How to Know You're Paying Too Much for Auto Insurance in Machesney Park

I can't think of a single person who cherishes buying auto insurance, especially knowing they are paying too much.

Numerous battle for your business, and it can be difficult to compare rates and get the definite lowest price

If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. Buying car insurance in Machesney Park is easy if you know what you're doing. But Illinois vehicle owners do need to know how big insurance companies determine prices and take advantage of how the system works.

Take advantage of discounts

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you may find discounts to help offset the cost. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be specially asked for before you will receive the discount.

Defensive Driving Course - Completing a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Anti-theft Discount - Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
Pay Upfront and Save - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you can actually save on your bill.
Memberships - Affiliation with certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when buying auto insurance.
Military Rewards - Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
Auto/Home Discount - When you combine your home and auto insurance with the same company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
Accident Free - Good drivers with no accidents can earn big discounts when compared with bad drivers.
Paperless Signup - Certain companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
Federal Employees - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% depending on your company.
Discount for Life Insurance - Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.

Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like it's possible to get free car insurance, companies wouldn't make money that way. But all discounts will cut your overall premium however.

To see a list of insurers with the best auto insurance discounts in Machesney Park, follow this link.

Finding Auto Insurance in Machesney Park, IL

There are several ways of comparing rate quotes from different Machesney Park insurance companies. The best method to find the lowest rates is simply to get online rate quotes. This can be done using a couple different methods.

The best way to get the best comparison quotes is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This method prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms for every auto insurance company. A single form will return price quotes from multiple low-cost companies.
A less efficient way to compare rate quotes consists of visiting the website for every company you want to comare to request a price quote. For instance, we'll assume you want to compare , and . To get rate quotes you would need to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why most consumers use the first method. To view a list of companies in Machesney Park, click here.
The least efficient method of comparing rate quotes is to spend time driving to and from local Machesney Park insurance agencies. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the personal advice of a local Machesney Park agent. You can, however, obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent and we'll touch on that later.

Whichever way you use, make absolute certain that you use the exact same deductibles and coverage limits for each price quote. If you use different values for each quote it will be next to impossible to truly determine the lowest rate in Machesney Park. Just a small difference in insurance coverages can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when quoting auto insurance, remember that more quotes will enable you to find better pricing.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Machesney Park

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that come into play when calculating auto insurance rates. Understanding what controls the rates you pay allows you to make educated decisions that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

Little extras can really add up - There are a lot of additional coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren't careful. Coverages like roadside assistance, accidental death and motor club memberships are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea at first, but if you don't need them get rid of them and save.
Multi-policy discounts can save money - The majority of companies will award you with lower prices to people who carry more than one policy. It's known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can be anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, you may still want to compare rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Theft deterrents lower rates - Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent your car from being stolen.
Don't sacrifice liability coverage - The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you if a jury decides you are liable for damages from an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.

How to know if you need help

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions might point out whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

Do I really need UM/UIM coverage?
Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
Am I getting all the discounts available?
Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
What companies insure drivers after a DUI or DWI?

If you don't know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on TV and radio. All the companies say the same thing that you'll save big if you move to them. How do they all say the same thing?

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a profitable customer might be profiled as between 30 and 50, owns a home, and chooses high deductibles. A propective insured who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who don't qualify for the "perfect" profile must pay higher premiums which usually ends up with business not being written. Company advertisements say "people who switch" not "people who quote" save money. That is how companies can state the savings.

This illustrates why drivers must compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict which company will give you the biggest savings.

Shop smart and save

Budget-conscious auto insurance is possible on the web and with local Machesney Park insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, never reduce coverage to reduce premium. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

Much more information about auto insurance in Illinois is available on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance through this link. Illinois drivers can discover disciplinary actions, read consumer alerts, view a list of available companies, and find out which companies have the most complaints.