I doubt anyone likes buying auto insurance, especially knowing they could find better rates elsewhere. Vehicle owners have so many auto insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s nice to have a selection, more choices can make it harder to compare rates and find the lowest cost auto insurance.
You need to quote other rates as often as possible because insurance prices change regularly. Even if you think you had the lowest rate at your last renewal you will most likely find a better premium rate today. There are a lot of ways to save on auto insurance online, but in a few minutes you can learn the easiest ways to stop overpaying for insurance.
Shopping for the best auto insurance in Lombard can be fairly easy. If you have a policy now or are looking for a new policy, you will benefit by learning to reduce the price you pay and still get good coverage. Illinois drivers only need an understanding of the best way to find the lowest price online.
Eight ways to quote auto insurance cheaper in Lombard
One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that are used to determine your auto insurance rates. If you have a feel for what positively or negatively impacts your premiums, this allows you to make good choices that could help you find much lower annual insurance costs. Lots of factors are used when quoting car insurance. Some are pretty understandable like a motor vehicle report, but some are less apparent such as whether you are married and annual miles driven.
The itemized list below are some of the items companies use to determine your premiums.
- Small claims can cost you – Auto insurance companies in Illinois give the lowest premiums to policyholders who only file infrequent claims. If you file claims often, you can definitely plan on much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Auto insurance is designed for the large, substantial claims.
- Lower premiums with GPS tracking and theft deterrents – Selecting a car model that has a built-in theft deterrent system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping car theft.
- Traffic violations are costly – Even a single chargable violation may cause rates to rise by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers receive lower rates as compared to those with violations. Drivers unfortunate enough to have serious violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find that they have to to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive a vehicle.
- Save money by raising comp and collision deductibles – Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, insures against damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be a dented fender, flood damage, or theft. Comp and collision deductibles define how much you are willing to pay if a covered claim is submitted. The more money you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the lower your rates will be.
- Married people drive safer – Being married actually saves money compared to being single. Having a spouse means you’re more stable financially and statistics prove being married results in fewer claims.
- Insurance rates and vehicle performance – The performance of the car, truck or SUV you are insuring makes a huge difference in your auto insurance rates. Small economy passenger models generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
- Add-on coverages you don’t use – Policies have extra bells and whistles that may not really be needed when buying auto insurance. Insurance for roadside assistance, high-cost glass coverage, and extra equipment coverage are some examples. The coverages may be enticing when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money remove them and pocket the money.
- The higher your credit score the lower your premiums – Having a bad credit rating can be a huge factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. Therefore, if your credit score could use some work, you may save money insuring your vehicle if you clean up your credit. Insureds that have excellent credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than those with worse credit.
Discount Lombard auto insurance quotes
Auto insurance can be pricey, but you might be missing out on some discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically at quote time, but occassionally some discounts must be manually applied before they will apply. If you do not check that you are getting every discount possible, you may be paying too high a price.
- Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies and place coverage with the same company you could save at least 10% off all policies.
- Theft Deterent Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently so companies will give you a small discount.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Some insurance carriers give better premium rates if you take out some life insurance too.
- Government Employees – Employees or retirees of the government can save as much as 8% depending on your auto insurance provider.
- Memberships – Affiliation with certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on your next auto insurance statement.
It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Despite the appearance that you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
To locate insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Lombard, click this link.
But the ad said I’d save 15% in 15 minutes!
Consumers can’t ignore all the ads that promise big savings by companies like State Farm, Allstate and Geico. They all seem to try to convey promises about saving some big amount after switching your coverage.
It sounds good, but how can they all charge lower premium rates? Here is the trick they use.
All companies quote the lowest rates for the type of insured that will not have excessive claims. An example of a profitable insured could be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A driver who fits that profile will get the preferred car insurance rates and have a good chance to save money with a new company.
Consumers who are not a match for these stringent criteria will see a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer buying from a different company. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers who switch” not “all people who quote” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can make claims like that.
This illustrates why you absolutely need to get as many as possible. It is impossible to guess which insurance companies will have the lowest car insurance rates for your situation.
Tailor your auto insurance coverage to you
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether or not you might need professional guidance.
- Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- When should I not file a claim?
- What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
If you can’t answer these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.
Additional information can be read on the located here. Illinois drivers can report car insurance fraud, find out industry alerts, and find a variety of consumer forms.
Other useful links include this page for auto insurance prices in Illinois and this resource to find Lombard, IL insurance agents.
One last thing
While you’re price shopping online, don’t be tempted to reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, an insured cut physical damage coverage only to regret that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at the best cost and still be able to protect your assets.
In this article, we covered a lot of information how to lower your auto insurance premium rates. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the most savings is with some of the smallest insurance companies. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as Geico and State Farm.