Have you finally had enough of scraping the payment together to pay auto insurance each month? You’re in the same situation as many other Illinois drivers. There are many car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, it can be more challenging to get the best deal.
It’s a great practice to get comparison quotes on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance rates go up and down regularly. Just because you had the best deal at your last renewal there may be better deals available now. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you’re about to learn how to use online quotes to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.
This article will introduce you to the most effective way to quote insurance. If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these techniques. But Illinois car owners should learn how companies market insurance on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.
The majority of larger companies provide prices from their websites. Doing online price comparisons is fairly straightforward because you just enter your personal and coverage information into a form. After the form is submitted, their system will obtain credit information and your driving record and gives you a price quote determined by many factors. This helps simplify price comparisons, but having to visit several different sites and type in the same information can be a bit repetitive. But it’s also necessary to perform this step in order to find the lowest possible prices on auto insurance.
A better way to find better auto insurance pricing is to use a quote form that gets prices from a lot of companies. The form is fast, reduces the work, and makes online price comparison much easier. After your information is entered, it is rated and you can choose any one of the pricing results.
If one or more price quotes are lower than your current rates, you simply finish the application and purchase coverage. The entire process just takes a couple of minutes and may save quite a bit of money.
To compare rates using this form now, click here to open in a new tab and submit the form. If you currently have coverage, we recommend you duplicate the coverages as close as possible to your current policy. This makes sure you will get a price comparison for the exact same coverage.
These discounts can lower your auto insurance rates
Companies that sell car insurance don’t necessarily list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so below is a list a few of the more well known as well as some of the hidden discounts that may be available.
- 55 and Retired – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens may qualify for a small discount on rates.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Not all insurance companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a discount if you purchase life insurance from them.
- Use Seat Belts – Forcing all vehicle occupants to use their safety belts can save a little off the personal injury premium cost.
- Bundle and Save – When you combine your auto and homeowners insurance with the same insurance company you may earn as much as 10 to 15 percent.
- Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government can save as much as 8% with some auto insurance companies.
- Driver’s Ed – Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
- Own a Home – Owning a home in Crystal Lake can get you a discount because of the fact that having a home requires a higher level of personal finance.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Successfully completing a safe driver course could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Passive Restraints – Factory air bags or motorized seat belts could see savings of up to 25% or more.
- First Accident Forgiveness – Not necessarily a discount, but companies like State Farm and Progressive may permit one accident before they charge you more for coverage if you have no claims before the accident.
Don’t be surprised that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So when the math indicates you could get a free auto insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.
Some of the larger companies who may offer many of the previously listed discounts include:<img class="alignright" style="padding-top:15px;" src="https://www.carinsurancediy.com/wp-content/uploads/ci175-79.jpg" alt="Illinois auto insurance“/>
When comparing rates, check with every company which discounts you qualify for. All car insurance discounts may not apply to policies in your area. To choose insurance companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in Illinois, click here to view.
Smart consumers can cut their costs
Lots of factors are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. A few of the factors are predictable like a motor vehicle report, although others are less apparent like your vehicle usage or your vehicle rating. It’s important that you understand some of the elements that aid in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. If you have a feel for what impacts premium levels, this allows you to make educated decisions that could result in cheaper rates.
The itemized list below are a few of the “ingredients” used by insurance companies to determine your prices.
- Prevent theft and save – Choosing a vehicle with an alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft deterrent systems like vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack all aid in stopping car theft and help bring rates down.
- Rural areas have lower premiums – Having an address in a small town has definite advantages if you are looking for the lowest rates. Residents of big cities have to deal with more aggressive driving styles and longer commutes to work. Fewer drivers and short commutes translates into fewer accident claims in addition to fewer liability claims.
- What type of car, truck or SUV do you drive? – The make and model of the car, truck or SUV you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in your rates. Lower performance four cylinder passenger models receive the most favorable rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- Responsible credit means lower costs – A driver’s credit history can be a huge factor in determining what you pay. If your credit history leaves room for improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your vehicle by repairing your credit. Drivers with excellent credit scores tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower ratings.
- Combine policies to earn discounts – Most insurance companies will award better rates to customers that buy multiple policies such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal.
- Cheaper rates with high coverage deductibles – Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Coverage for physical damage, also called ‘full coverage’, is used to repair damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be collision with another vehicle, fire damage, and damage from wind. The more the insured is willing to pay, the less money you will pay for auto insurance.
- Use but don’t abuse your insurance – Car insurance companies in Illinois generally give the lowest premiums to policyholders who are claim-free. If you frequently file small claims, you can expect higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Your car insurance is intended to be relied upon for more catestrophic claims.
Can’t I compare rates from local Crystal Lake insurance agents?
A lot of people just want to get advice from a local agent and that can be a great decision An additional benefit of comparing rates online is that you can find better rates and still buy from a local agent. Buying insurance from local insurance agents is still important in Crystal Lake.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is submitted to participating agents in Crystal Lake who will return price quotes for your auto insurance coverage. There is no need to contact an agency because quoted prices will be sent to you. You can find the lowest rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you wish to get a price quote from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to find their quoting web page and fill out their quote form.
Insurance agent types
When searching for an insurance agent, it can be helpful to understand the types of agencies and how they function. Auto insurance agents in Crystal Lake are considered either captive agents or independent agents.
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies
Independent insurance agents do not have single company limitations and that is an advantage because they can write policies with any number of different companies and find the cheapest rate. To move your coverage to a new company, they can switch companies in-house without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparing rates, you will definitely want to compare prices from a few independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison.
Listed below are independent agents in Crystal Lake that can give you pricing information.
Service Plus Insurance – 50 N Walkup Ave – Crystal Lake, IL 60014 – (815) 479-0054
Cribbet Insurance Inc – 521 Devonshire Ln # B – Crystal Lake, IL 60014 – (815) 477-0375
Home Owners Agency Inc – 735 Mcardle Dr # B – Crystal Lake, IL 60014 – (815) 356-7373
Insurance Agency – 7105 Virginia Rd – Crystal Lake, IL 60014 – (815) 444-8890
Captive Agencies
Captive agencies can only provide pricing for a single company and some examples include Allstate, AAA, Farmers Insurance, and State Farm. Captive agencies are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agents are trained well on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents.
Listed below is a list of captive agencies in Crystal Lake willing to provide comparison quotes.
State Farm Insurance – 1 Crystal Lake Plz # CA – Crystal Lake, IL 60014 – (815) 455-4010
Allstate Insurance – 6215 Northwest Hwy # 201 – Crystal Lake, IL 60014 – (815) 459-8300
American Family Insurance – 390 W Virginia St – Crystal Lake, IL 60014 – (815) 455-0545
To view insurance agents in your area, you may want to view this directory of Crystal Lake, IL insurance agents.
Finding the right auto insurance agent should include more criteria than just a low price. These are valid questions to ask:
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Can glass claims be handled at your home?
- Are claims handled at the agent’s location?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- How are claims handled?
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
Additional auto insurance information is located on the . Click here for link. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, read industry bulletins, and learn about insurance regulations.
One last thing about your coverage
More affordable auto insurance is available both online and from local insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies sell through local independent agents.
When searching for , you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at the best cost while still protecting your assets.