Best 5 Ways You Can Buy Car Insurance for Less in Marshall

If shopping for car insurance online is new to you, it's easy to get overwhelmed because of the huge number of car insurance companies competing for business in Marshall.

If you currently have a car insurance policy, you should be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. This information will familiarize you with how to effectively get price quotes. But Illinois consumers do need to know the way insurance companies sell online and apply this information to your search.

Policy discounts you shouldn't miss

Companies don't always list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so we took the time to find both the well known and also the lesser-known ways to save on car insurance.

  • Homeowners Savings - Owning a home in Marshall may earn you a small savings due to the fact that maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Good Student - A discount for being a good student can earn a discount of 20% or more. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
  • Payment Method - If paying your policy premium upfront instead of paying each month you could save 5% or more.
  • No Claims - Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially when compared with bad drivers.
  • Driver Safety - Successfully completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.

Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn't make money that way.

To see a list of insurers who offer car insurance discounts in Marshall, click this link.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

The are a couple different ways to get quotes from different Marshall insurance companies. The best method to find the lowest rates is simply to get online rate quotes. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

  • The best way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This form prevents you from having to do a different quote for each company you want a rate for. Just one form gets you price quotes . It's the fastest way to compare.
  • A more time consuming way to shop for car insurance online requires visiting each individual company website to complete their respective quote request forms. For sake of this example, we'll assume you want to compare , and . To get each rate you have to spend time on each company's site and enter your policy data, which is why the first method is quicker.

    For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Marshall, click here.
  • The hardest method to get comparison rates is driving to insurance agents' offices. The ability to buy insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you want the personal advice that only a license agent can provide. Drivers can obtain prices from the web but buy from a local insurance agent and we'll cover that in a bit.

It doesn't matter which method you choose, just be sure to compare exactly the same quote information on every quote you get. If you enter mixed coverages you can't possibly determine which rate is truly the best in Marshall. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. Keep in mind that having more price comparisons will increase your chances of finding the best offered rates.

Insurance agents can help

When choosing the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a "best" method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else's.

For example, these questions may help highlight whether your personal situation would benefit from professional advice.

  • When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
  • Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Illinois?
  • Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
  • Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
  • Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
  • Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?

If it's difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form.

Save $429 a year? Really?

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the companies make the same claim that you'll save big after switching your policy. How can each company claim to save you money? It's all in the numbers.

Insurance companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a profitable customer might be a mature driver, a clean driving record, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any new insured who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don't qualify for the requirements must pay a higher premium which leads to the customer not buying. The ad wording is "customers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That is how companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers must compare many company's rates. It's just too difficult to predict which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Do the work, save more money

Budget-conscious car insurance can be sourced both online in addition to many Marshall insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best selection. Some car insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We just covered many ideas to compare car insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the better chance you'll have of finding lower rates. Consumers may even find the best price on car insurance is with a small mutual company.

Insureds change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including lack of trust in their agent, poor customer service, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or unfair underwriting practices. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new car insurance company is actually quite simple.

Illinois car insurance

Additional Illinois consumer information

More detailed Illinois car insurance information can be found at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Visitors are able to report car insurance fraud, file complaints about a company, and get help finding coverage.