Proven Ways to Save on Carpentersville Car Insurance

Paying for high-priced car insurance can empty your savings account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Comparison shopping is free and is an excellent way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.

Because you have many companies to choose from, it can be challenging to locate the lowest cost provider.

It's important to price shop coverage on a regular basis due to the fact that insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best price a year ago a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because you're about to learn the fastest and easiest way to find great coverage at a great price.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always advertise every available discount very well, so we took the time to find both the well known and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance.

  • Good Student Discount - Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up to age 25.
  • Own a Home - Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Government Employees - Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% with certain companies.
  • Senior Citizens - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for a discount up to 10%.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
  • No Claims - Drivers who don't have accidents can save substantially compared to drivers who are more careless.

A little note about advertised discounts, most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like you can get free auto insurance, you won't be that lucky.

Illinois car insurance

Learn How to Buy Car Insurance Cheaper

Smart consumers have a good feel for the rating factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices.

  • Bad driving skills means higher rates - Drivers with clean records receive lower rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Only having one moving violation may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who get severe violations like hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may be required to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • High deductibles save money - Physical damage coverage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. Physical damage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive.
  • Too many car insurance claims drive up costs - If you are a frequent claim filer, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies in Illinois give discounts to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Auto insurance is intended for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.
  • Men fork out a little more - Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don't assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but men cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving.
  • Equipment add-ons that lower car insurance rates - Purchasing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping your vehicle from being stolen.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations like lawyers, executives and stock brokers are shown to have the highest rates attributed to high stress levels and lengthy work days. On the other hand, professions such as pilots, students and the unemployed pay the least.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

Companies like State Farm and Allstate regularly use ads on TV and radio. All the ads make the same claim about savings if you move your policy. But how can every company claim to save you money?

All companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a preferred risk might be a mature driver, insures multiple vehicles, and has excellent credit. Any driver who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Potential customers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will be charged a more expensive rate which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully make those claims. That is why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. You cannot predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

Even more information can be found at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to file complaints about a company, report car insurance fraud, download brochures, and learn about insurance regulations.

Also read more on NAIC.org's Understanding your Policy and this directory of insurance agents in Carpentersville Illinois.

Affordable insurance is out there

We just presented some good ideas how to reduce car insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers could even find that the best price on car insurance is with a company that doesn't do a lot of advertising. Regional companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like .

Cheaper car insurance is definitely available both online in addition to many Carpentersville insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some companies do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.