How to Know You're Spending Too Much for Auto Insurance in Rantoul

Overpriced auto insurance can dwindle your personal savings and make it impossible to make ends meet. Shopping your coverage around is free, only takes a few minutes, and is a good way to help make ends meet. You have multiple to pick from, and even though it's nice to have multiple companies, having more makes it harder to compare rates.

It's important to do rate comparisons on a regular basis since insurance rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best price last year a different company probably has better rates today. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because we're going to demonstrate the tricks you need to know to get good coverage at a lower rate.

Take advantage of discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may find discounts to reduce the price significantly. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but less common discounts must be asked for in order for you to get them. If you're not getting every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.

Life Insurance - Some companies give a discount if you purchase life insurance.
Accident Waiver - Certain companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don't have any claims for a set time period.
New Vehicle Savings - Insuring a new car is cheaper because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
Anti-lock Brake System - Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents and earn discounts up to 10%.
Theft Prevention Discount - Cars that have factory anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it just doesn't work that way. But any discount will bring down your overall premium however.

Why some people pay less for insurance in Rantoul

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that help determine auto insurance rates. Knowing what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.

Pleasure use saves money - Driving more miles in a year's time the more you will pay for auto insurance. Most companies price each vehicle's coverage based on their usage. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Double check that your auto insurance coverage shows the proper vehicle usage.
Pay less after the wedding - Having a spouse can get you a discount on your policy. It is viewed as being more mature and it's proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
Where you live - Residing in small towns and rural areas can be a good thing when buying auto insurance. Drivers who live in large cities tend to have much more traffic and longer commute times. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents.
Claim-free discounts can add up - Car insurance companies in Illinois award lower rates to drivers who file claims infrequently. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can expect either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Your insurance policy is intended to be relied upon for the bigger claims that can't be paid out-of-pocket.
Bundling policies can get discounts - Many insurers will give a discount to people who carry more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount, you still need to compare other company rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Do you have a high stress job? - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Jobs such as lawyers, business owners and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates because of high stress and long work days. Conversely, professions such as pilots, engineers and performers have the lowest average rates.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

Illinois drivers get pounded daily by advertisements for car insurance savings by companies like GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. They all seem to make an identical promise that you can save after switching to them.

How does each company say the same thing?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For example, a desirable insured might be profiled as over the age of 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has great credit. A propective insured who meets those qualifications will get very good rates and most likely will save when switching.

Potential insureds who don't qualify for these standards will have to pay more money and ends up with business not being written. The ads say "customers that switch" not "people who quote" save money. This is how insurance companies can advertise the savings.

Because of the profiling, drivers should compare many company's rates. It's not possible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.

For more Illinois auto insurance information

More information can be found on the website for the Illinois Department of Insurance located here. Illinois drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, get help finding coverage, view agent and company licensing information, and download brochures.

Also read more on Wikipedia and this page where you can research Rantoul insurance agents.

Best coverage at the best price

As you prepare to switch companies, make sure you don't skimp on coverage in order to save money. In many instances, drivers have reduced physical damage coverage only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford.

Affordable auto insurance can be purchased on the web and with local Rantoul insurance agents, and you should be comparing both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.