown at the time of quoting, but a few need to be manually applied in order for you to get them.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Not every insurance company offers life insurance, but if they do you may earn a small discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Downers Grove Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can earn you a little savings since home ownership requires personal responsibility.
- Use Seat Belts – Forcing all vehicle occupants to fasten their seat belts can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off the medical payments premium.
- Telematics Discount – Insureds that choose to allow companies to study driving habits by using a telematics device like Drivewise from Allstate or In-Drive from State Farm may get a rate reduction if they are good drivers.
- Good Grades Discount – Getting good grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up until you turn 25.
Discounts lower rates, but most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, that’s just not realistic.
A few companies that have these money-saving discounts include:
Check with every company to give you their best rates. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be available everywhere. To view insurance companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in Downers Grove, click here to view.
Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?
Well-known auto insurance companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the ads convey the message that drivers can save some big amount just by moving to their company. It sounds good, but how can they all charge less that you’re paying now? This is the way they can do it.
All companies have a certain “appetite” for the type of driver that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured may need to be married and over the age of 30, has never had a policy lapse, and drives a vehicle with a low ISO rating. A customer getting a price quote that matches those criteria will probably get the lowest prices and will save when switching.
Consumers who are not a match for the “perfect” profile may be forced to pay higher prices and this can result in the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay close attention to the ads, they say “customers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” can get the lowest rates when switching. That’s the way companies can make claims like that. Because every company is different, it is so important to compare price quotes frequently. It’s impossible to know with any certainty which company will have the best prices.
More detailed Illinois auto insurance information is available at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Illinois consumers can find disaster information, learn about specific coverages, file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, and download brochures.
Other informative sites include this page for auto insurance in Illinois and this list of agents in Downers Grove, IL.
Persistence pays off
More affordable auto insurance is available on the web in addition to many Downers Grove insurance agents, so you need to with both to have the best rate selection. Some companies may not provide online rate quotes and most of the time these regional carriers sell through local independent agents.
When shopping online for auto insurance, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, an insured cut physical damage coverage to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.