Countryside Auto Insurance For Less Than You're Paying Now

Saving money on Countryside auto insurance is challenging for consumers not familiar with shopping for insurance online. People have so many options available that it can easily become a lot of work to find the best price in Countryside.

It's important to compare prices before your policy renews since insurance rates are constantly changing. Just because you found the best deal a year ago there is a good chance you can find better rates now. So just forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because it's time to teach you the proper way to find lower rates on auto insurance.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

The following are some of the factors used by your company to calculate rates.

Women pay lower rates - The statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Both sexes tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the males have costlier accidents. They also receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI. Young males are the most expensive to insure and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Occupation reflects on rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as doctors, business owners and financial analysts have higher average rates due to high stress and long work days. Conversely, professions such as farmers, engineers and performers get better rates.
Pay less after the wedding - Being married can get you a discount on your policy. It translates into being more mature and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
Please use or commuting - Driving more miles every year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Almost all companies price each vehicle's coverage based on their usage. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate than those used for commuting. Double check that your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Do you have enough liability coverage? - Liability coverage will protect you if ever a jury decides you are liable for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. This coverage is very inexpensive when compared with rates for comp and collision, so do not cut corners here.
Bump up deductibles to save - Coverage for physical damage, termed comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, damage from fire, and windstorm damage. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more money you have to pay, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
Do you know you're credit rating? - Credit history is a big factor in your rate calculation. So if your credit is not that good, you could save money insuring your by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with good credit tend to be more responsible than those with lower credit scores.
Do you need the policy add-ons? - There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that you can buy if you aren't careful. Coverages for roadside assistance, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. These coverages may sound good initially, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.

Compare Countryside Auto Insurance Costs

There are several ways to compare rate quotes and find the best price. One of the best ways to find competitive insurance rates is to get quotes online. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.

The fastest way to compare a lot of rates at once is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes from multiple companies. It's definitely the quickest method.
A harder way to get quotes online requires visiting each company's website to complete a price quote. For example, we'll pretend you want rates from , and . To get each rate you have to visit each site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker.

To view a list of companies in Countryside, click here.
The least recommended way to get comparison rates is driving to and from local Countryside insurance agencies. Shopping for auto insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you want the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. However, consumers can find lower rates online and still use a local agent and we'll touch on that later.

It's your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you're using identical quote information for every company. If you have mixed coverages you can't possibly decipher which rate is best in Countryside. Quoting even small variations in limits can result in a big premium difference. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing a large number of companies helps you find the best offered rates.

Save big with these discounts

Companies offering auto insurance don't list all their discounts very clearly, so here is a list some of the best known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using.

Senior Discount - If you're over the age of 55, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts as compared to accident-prone drivers.
One Accident Forgiven - Certain companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims for a set time period.
New Vehicle Savings - Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
Organization Discounts - Affiliation with a qualifying organization is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn't work that way.

To choose companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Illinois, click here to view.

Auto insurance ads bend the truth

Auto insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm continually stream ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make an identical promise that you can save after switching your coverage to them. How does each company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a desirable insured might be profiled as a mature driver, is a homeowner, and has excellent credit. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential insureds who fall outside these standards will have to pay more money and ends up with business not being written. The ads say "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's why insurance companies can make those claims. Because of the profiling, you need to get as many quotes as possible. It's not possible to predict the company that will have the lowest rates.

Additional detailed information is available at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Illinois drivers can learn about insurance regulations, read industry bulletins, and get help finding coverage.

Other informative sites include this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of insurance agents in Countryside.

Shop smart and save

While you're price shopping online, make sure you don't reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out they didn't purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price.

People change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including denial of a claim, high rates after DUI convictions, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or even delays in paying claims. Whatever your reason, finding a new auto insurance company is easier than you think.

Affordable auto insurance can be sourced on the web as well as from independent agents in Countryside, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies don't offer online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.