How to Find Low-Cost Ottawa Auto Insurance

Are you overwhelmed by the crazy number of auto insurance companies in Ottawa? Many other consumers are too. Consumers have so many options available that it can turn into a lot of work to find the perfect company for you.

What determines how much you pay?

Consumers need to have an understanding of the factors that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to better auto insurance rates.

The following are a few of the "ingredients" companies use to determine prices.

Optional equipment can affect rates - Choosing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your rates. Theft prevention features such as GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart auto theft.
Don't buy coverages you don't need - There are a ton of extra coverages that can waste your money when buying auto insurance. Things like personal injury protection, accident forgiveness and motor club memberships are some examples. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but if you don't need them remove them from your policy.
With age comes lower rates - Youthful drivers in Illinois are known to be careless and easily distracted when behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. Older insureds are more cautious drivers, tend to cause fewer accidents and tend to be better behind the wheel.
Cautious drivers pay less - A bad driving record has a big impact on rates. Good drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. If you have flagrant violations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may find they need to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
Men pay higher rates - Statistics demonstrate women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Men and women cause accidents in similar percentages, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also statistically get more serious tickets like DUI and reckless driving. Young males tend to get in the most accidents and are penalized with high auto insurance rates.
Where you live - Choosing to live in a small town can save you money when talking about auto insurance. Urban drivers regularly have traffic congestion and much longer commute distances. Lower population means fewer accidents.
Better crash test results mean better rates - Safer cars get lower rates. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts passed on to you as lower rates.

More discounts equal less premium

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but a few need to be asked about before being credited. If you don't get every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

Driver's Ed - Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver's ed class if it's offered in school.
Driver Safety - Taking a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
Save with a New Car - Insuring a new car can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
Discount for Good Grades - This discount can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
No Charge for an Accident - Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.

Keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though they make it sound like you could get a free auto insurance policy, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will help reduce your premiums.

To choose insurance companies who offer auto insurance discounts in Illinois, click here.

Switch companies and save? Really?

Consumers in Illinois can't ignore all the ads that promise big savings by companies like State Farm, Allstate and GEICO. They all have a common claim that you can save after switching to them.

But how can every company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

Different companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer might be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote that hits that "sweet spot" gets the lowest rates and therefore will save a lot of money.

Consumers who do not match this ideal profile will be quoted higher prices and this can result in the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the way they do.

This emphasizes why you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

More information can be found on the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, discover disciplinary actions, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.

Other informative sites include this site for auto insurance rates in Illinois and this list of insurance agents in Ottawa, IL.

And the best car insurance company is...

Drivers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, delays in responding to claim requests, not issuing a premium refund or even poor customer service. It doesn't matter why you want to switch switching auto insurance companies is easier than you think.

Affordable auto insurance can be bought both online and with local Ottawa insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some auto insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don't be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where an insured dropped physical damage coverage only to regret at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.