How to Know You're Throwing Money Away for Car Insurance in Oakbrook Terrace

Are you sick and tired of scraping the payment together each month for car insurance? You are no different than many other Illinois consumers. Numerous battle for your business, so it's not easy to compare every to get the lowest rate

Take advantage of discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't always publicize all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we break down some of the more common and the harder-to-find car insurance savings. If they aren't giving you every credit available, you're paying more than you need to.

Memberships - Belonging to certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when buying car insurance.
Employee of Federal Government - Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your company.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles equipped with air bags can get savings of 20% or more.
Defensive Driver - Taking a driver safety course could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
Anti-theft System - Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.

A little note about advertised discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, you won't be that lucky.

To see a list of insurers offering car insurance discounts in Oakbrook Terrace, follow this link.

Compare Oakbrook Terrace Car Insurance Costs

Finding cheaper car insurance prices is surprisingly easy. Just take time to compare rate quotes online with multiple companies. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.

The best way to find low rates is to use a rate comparison form click to view form in new window. This method eliminates the need for multiple quote forms for each company. In just a few minutes this one form will return quotes from multiple low-cost companies.
A different way to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to each individual company website and request a quote. For instance, let's assume you want rates from , and . You would have to go to every website and enter your information, and that's why the first method is more popular.

To view a list of companies in Oakbrook Terrace, click here.
The least efficient way to compare rates to different agent offices. Shopping for car insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you have a need for the trained guidance of a licensed agent. You can, however, obtain prices from the web and still use a local agent and we'll cover that in a bit.

Which method you use is up to you, but ensure you're using the exact same coverages and limits with every price quote. If your comparisons have different deductibles you will not be able to find the best deal in Oakbrook Terrace.

Tips to Get Lower Oakbrook Terrace Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that go into determining your car insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in better car insurance rates.

Listed below are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate premiums.

Liability coverage is cheap - Liability insurance will protect you if you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. It will provide for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so buy as much as you can afford.
Small claims can cost you - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can definitely plan on either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in Illinois provide better rates to insureds who do not file claims often. Car insurance is meant to be used in the event of major claims that would cause financial hardship.
Tickets mean higher rates - Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Drivers who don't get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Just one moving violation can bump up the cost by twenty percent. Drivers with serious tickets like DUI or reckless driving are required to file a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to continue driving.
Don't get talked into coverage you don't need - There are many extra bells and whistles that you can get tricked into buying on your policy. Coverages like roadside assistance, accidental death and additional equipment coverage are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.
Multi-policy discounts can save money - Most companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who carry more than one policy. It's known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even if you're getting this discount it's in your best interest to compare rates to verify if the discount is saving money. You may still be able to find better rates by insuring with multiple companies.
Equipment add-ons that lower car insurance rates - Driving a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM's OnStar system all hinder your car from being stolen.
Your occupation can affect rates - Did you know your job can affect your rates? Occupations such as lawyers, architects and accountants have higher rates than average in part from high stress levels and long work hours. On the flip side, professions such as farmers, athletes and homemakers get better rates.
Mature drivers pay less - Mature drivers are more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations. Young drivers are statistically proven to be more careless in a vehicle therefore car insurance rates are much higher.

Are car insurance companies telling the truth?

Consumers can't get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of Allstate, GEICO and Progressive. All the companies say the same thing about savings if you switch your coverage to them.

How do they all make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Different companies can use profiling for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a profitable customer could be over the age of 40, is a homeowner, and chooses high deductibles. Any new insured who fits that profile receives the best rates and most likely will cut their rates substantially.

Potential customers who don't qualify for the "perfect" profile must pay a more expensive rate which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much money. That's why companies can truthfully state the savings. This illustrates why drivers must get quotes from several different companies. It's just too difficult to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings.

Best coverage at the best price

Cheaper car insurance is available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in Oakbrook Terrace, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance companies don't offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.

You just learned a lot of information how to compare car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may be surprised to find that the lowest premiums are with a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may cover specific market segments cheaper than their larger competitors like .

Even more information can be found at the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find out which companies have the most complaints, download brochures, file complaints about a company, and discover disciplinary actions.