Easy Techniques to Pay Less on St Anne Auto Insurance

If you've never shopped for auto insurance online, it's easy to get confused because of the huge number of auto insurance companies offering coverage in St Anne.

It's important to compare prices periodically because prices are constantly changing. Just because you found the lowest rates a few years ago you can probably find a better price now. Starting right now, forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you're going to get a crash course in the tricks you need to know to find lower rates on auto insurance.

This article will familiarize you with how to get online quotes. If you have car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this strategy. Nevertheless, Illinois drivers do need to know the way companies sell online and use this information to your advantage.

How to Lower your Auto Insurance Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that may reward you with lower auto insurance prices.

Shown below are a few of the "ingredients" used by your company to calculate rates.

  • Males pay more for insurance - Statistics show that women are safer drivers than men. Now that doesn't mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men are in accidents in similar percentages, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. They also get cited for more serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving.
  • Careful drivers pay lower rates - Just one moving violation can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don't get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who have dangerous citations like DUI or reckless driving may need to submit a SR-22 form with their state DMV in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • What are your deductibles? - Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your car. A few examples of covered claims could be running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. Your deductibles are how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.
  • With age comes lower rates - Teen drivers in Illinois have a tendency to be more careless behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates. Parents adding a youthful driver onto a policy can break the bank. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and get fewer tickets.

These discounts can lower your rates

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available that you may not know about. Certain discounts will be applied at the time of purchase, but lesser-known reductions have to be manually applied prior to receiving the credit.

  • Accident Forgiveness - Certain companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge as long as you don't have any claims prior to the accident.
  • Good Student - This discount can get you a discount of up to 25%. This discount can apply up until you turn 25.
  • Multiple Cars - Buying coverage for all your vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
  • Save over 55 - If you're over the age of 55, you may receive a small decrease in premiums.
  • Organization Discounts - Participating in a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on auto insurance.
  • Lower Rates for Military - Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Drive Less and Save - Low mileage vehicles can earn lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.

It's important to understand that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn't quite work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of coverage.

To choose companies with discount auto insurance rates in Illinois, follow this link.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Auto insurance companies such as State Farm, GEICO and Progressive consistently run ads on television and other media. They all seem to say the same thing of big savings if you change your coverage to them. How does each company make almost identical claims? This is how they do it.

All companies have a certain "appetite" for the type of customer that makes them money. For example, a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who fits that profile is entitled to the best price and as a result will probably save when switching.

Potential customers who are not a match for these standards will have to pay higher prices which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "everybody who quotes" save that much money. That is how insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do.

Because of the profiling, you should get as many quotes as possible. It's impossible to know which company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Different people need different coverages

When buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there isn't really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone's situation is unique.

For instance, these questions may help highlight whether you might need an agent's assistance.

  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else's vehicle?
  • Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
  • Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my vehicle is totaled?
  • Am I covered by my employer's commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
  • Are rental cars covered under my policy?
  • Am I getting all the discounts available?

If you don't know the answers to these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Additional Illinois consumer information

Additional auto insurance information can be found on the Illinois Department of Insurance website. Click here for link. Illinois consumers can learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about a company, and report car insurance fraud.

Illinois auto insurance

Affordable insurance is out there

Low-cost auto insurance can be sourced online as well as from independent agents in St Anne, and you should compare price quotes from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some auto insurance companies don't offer online price quotes and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

You just read a lot of tips how to save on auto insurance. It's most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may be surprised to find that the lowest rates come from a smaller regional carrier.

When shopping online for auto insurance, it's very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.