Best Way to Find the Cheapest Ridgway Car Insurance

If you're new to shopping for car insurance online, it's easy to be confused because of the huge number of car insurance companies all offering big savings in Ridgway.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but there are discounts available that you may not even be aware of. Most are applied at the time you complete a quote, but some must be manually applied prior to getting the savings.

Federal Employees - Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount with a few car insurance companies.
Early Signing - Select companies give a discount for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. This can save 10% or more.
Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Cars that have air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
Payment Discounts - If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
Save with a New Car - Buying coverage on a new vehicle is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Good Student - Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will reduce the cost of coverage.

What determines how much you pay?

Smart consumers have a good feel for some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for car insurance. Having a good understanding of what impacts premium levels allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to big savings.

Listed below are some of the factors companies use to determine prices.

High numbers of claims are not good - If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to higher rates. Companies in Illinois provide cheaper rates to insureds who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is intended for larger claims.
Performance influences rates - The type of car you are buying insurance for makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. Lower performance four cylinder passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Better credit means lower rates - Having a bad credit score is a huge factor in determining your rates. If your credit score is lower than you'd like, you could potentially save money when insuring your by improving your credit score. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than drivers who have poor credit.
Equipment add-ons that lower car insurance rates - Owning a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help bring down rates. Anti-theft features like GM's OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent your car from being stolen.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Every insured's situation is different.

For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you could use an agent's help.

Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
What can I do if my company won't pay a claim?
Should I file a claim if it's only slightly more than my deductible?
Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in Illinois?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form.

How can Progressive, Allstate and GEICO save drivers who switch?

Car insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all say the same thing about savings if you switch to them. How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All the different companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of driver that earns them a profit. An example of a driver they prefer might be over the age of 40, a clean driving record, and has a short commute. Any driver who fits that profile will get the preferred rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who are not a match for the requirements will be quoted a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads state "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save money. That is how companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

This emphasizes why drivers should quote coverage with many companies. You cannot predict which company will fit your personal profile best.

Additional Illinois consumer information

Additional information is available on the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. Visitors are able to download brochures, learn about specific coverages, and find out industry alerts.

Final considerations

Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, high prices, poor customer service and even unfair underwriting practices. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching car insurance companies is less work than it seems.

We just presented a lot of tips how to reduce car insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with a lesser-known regional company.

As you shop your coverage around, it's not a good idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are too many instances where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to find out that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.