Free Guide to Spending Less for Golden Auto Insurance Online

Tired of being strong-armed each month for car insurance? You're in the same situation as many other Illinois drivers. Having so many companies and agents to choose from, it is very difficult to locate the most affordable insurer.

It's important to compare prices before your policy renews since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best price two years ago a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because you're about to learn the tricks you need to know to eliminate unnecessary coverages and save money.

The purpose of this post is to let you in on how to effectively get price quotes and some tips to save money. If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using these techniques. Illinois vehicle owners just need to know the most effective way to shop their coverage around over the internet.

More discounts equal less premium

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available to reduce the price significantly. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before you will receive the discount. If you don't get every credit available, you are throwing money away.

Senior Discount - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums.
Employee of Federal Government - Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount with select insurance companies.
Bundle and Save - If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
Claim Free - Claim-free drivers can save substantially as compared to drivers who are more careless.
Passive Restraints - Factory air bags can receive discounts of more than 20%.
Use Seat Belts - Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts could save 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
Payment Method - If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
Sign Online - A handful of insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
One Accident Forgiven - Some insurance companies allow you one accident before your rates go up as long as you don't have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will help reduce your premiums.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that help determine auto insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with big savings.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate rates.

Do men or women drive better? - The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. They both cause accidents in similar percentages, but the males have costlier accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Teenage male drivers are the most expensive to insure and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
High numbers of claims are not good - Car insurance companies in Illinois provide discounts to people who do not file claims often. If you frequently file small claims, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Your location is important - Being located in less populated areas can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. City drivers tend to have much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident.
Multi-policy discounts can save money - Many companies will give a discount to people who buy several policies from them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it's still a good idea to compare other company rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still find better rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
Do you have a high stress job? - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as lawyers, architects and stock brokers have the highest rates due to stressful work requirements and lots of time spent at work. On the other hand, jobs such as farmers, students and performers get better rates.
Bump up deductibles to save - Physical damage coverage, 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, vandalism, and burglary. Your deductibles are how much you are required to spend in the event of a claim. The higher the amount 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. Therefore, if your credit is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your rating. People with good credit tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
Never allow your policy to lapse - Having an insurance coverage lapse will be a guaranteed way to increase your auto insurance rates. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance might get you a steep fine or even jail time.Then you may be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Illinois DMV.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Illinois drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Progressive, GEICO, Allstate and State Farm. They all seem to say the same thing that you'll save big after switching your coverage to them.

But how can every company say the same thing? It's all in the numbers.

All the different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as a mature driver, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. A propective insured who fits that profile gets the lowest rates and therefore will save a lot of money.

Drivers who do not match this ideal profile will have to pay higher premiums which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads say "customers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save that much money. That's why companies can state the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers should get a wide range of price quotes. It's not possible to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Learn more today

Much more information about auto insurance in Illinois can be found on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance found here. Illinois drivers can learn about insurance regulations, download brochures, view agent and company licensing information, and read consumer alerts.

Also read more on this Car Insurance FAQ and this page of insurance agents in Golden.

In the end, you save

When buying insurance coverage, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price.

Discount auto insurance can be purchased on the web as well as from independent agents in Golden, and you need to price shop both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies don't offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.