How to Know You're Wasting Money for Auto Insurance in Eldorado

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you you're not the only one. Companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive all claim big savings with fancy advertisements and it can be hard to sift through the bull and do the work needed to find the best deal.

Take advantage of discounts

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there are discounts available to help bring down the price. A few discounts will automatically apply when you complete an application, but lesser-known reductions have to be specially asked for before they will apply. If you aren't receiving every discount possible, you are throwing money away.

Clubs and Organizations - Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Low mileage vehicles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
Discount for Swiching Early - Some companies give discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiring. The savings is around 10%.
Theft Prevention Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10%.

Keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will reduce your overall premium however.

What determines how much you pay?

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that play a part in calculating auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Do you have enough liability coverage? - Your policy's liability coverage provides coverage if a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. It will provide for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Traffic citations inflate rates - Whether or not you get tickets has a huge affect on how much you pay. Only having one moving violation can increase rates by as much as thirty percent. Good drivers get better rates than their less careful counterparts. Drivers with dangerous tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
Claim-free discounts can add up - Auto insurance companies in Illinois provide cheaper rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
Performance influences rates - The performance level of the car you are insuring makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. Lower performance four cylinder passenger models generally receive the lowest base rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
Where do you drive? - The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you'll pay to insure your vehicle. Most companies price each vehicle's coverage based on their usage. Vehicles used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Double check that your auto insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Illinois drivers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings by companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies say the same thing that you can save if you change to them.

How can each company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable customer might be profiled as between 30 and 50, has no driving citations, and chooses high deductibles. A propective insured who fits that profile will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Consumers who don't qualify for the requirements must pay higher rates which usually ends up with business not being written. The ad wording is "customers who switch" not "people who quote" save money. That's the way insurance companies can state the savings.

This illustrates why drivers should compare as many rates as you can. It's not possible to predict which auto insurance company will give you the biggest savings.

Learn more about Illinois auto insurance

More information can be found on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance found here. Illinois drivers can find out which companies have the most complaints, find disaster information, file complaints about a company, and download brochures.

Best coverage at the best price

Affordable auto insurance is attainable on the web and with local Eldorado insurance agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

In this article, we covered many ways to reduce auto insurance prices online. It's most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the best prices are with some of the smallest insurance companies. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like .