No one in their right mind cherishes buying auto insurance, in particular when the price is too high. Companies like Geico, Progressive and Allstate all claim big savings, bombarding you with ads and it is difficult to see past the corporate glitz and find the best price available.
It is always a good idea to take a look at other company’s rates once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates are rarely the same from one policy term to another. Just because you had the lowest rates six months ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. You can find a lot of misleading information regarding auto insurance online but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some excellent ideas to reduce your auto insurance bill.
How to Get Auto Insurance in Aurora, IL
Effectively comparing auto insurance prices can be exhausting if you don’t know the fastest way to get free quotes. You can spend countless hours talking about coverages with insurance agencies in Aurora, or you could use online quotes for quick rates.
Most major companies belong to an insurance system that allows shoppers to complete one form, and at least one company provides a quote based on that information. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests to every company.
To compare pricing click to open in new window.
The only drawback to comparing rates this way is that you can’t choose the companies you want to price. So if you want to select specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we have a page of auto insurance companies in Illinois. Click here to view list.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make absolute certain that you use apples-to-apples coverages for each comparison quote. If you are comparing higher or lower deductibles it will be very difficult to decipher which rate is best in Aurora.
Are you getting all your discounts?
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically when you quote, but a few need to be specially asked for before they will apply. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Safety Course Discount – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could cut 5% off your bill if you qualify.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who avoid accidents may save up to 50% more than their less cautious counterparts.
- 55 and Retired – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get reduced rates.
- Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can save you money because maintaining a house demonstrates responsibility.
- Use Seat Belts – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt could cut 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
- Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military could mean lower rates.
- Multiple Vehicles – Having multiple vehicles with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Accident Free – Claim-free drivers pay much less compared to accident-prone drivers.
It’s important to understand that many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates you can get free auto insurance, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut your overall premium however.
To choose insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Aurora, click this link.
Tips to Get Lower Aurora Rates
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get big savings.
- Liability insurance protects assets – Liability coverage is the coverage that protects you in the event that a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not skimp.
- Increase deductibles and save – Physical damage insurance, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply would be collision with another vehicle, vandalism, or theft. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. The more you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your auto insurance will be.
- Better crash test results mean better rates – Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.
- Equipment add-ons that lower auto insurance rates – Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your car from being stolen.
- Your occupation can affect rates – Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Careers like judges, business owners and dentists tend to have the highest average rates attributed to high stress and lengthy work days. Other occupations like scientists, historians and homemakers receive lower rates.
- Proper usage rating affects rates – The higher the mileage driven in a year the higher your rate. The majority of insurers price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Verify your auto insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
- How many coverages with the same company – The majority of auto insurance companies provide better rates to insureds who have multiple policies with them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s still a good idea to compare rates to ensure the best deal. Consumers may find a better deal by insuring with multiple companies.
- Your age impacts your rates – More mature drivers are more cautious drivers, file fewer claims and tend to be better behind the wheel. Teenage drivers are known to get distracted easily when driving and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Tailor your coverage to you
When buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions can aid in determining if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
- What is the minimum liability in Illinois?
- Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
- Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Aurora?
- Exactly who is provided coverage by my policy?
- Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?
If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.
More information can be read on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance through this link. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, download brochures, file complaints about a company, and find a variety of consumer forms.
Quote often and quote early
Affordable auto insurance can be purchased from both online companies in addition to many Aurora insurance agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. Some auto insurance companies do not provide online quoting and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.
In this article, we presented a lot of information how to shop for auto insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from the smaller companies. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower rates as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.
When shopping online for auto insurance, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where drivers have reduced full coverage and learned later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.