Perplexed by the number of car insurance choices in Springfield? Many other consumers are too. You have so many choices that it can be a big hassle to find the lowest price.
It’s smart to compare prices at least once a year since insurance rates change regularly. Just because you had the best rates a couple years back the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Starting now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in one of the best ways to lower your annual insurance bill.
Finding Car Insurance in Springfield
Most companies allow you to get coverage price quotes on their websites. Getting online quotes is fairly simple as you simply enter the amount of coverage you want into the quote form. Behind the scenes, their rating system automatically retrieves your driving record and credit report and quotes a price.
Quoting online streamlines rate comparisons, but the time required to go to many different websites and complete many quote forms is not the best way to spend an afternoon. But it’s very important to do this in order to get the best price possible.
The smarter way to find lower prices is to use a quote form that obtains quotes from a bunch of companies at once. It’s a real time-saver, requires much less work on your part, and makes online price comparison a lot less work. After sending your information, your coverage is rated with multiple companies and you can pick any or none of the resulting price quotes.
If you find a better price you can simply submit the application and purchase coverage. The whole process only takes a few minutes and you will find out if you’re overpaying now.
To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now, click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you enter the insurance coverages identical to your current policy. This ensures you will be getting an apples-to-apples comparison for similar coverage.
More discounts equal less premium
Car insurance is not cheap, but companies offer discounts to help offset the cost. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before you get the savings. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.
- Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 simply for signing over the internet.
- Anti-lock Brakes – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
- Senior Discount – Mature drivers may be able to get reduced rates.
- Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
- Memberships – Participating in a qualifying organization may earn a discount on car insurance.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member could mean lower rates.
It’s important to note that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Just because it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will cut the cost of coverage.
To see a list of companies offering car insurance discounts in Springfield, click this link.
It’s not one size fits all
When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there really is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s needs are different.
For instance, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.
- Should I buy only the required Illinois minimum liability coverage?
- Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
- Is my vehicle covered for flood damage?
- Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
- Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
- Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
- Is Illinois a no-fault state?
If you can’t answer these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form. It’s fast, free and can help protect your family.
What impacts Springfield insurance rates?
It’s important that you understand the different types of things that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that can help you get better car insurance rates.
Listed below are some of the factors car insurance companies consider when setting your rates.
- Marriage brings a discount – Getting married actually saves money on car insurance. Having a significant other means you’re more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that married couples file fewer claims.
- Don’t let your coverage lapse – Driving your car without having proper coverage is a misdemeanor and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance lapse. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
- Men fork out a little more – The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Both sexes cause accidents at about the same rate, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to receive more costly citations such as reckless driving.
- Do you work long hours in a high stress job? – Careers like doctors, business owners and dentists are shown to have the highest average rates because of high stress levels and lots of time spent at work. Other professions such as farmers, historians and retirees pay the least.
- High credit ratings translate to low rates – Credit history is a huge factor in determining what you pay for car insurance. If your credit history is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by repairing your credit. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
- Traffic citations inflate rates – Even a single moving violation can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who get dangerous violations like DUI or reckless driving may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
- High deductibles save money – The deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and rolling your vehicle. The more expense you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
- Lower rates with optional equipment – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your car insurance. Theft prevention devices like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can thwart car theft.
Do you really save 40% when you switch?
Consumers in Illinois get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings from companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive. They all seem to say the same thing that you’ll save big if you change your policy.
How can each company claim to save you money?
All the different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that earns them a profit. A good example of a driver they prefer could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no prior claims, and drives newer vehicles. Any new insured who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when switching.
Drivers who don’t meet this ideal profile will be charged higher prices and ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That’s the way companies can advertise the savings.
That is why it is so important to get quotes from several different companies. Because you never know which insurance companies will provide you with the cheapest rates.
And the best car insurance company is…
You just read a lot of ways to shop for car insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding lower rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier.
While you’re price shopping online, it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.
People change insurance companies for many reasons like unfair underwriting practices, policy non-renewal, extreme rates for teen drivers and even not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, choosing a new company can be pretty painless.
More information can be read on the Illinois Department of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to view agent and company licensing information, discover disciplinary actions, find out industry alerts, and find disaster information.
Additional helpful sites include this resource for Illinois car insurance prices and this page of insurance agents in Springfield.