Paying for high-priced car insurance can overdraw your savings account and put the squeeze on your family’s finances. Doing a price comparison is a smart way to help make ends meet.
There is such a variety of car insurance companies to pick from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, it can be more challenging to compare rates.
These discounts can slash car insurance rates
Car insurance can cost a lot, but there are discounts available to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time of purchase, but a few need to be inquired about before you will receive the discount.
- Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
- Low Mileage – Driving fewer miles can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
- Multiple Vehicles – Buying insurance for multiple vehicles on the same car insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
- Drivers Ed for Students – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to enroll in driver’s education in school.
Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. But any discount will help reduce your overall premium however.
To choose insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts in Illinois, click here to view.
Many Things Influence your Rates
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with big savings.
Listed below are some of the items companies use to determine rates.
- Your stress level may be raising your rates – Did you know your car insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Careers like judges, social workers and financial analysts have higher average rates due to high stress levels and long work days. Conversely, jobs such as farmers, engineers and homemakers get better rates.
- Proper usage rating affects rates – The more miles you rack up on your car each year the higher your rates will be. Most insurance companies charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Vehicles left parked in the garage can get a lower rate as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Make sure your car insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Driving a car with an alarm system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Anti-theft devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder car theft.
- With age comes lower rates – Mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Young drivers have a tendency to be less responsible in a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
Buying car insurance from a local agent
Some people just want to sit down with an agent and that is a personal choice. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find better rates and still choose a local agent. And providing support for local businesses is especially important in Skokie.
By using this simple form, your coverage information is transmitted to agents in your area who will give you bids to get your business. You don’t have to visit any agencies since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find better rates AND a local agent.
Choose the right insurance agent
When researching local Skokie agents, you need to know there are two different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Skokie can either be independent or captive.
Independent Agents
Independent agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part.
When comparing rates, we recommend you include several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from.
Listed below is a list of independent insurance agents in Skokie willing to provide competitive price quotes.
Al Haut Agency Inc – 5200 Main St # 200 – Skokie, IL 60077 – (847) 673-5473
COM Co Insurance Inc – 3425 Dempster St – Skokie, IL 60076 – (847) 673-1212
Alfred S Nathan Insurance – 5000 Oakton St # 404 – Skokie, IL 60077 – (847) 679-6630
Bauer and Bauer Agency – 4153 Main St – Skokie, IL 60076 – (847) 679-7350
Captive Agents
This type of agents are contracted to one company and some examples include State Farm, AAA and Liberty Mutual. Captives cannot place coverage with different providers so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captive agents receive extensive training on their company’s products which can be an advantage.
Listed below is a short list of captive insurance agents in Skokie who can help you get price quote information.
Allstate Insurance – 5225 Touhy Ave # 100a – Skokie, IL 60077 – (847) 933-0600
American Family Insurance – 8001 Lincoln Ave # 212 – Skokie, IL 60077 – (847) 763-1008
For a complete listing of Skokie captive insurance agents, click here to link.
Choosing an auto insurance agent requires more thought than just a cheap price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
Upon getting acceptable answers to your questions and a good coverage price, most likely you have located an insurance agent that can insure your vehicles.
How can 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm save drivers who switch?
Car insurance companies such as 21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on TV and radio. They all seem to have a common claim that you’ll save big if you move to them. But how can every company claim to save you money?
Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the right customer that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk might be profiled as over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.
Consumers who don’t meet the requirements will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “people who quote” save money. That is how insurance companies can confidently claim big savings.
Because of the profiling, drivers must quote coverage with many companies. It is impossible to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.
Illinois insurance information
Additional information can be found on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance. Click here for link. Illinois consumers can discover disciplinary actions, find disaster information, find out which companies have the most complaints, and read state legal mandates and laws.
Better coverage you can count on
In this article, we covered some good ideas how to reduce car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with the smaller companies. Smaller companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like Geico and State Farm.
As you restructure your insurance plan, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many cases, someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
The cheapest car insurance can be sourced on the web and with local Skokie insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some car insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these small insurance companies sell through independent agents.