Compare Effingham Auto Insurance Prices With These Methods

Are you overwhelmed by the crazy number of auto insurance choices in Effingham? Lot's of other consumers are too. People have so many choices that it can turn into a real hassle to find the perfect company for you.

It's important to compare rates at least once a year because prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the best price last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because you're about to learn the quickest way to find better coverage at a better price.

Take advantage of discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there could be available discounts that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you get a quote, but a few need to be asked for before you will receive the discount.

  • Senior Citizens - Mature drivers may receive better auto insurance rates.
  • Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Multiple Cars - Insuring all your vehicles on the same auto insurance policy could earn a price break for each car.
  • Anti-theft Discount - Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • No Charge for an Accident - Some insurance companies permit an accident before raising your premiums as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.

It's important to note that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck. But any discount will help reduce your overall premium however.

To see a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in Illinois, click this link.

Effingham auto insurance comparison

How to Compare Effingham Auto Insurance Costs

There are several ways of comparing rates from auto insurance companies in your area. The best method to find competitive insurance rates involves getting comparison quotes online. This can be done using a couple different methods.

  • The best way to find the lowest comparison rates is to use a rate comparison form click here to open form in new window. This form prevents you from having to do separate quotation requests for every auto insurance company. Completing one form gets you price quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices. This is by far the quickest method.
  • A slightly less efficient method to compare rate quotes requires a trip to each company's website to request a price quote. For example, let's assume you want to compare rates from , and . To get rate quotes you would need to visit each site to input your insurance information, which is why most consumers use the first method. To view a list of companies in Effingham, click here.
  • The hardest method of getting rate comparisons is to spend your day driving to insurance agents' offices. Buying insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the professional advice of a local Effingham agent. Drivers can obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent. We'll cover that shortly.

It's up to you how you get prices quotes, just compare apples-to-apples quote information for each price quote. If you compare mixed coverages it will be impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Effingham. Having just a slight variation in limits may result in a large different in cost. Just keep in mind that getting more free quotes provides better odds of finding a better price.

You have some control over your rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that play a part in calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates enables informed choices that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

  • Males pay more for insurance - Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. Now that doesn't mean men are worse drivers. Women and men tend to get into accidents in similar percentages, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving.
  • High crash test scores lower rates - Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.
  • Adjust deductibles and save - Physical damage coverage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply would be colliding with a building, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. Physical damage deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the less your auto insurance will be.
  • Multiple policies with one company can save - Some auto insurance companies will give a discount to insureds who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you may still want to compare rates to ensure the best deal. Drivers may still find a better deal by splitting coverages up.
  • Discounts for married couples - Having a spouse helps lower the price on your auto insurance policy. It means you're more mature and it's statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.
  • The more you drive the more you pay - The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most insurance companies charge to insure your cars based on their usage. Autos left parked in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Make sure your auto insurance declarations sheet properly reflects the correct usage for each vehicle.
  • Theft deterrents lower rates - Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention devices such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can thwart your vehicle from being stolen.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Auto insurance companies such as Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save if you change to their company. But how can every company claim to save you money?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that is profitable for them. For example, a desirable insured might be between the ages of 40 and 55, has no tickets, and drives newer vehicles. A customer getting a price quote who matches those parameters gets the lowest rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Drivers who don't qualify for this ideal profile will have to pay higher premiums which leads to the customer not buying. The ads say "people who switch" not "people who quote" save that much. That's the way insurance companies can claim big savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Affordable insurance is out there

When trying to cut insurance costs, do not reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are many occasions where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be sourced both online and also from your neighborhood Effingham agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. A few companies may not provide the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

Insureds leave their current company for many reasons like denial of a claim, delays in responding to claim requests, lack of trust in their agent or policy cancellation. No matter why you want to switch, finding the right auto insurance provider is actually quite simple.

auto insurance in Effingham

Find out more about auto insurance

More information can be found on the Illinois Department of Insurance website through this link. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, find disaster information, and report car insurance fraud.

Additional helpful sites include this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of insurance agents in Effingham.