When looking for lower-cost insurance, are you frustrated by the sheer number of car insurance companies in your area? Many other drivers are as well. There are such a large number of options that it is more work than you anticipated to find lower prices. If you’ve ever been there, you know that Elmhurst is a great place to live, but inflated car insurance prices can make it very difficult to meet other financial obligations.
Consumers should take time to compare rates every six months because rates trend upward over time. Just because you found the lowest premium rates on your last policy the chances are good that you can find a lower price today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because I’m going to teach you the easiest way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.
If you have a policy now or need new coverage, you can use these tips to find better prices and possibly find even better coverage. This article will help educate you on the most effective way to quote insurance and some tips to save money. Illinois drivers only need to know the proper methods to find the lowest price on the web.
Finding a better price on car insurance is surprisingly easy. Drivers just need to spend a few minutes on the computer to compare rate quotes from online providers. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.
One of the best ways to compare a lot of rates at once is an all-inclusive rate comparison click here to open form in new window. This style of form saves time by eliminating boring form submissions for each company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes from several companies.It’s the quickest way to get rates.
A different way to compare prices requires you to visit the website for every company you want to comare and request a quote. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want to compare prices for Allstate, Safeco and Progressive. In order to compare rates, you need to go to each individual site and punch in your information repeatedly, which is why the first method is quicker.
To view a list of companies in Elmhurst, click here.
It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just ensure you’re using exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If the quotes have differing limits then you won’t be able to determine the best price in Elmhurst.
Save a ton with these six car insurance discounts
Not too many consumers would say car insurance is affordable, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Certain credits will be shown when you quote, but some discounts are required to be specially asked for in order for you to get them.
- Own a Home and Save – Just being a homeowner can save you money since home ownership means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
- Employee of Federal Government – Simply working for the federal government can earn a discount up to 10% with select insurance companies.
- Switch and Save Discount – Some car insurance companies reward drivers for switching companies prior to your current policy expiration. This discount can save up to 10%.
- Paperless Signup – Some of the larger companies will provide an incentive for buying your policy on their website.
- Safe Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents can pay as much as 50% less as compared to drivers with claims.
- Claim Free – Claim-free drivers can save substantially when compared with bad drivers.
As a sidenote, many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like you could get a free car insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. But all discounts will lower your overall bill.
The best car insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts can be found below.
- State Farm may include discounts for anti-theft, good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, and passive restraint.
- Geico offers discounts including military active duty, air bags, defensive driver, emergency military deployment, seat belt use, and anti-lock brakes.
- Allstate has discounts for good student, safe driver, good payer, EZ pay plan discount, FullPay discount, new car, and senior citizen.
- SAFECO includes discounts for anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, safe driver, multi-car, and teen safety rewards.
- Farm Bureau policyholders can earn discounts including multi-policy, driver training, multi-vehicle, 55 and retired, youthful driver, renewal discount, and good student.
- Progressive discounts include multi-vehicle, homeowner, online quote discount, good student, and online signing.
- AAA may have discounts that include good student, good driver, AAA membership discount, education and occupation, anti-theft, and multi-car.
When getting , it’s a good idea to every insurance company to give you their best rates. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not be offered in Elmhurst. If you would like to see a list of car insurance companies who offer car insurance discounts in Elmhurst, click here to view.
Car insurance can get complicated
When it comes to choosing coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.
Here are some questions about coverages that might point out if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
- Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Elmhurst?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- What are Illinois no-fault laws?
- Should I buy only the required Illinois minimum liability coverage?
- What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Illinois?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can provide invaluable advice.
Car insurance coverage breakdown
Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.
Medical expense coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses such as funeral costs, surgery, X-ray expenses and ambulance fees. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible
Liability
This coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property that is your fault. It protects YOU against claims from other people. Liability doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see liability limits of 50/100/50 that means you have a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and $50,000 of coverage for damaged propery.
Liability can pay for things like medical expenses, structural damage and legal defense fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford. Illinois state law requires minimum liability limits of 20,000/40,000/15,000 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
This coverage gives you protection when other motorists do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your vehicle.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 20/40/15), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.
Comprehensive protection
Comprehensive insurance coverage will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like hitting a deer, fire damage and falling objects. The maximum amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Collision protection
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your vehicle from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.
Collision insurance covers claims like colliding with another moving vehicle, sideswiping another vehicle and crashing into a building. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, someone sacrificed liability coverage limits and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Discount car insurance can be found from both online companies and with local Elmhurst insurance agents, so you need to with both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not provide rate quotes online and many times these small, regional companies provide coverage only through independent agencies.
We covered a lot of tips how to get a better price on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more companies you get premium rates for, the better chance you’ll have of finding . Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies.
Additional Illinois consumer information
Additional detailed information is available at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Illinois consumers can read consumer alerts, learn about specific coverages, download brochures, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.
Other informative sites include QuoteClickInsure.com and this page where you can research Elmhurst insurance agents.