Compare Bloomington Car Insurance Prices With These Techniques

Are you overwhelmed by the wide range of car insurance companies in Bloomington? You're not alone. People have so many options that it can turn into a ton of work to find the best price.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Bloomington

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Understanding what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.

  • Save money with special equipment - Choosing a vehicle with a theft deterrent system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your car from being stolen.
  • Policy add-ons can waste money - There are many extra coverages that can waste your money when buying car insurance. Coverages like personal injury protection, accident forgiveness and motor club memberships are examples of these. These coverages may sound good initially, but if you don't need them get rid of them and save.
  • Poor driving leads to higher costs - A bad driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Good drivers get better rates than bad drivers. Just one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. If you have serious violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to continue driving.
  • Where you live - Choosing to live in a small town can save you money when talking about car insurance. Fewer people means fewer accidents and a lower car theft rate. Drivers in populated California areas have traffic congestion and longer commutes to work. More time commuting translates into higher accident risk.
  • Your occupation can affect rates - Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Careers like real estate brokers, architects and accountants tend to pay higher rates than average due to high stress and long work hours. On the flip side, jobs such as actors, athletes and homemakers have the lowest average rates.
  • Are you male or female? - Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn't necessarily mean that women are better drivers. Men and women cause accidents at a similar rate, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are the most expensive to insure and are penalized with high car insurance rates.
  • Type of vehicle determines base rates - The performance level of the car you are buying insurance for makes a huge difference in your rates. Lower performance four cylinder passenger models generally receive the lowest base rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.

compare Bloomington car insurance rates

Don't pay full price with these discounts

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may find discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically at the time of quoting, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before you will receive the discount.

  • Student Driver Training - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class in school.
  • Defensive Driver - Taking a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
  • Passive Restraints - Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can get savings up to 30%.
  • Multiple Policy Discount - If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
  • Federal Government Employee - Employees or retirees of the government can earn a discount up to 10% with a few car insurance companies.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given the the whole policy. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will cut your premiums.

To choose insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Bloomington, follow this link.

The car insurance bait and switch

Car insurance providers like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. They all say the same thing that you can save if you switch to them. How do they all claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. A good example of a driver they prefer might be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and has excellent credit. Any new insured who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and therefore will cut their rates substantially.

Potential insureds who don't measure up to the "perfect" profile will be quoted more money which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say "customers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That's the way insurance companies can make those claims.

This emphasizes why you should get as many comparisons as possible. It's just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will have the lowest rates.

More information can be read on the California Department of Insurance website found here. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, discover disciplinary actions, and file complaints about a company.

car insurance in Bloomington

Shop smart and save

Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, questionable increases in premium, poor customer service or even delays in responding to claim requests. Regardless of your reason, finding a new car insurance company is easier than you think.

Affordable car insurance is available both online and with local Bloomington insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and these small insurance companies work with independent agents.

We just covered many ways to save on car insurance. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even find the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies.