Tightwads Guide for Saving on Carlyle Car Insurance

Expensive car insurance can take a big chunk out of your personal savings and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparison shopping is a smart way to tighten up your finances. Online insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually bombard you with ads and consumers find it hard to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

Be sure to get all your discounts

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there are discounts available that can drop the cost substantially. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you complete an application, but less common discounts must be manually applied before they will apply. If you aren't receiving every discount you deserve, you are throwing money away.

Accident Free - Drivers who don't have accidents pay much less when compared to drivers who are more careless.
Own a Home - Simply owning a home may trigger a car insurance policy discount because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
Sign Early and Save - Some insurance companies reward drivers for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. It can save you around 10%.
Theft Prevention Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and will save you 10% or more.
Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce the amount you have to pay.

What determines how much you pay?

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Careers like judges, architects and dentists tend to pay the highest average rates because of high stress levels and long work days. Other occupations like pilots, historians and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
High deductibles save money - Your deductibles define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket before your car insurance pays a claim. Physical damage insurance, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims would be running into the backend of another car, vandalism, or theft. The more you're willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Car features impact rates - Purchasing a vehicle with an alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft devices like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.
Bad driving skills means higher rates - Good drivers have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Just one moving violation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. If you have severe violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
Discounts for multiple policies - The majority of companies provide better rates to insureds who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you're getting this discount you still need to compare other company rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Safer occupants lowers premiums - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders.

Is there truth in advertising?

Consumers in Illinois get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. They all say the same thing about savings if you move to them.

How can each company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a driver they prefer might be between the ages of 40 and 55, insures multiple vehicles, and has a short commute. Any driver who fits that profile receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Consumers who don't measure up to the requirements will be quoted higher rates which usually ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save money. This is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

This emphasizes why drivers should compare many company's rates. You cannot predict which insurance companies will fit your personal profile best.

For more Illinois car insurance information

Additional information is located on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance located here. Visitors are able to read industry bulletins, report car insurance fraud, view a list of available companies, and file complaints about a company.

Best coverage at the best price

Cheap car insurance is definitely available both online and with local Carlyle insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and these small, regional companies work with independent agents.

As you shop your coverage around, it's not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.