Cambridge Car Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

People who are new to shopping for insurance online will discover buying cheap Cambridge car insurance is harder than they anticipated.

It's important to compare prices periodically because rates are constantly changing. Just because you had the lowest price on your last policy there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about car insurance because you're about to learn the proper way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

Buying car insurance in Cambridge is easy if you know what you're doing. If you have car insurance now, you should be able to cut costs considerably using these methods. Illinois vehicle owners just need to know the most efficient way to get comparison rates online.

How to Lower your Car Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower car insurance prices.

Listed below are a partial list of the pieces used by your company to calculate rates.

Your location affects your rates - Living in a rural area can be a good thing when it comes to car insurance. Drivers in populated areas regularly have much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
The type of vehicle makes a difference - The type of car you own makes a big difference in the rate you pay. The lowest base rates tend to be for economy passenger models, but there are many factors that impact the final cost.
How's your driving record? - Drivers who don't get tickets get better rates than bad drivers. Only having one ticket can bump up the cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who have serious citations like DUI or reckless driving may need to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
Do you know you're credit rating? - Credit score is a big factor in determining your rates. So if your credit rating is lower than you'd like, you could save money insuring your by improving your rating. People with good credit tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with poor credit.

Cambridge Car Insurance Comparisons

Reducing your insurance rates isn't really that difficult. You just have to spend a little time getting comparison quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be accomplished in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This form prevents you from having to do separate quote forms for every car insurance company. Just one form will return quotes from many national carriers. This is by far the quickest method.
Another way to get quotes online is to take the time to go to the website for each individual company to request a price quote. For sake of this example, we'll pretend you want to compare , and . To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company's site and enter your information, which is why the first method is quicker.

To view a list of companies in Cambridge, click here.

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just be sure to compare apples-to-apples coverages and limits for each price quote. If you enter different deductibles you can't possibly truly determine the lowest rate in Cambridge.

Save big with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't always advertise all their discounts very well, so we researched some of the more common and also the lesser-known ways to save on car insurance. If you don't get every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

Bundle and Save - If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
Early Signing - Some companies give discounts for switching to them prior to your current policy expiration. This can save 10% or more.
Braking Control Discount - Vehicles equipped with ABS or steering control are safer to drive and earn discounts up to 10%.
Multi-car Discount - Insuring more than one vehicle with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
Auto/Life Discount - Select insurance companies reward you with a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
Claim Free - Good drivers with no accidents pay much less as compared to accident-prone drivers.
55 and Retired - If you're over the age of 55, you may qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
Homeowners Savings - Owning a house in Cambridge may earn you a small savings because owning a home shows financial diligence.
Passive Restraints - Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can receive discounts of more than 20%.
Driver's Ed - Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in school.

Drivers should understand that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only cut specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears you can get free auto insurance, companies wouldn't make money that way.

To choose companies offering car insurance discounts in Illinois, click this link.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Consumers can't ignore all the ads for cheaper car insurance from the likes of GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make the same claim that you'll save big if you switch your coverage to them.

But how can every company make the same claim? It's all in the numbers.

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that makes them money. For instance, a desirable insured could be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and has great credit. A customer who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Drivers who fall outside this ideal profile will have to pay higher premiums which leads to business going elsewhere. The ad wording is "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That is how companies can advertise the savings. Because of the profiling, you need to get as many quotes as possible. Because you never know which company will fit your personal profile best.

But I don't know anything about car insurance

When buying the best car insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Your needs are not the same as everyone else's.

These are some specific questions may help highlight if your situation might need an agent's assistance.

What are the best liability limits?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Does my insurance cover a custom paint job?
Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
Can I get a multi-policy discount for packaging my home and auto coverage?
What happens if I owe more than my vehicle is worth?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.

More detailed Illinois car insurance information is located at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Consumers can view agent and company licensing information, learn about specific coverages, and file complaints about a company.

Other informative sites include Wikipedia and this Cambridge agent directory.

Best coverage at the best price

When you buy insurance online, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. In many instances, someone dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best price.

We just showed you some good ideas how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a small mutual company.

Budget-conscious car insurance is available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Cambridge, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. There are still a few companies who don't offer online price quotes and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.