Tightwads Tips for Saving on Marengo Auto Insurance

Scraping up a payment for overpriced auto insurance can dwindle your personal savings and put a big crunch on your finances. Doing a price comparison is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to make sure you're not throwing money away. There is such a variety of to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have a choice, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates.

The purpose of this post is to help you learn the most effective way to quote insurance and some money-saving tips. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using this information. Illinois vehicle owners just need to know the proper way to compare rates over the internet.

How to Buy Marengo Auto Insurance Online

Getting better auto insurance pricing is not a difficult process. Consumers just need to spend a few minutes on the computer comparing rates online with multiple companies. This can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.

The first (and easiest) way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This easy form saves time by eliminating separate quote forms to each individual auto insurance company. One form gets you price quotes from many national carriers.

A less efficient way to shop for auto insurance online requires visiting the website for every company you want to comare to complete a price quote. For sake of this example, we'll assume you want comparison quotes from , and . To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company's site and enter your policy data, which is why most consumers use the first method. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Marengo, click here.

It's up to you which method you use, but make darn sure you compare identical quote information for every company. If you enter mixed coverages it will be impossible to decipher which rate is best in Marengo.

Understand what determines the rate you pay

It's important that you understand the different types of things that help determine the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that could result in big savings.

The following are some of the items that factor into premiums.

Little extras can really add up - There are a ton of add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your auto insurance policy. Coverages for vanishing deductibles, accidental death and membership fees may be costing you every month. They may seem like a good idea at first, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.
Older drivers save more - Teen drivers in Illinois are known to get distracted easily when driving so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Having to add a teenage driver onto your auto insurance can be quite pricey. More mature drivers are more responsible, file fewer claims and are safer drivers.
Pay less if you're married - Getting married can get you a discount on your policy. Having a spouse usually means you are more mature than a single person and it's statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Women pay lower rates - Statistics have proven that women are safer drivers than men. However, this does not mean men are WORSE drivers than women. They both have accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
Safe vehicles cost less to insure - Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but companies offer discounts that you may not know about. Some trigger automatically at quote time, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about in order for you to get them. If you're not getting every credit you deserve, you're just leaving money on the table.

Driver Safety - Taking part in a course in driver safety could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
Student in College - Kids in college living away from home attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
Paperless Signup - A handful of insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
Save over 55 - Older drivers may be able to get a discount up to 10%.
Military Discounts - Being on active duty in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
Government Employees - Simply working for the federal government may qualify you for a discount depending on your company.
Good Student Discount - Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
Drivers Education - Require your teen driver to enroll in driver's education if it's offered in school.
Seat Belts Save - Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off your medical payments premium.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don't profit that way. But all discounts will bring down the amount you have to pay.

For a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts in Illinois, click here to view.

Insurance agents can help

When it comes to choosing coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn't really a one size fits all plan. Everyone's needs are different so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent's advice.

Should I rate my vehicle as pleasure use or commute?
Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Marengo?
Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
Should I buy additional glass protection?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
Am I getting all the discounts available?

If you're not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It's fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Much more information about auto insurance in Illinois can be read on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance through this link. Illinois consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, get help finding coverage, and learn about insurance regulations.

A tidy conclusion

Discount auto insurance can be sourced online in addition to many Marengo insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not provide online quoting and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

When you buy insurance online, it's very important that you do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.