Easy Techniques to Pay Less on Oak Brook Auto Insurance

If you are a novice to online auto insurance shopping, it's easy to be confused by the vast number of auto insurance companies all offering big savings in Oak Brook.

It's important to price shop coverage periodically because insurance rates are constantly changing. If you had the best price a few years ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because I'm going to let you in on the secrets to the fastest and easiest way to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.

How much can you save with discounts?

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

  • Bundle and Save - If you have multiple policies with one company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Factory air bags or motorized seat belts can get savings up to 30%.
  • No Claims - Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially as compared to drivers who are more careless.
  • Clubs and Organizations - Participating in certain professional organizations is a good way to get lower rates on auto insurance.
  • Drive Less and Save - Keeping the miles down can earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.

It's important to note that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears all the discounts add up to a free policy, you're out of luck.

Illinois auto insurance quotes

How much car insurance do I need?

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Everyone's situation is unique.

For example, these questions may help highlight if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.

  • What are the best liability limits?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
  • Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
  • Are rental cars covered under my policy?
  • Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
  • What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?

If you're not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form.

Save 15 percent in 15 minutes? Is it for real?

Auto insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive regularly use television and radio advertisements. They all seem to make an identical promise that you can save if you move your policy. How do they all make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the right customer that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be a mature driver, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. A driver who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who don't meet the "perfect" profile will have to pay higher prices and ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" but not "drivers who get quotes" save that kind of money. That is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, you should get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Additional Illinois consumer information

Additional detailed information can be found at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Illinois consumers can view agent and company licensing information, find out industry alerts, and read industry bulletins.

Illinois auto insurance

Final considerations

As you shop your coverage around, never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, someone dropped physical damage coverage only to discover later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price.

In this article, we presented some good ideas how you can reduce auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier.

People who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including policy non-renewal, poor customer service, high rates after DUI convictions and even questionable increases in premium. It doesn't matter what your reason, switching auto insurance companies is less work than it seems.