Proven Ways to Save on Champaign Auto Insurance

Sick and tired of paying out the nose each month for car insurance? Your situation is no different than most other car owners in Illinois. Drivers have multiple to buy insurance from, and even though it's nice to be able to choose, it can be more challenging to compare rates.

It's important to take a look at other company's rates once or twice a year because prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest rates a couple years back there is a good chance you can find better rates now. Starting now, forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the tricks you need to know to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Champaign Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates enables informed choices that can help you get big savings.

Shown below are a few of the "ingredients" auto insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

Credit scores impact auto insurance rates - Your credit score is a big factor in your rate calculation. Drivers who have good credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower credit scores. So if your credit score is low, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit.
Save money with special equipment - Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Theft prevention devices such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all hinder auto theft.
Do you have enough liability coverage? - Your policy's liability coverage will protect you in the event that you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
Being married is a good thing - Having a spouse helps lower the price on auto insurance. Marriage means you're more mature and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
Teen drivers pay high rates - Youthful drivers in Illinois have a tendency to be less responsible in a vehicle so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Mature drivers tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
Low deductibles can be expensive - Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, protects your car from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply would be collision with another vehicle, vandalism, and windstorm damage. The deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Cautious drivers pay less - Your driving record has a lot to do with how much you pay for insurance. Careful drivers get better rates than their less careful counterparts. Even a single speeding ticket can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Drivers who get dangerous violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to file a SR-22 to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.

How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs in Champaign

Reducing your insurance rates can be quick and easy. You just have to take a few minutes comparing rate quotes from different insurance companies. This can be done in several different ways.

The fastest way to get quotes for comparison is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This type of form saves time by eliminating a different quote to each individual auto insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form gets you price quotes .
A slightly less efficient method to get quotes online requires a trip to each company website to complete a price quote. For example, we'll assume you want rates from , and . To find out each rate you need to visit each site to input your insurance information, which is why the first method is quicker. To view a list of companies in Champaign, click here.
The most time-consuming way of getting rate comparisons is to waste gas driving to insurance agents' offices. Buying insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the professional advice only provided by licensed Champaign agents. It is possible to find lower rates online and still use a local agent. We'll cover that shortly.

However you get your quotes, double check that you are using identical quote information with each company. If you have mixed coverages then you won't be able to make an equal comparison in Champaign.

Save big with these discounts

Car insurance can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be asked about before you will receive the discount. If you're not getting every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

Passive Restraints - Vehicles with factory air bags may earn rate discounts up to 30%.
Pay Now and Pay Less - By paying your policy upfront instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
Multiple Cars - Insuring all your vehicles with the same company can get a discount on all vehicles.
E-sign - A handful of insurance companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application over the internet.
Resident Student - Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home and don't have a car may qualify for this discount.

Keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will bring down your overall premium however.

To choose providers with discount auto insurance rates in Illinois, click here.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Consumers in Illinois can't ignore all the ads for the lowest price auto insurance by State Farm and Allstate. All the ads have a common claim that you can save if you change to their company.

How does each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

All the different companies can use profiling for the driver that makes them money. For example, a preferred risk might be between the ages of 30 and 50, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" will get very good rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential insureds who fall outside these standards will be charged more money and this can result in the customer not buying. The ads say "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much. That's why insurance companies can advertise the way they do.

That is why you need to compare many company's rates. It's impossible to know the company that will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More information can be found on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance found here. Visitors are able to find out industry alerts, view a list of available companies, find out which companies have the most complaints, and get help finding coverage.

And the best car insurance company is...

We covered a lot of techniques to compare auto insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like .

Affordable auto insurance can be sourced both online and also from your neighborhood Champaign agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.