Trying to come up with a payment for expensive car insurance can take a big chunk out of your family’s budget and require stricter spending habits. Price shopping at each renewal can save money and help to lower your bills every month.
People have many insurers to choose from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, more options can take longer to find the best rates.
Smart consumers take time to quote other rates yearly because car insurance prices fluctuate regularly. Just because you found the best price last year there may be better deals available now. Don’t believe everything you read about car insurance on the internet, but you can learn some excellent ideas to reduce your car insurance bill.
Finding the best rates in Dekalb is not rocket science. Just about every driver who is required by state law to have car insurance most likely will be able to lower their premiums. But Illinois consumers can benefit by having an understanding of how insurance companies sell online and use this information to your advantage.
There are several ways to obtain and compare prices from all the different companies. The quickest method to do a complete rate comparison is to get quotes online. This is very easy and can be done by using one of the methods below.
- One of the best ways to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This style of form keeps you from doing a different quote for every prospective company. A single, simple form will get you price quotes from all major companies.
- A slightly less efficient method to find better pricing consists of visiting the website of each company and repeat the quote process. For examples sake, let’s say you want to compare Allstate, Progressive and Farmers. In order to get each rate, you would have to navigate to each company’s site to input your insurance information, which can take a lot of time.
To view a list of companies in Dekalb, click here.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just be sure you’re using nearly identical deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one it will be nearly impossible to get a fair rate comparison in Dekalb. Just a small difference in coverages can make a big difference in price. Just keep in mind that getting more free quotes provides better odds of finding the best offered rates.
You may qualify for discounts
Car insurance is expensive, but you may qualify for discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Many discounts should be triggered at quote time, but some must be specially asked for prior to getting the savings.
- Low Miles Discount – Maintaining low annual mileage may allow you to get lower prices on the low mileage vehicles.
- Multi-line Discount – Select companies reward you with a break if you buy some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Theft Prevention System – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- College Student – Older children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
- Early Payment Discounts – By making one initial payment instead of making monthly payments you can actually save on your bill.
- Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can be considerably cheaper because newer vehicles keep occupants safer.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
- Federal Employees – Simply working for the federal government may reduce rates when you but check with your company.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Vehicles with ABS and/or traction control have fewer accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Buying a policy with all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it’s just not the way it works.
Some companies that may have some of the above discounts possibly include:
When getting , it’s a good idea to every prospective company which discounts they offer. Some discounts listed above may not be offered in Dekalb. To find insurers with significant discounts in Dekalb, click here.
There’s no such thing as the perfect car insurance policy
When choosing coverage for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions might point out if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
- Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
- Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my vehicle to commute?
- When should I drop full coverage on my vehicle?
- Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Illinois?
- Should I buy only the required Illinois minimum liability coverage?
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Dekalb?
- Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Additional detailed information is available at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Illinois consumers can read consumer alerts, find a variety of consumer forms, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.